To qualify for this grant, courses must include components of research or creative activities that go beyond standard content or methods. The course must include “mentored investigation or creative inquiry conducted by undergraduates that seek to make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge” (National Council on Undergraduate Research). These may include, but are not limited to:

• Course-based undergraduate research experiences, where students generate new knowledge of relevance to the discipline
• Courses where faculty guide student-led original research projects that contribute to scholarly or artistic knowledge
• Creative production such as original compositions, performances, exhibitions, or design work that extend standard curricular experiences
• Collaborative projects with external partners or communities resulting in authentic scholarly contributions or creative outcomes

Faculty may request up to $10,000 in grant funding and are encouraged to submit budgets that reflect only the funds needed to support their course redesign. Smaller requests may allow the program to support a greater number of innovative courses. Grant funds may be used for, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supplies and materials essential for research or creative production (e.g., lab consumables, art supplies, software licenses)
• Workshops, trainings, or professional development to enhance course execution
• Guest artists, scholars, or experts who enrich the research or creative components
• Faculty personnel time or stipends up to a maximum of $2,500 per grant, in recognition of the additional time that such courses take to develop and sustain.

Non-expendable items purchased remain university property and personal funds cannot supplement grants for such purchases.

All full-time faculty teaching an undergraduate course focused on research or creative activity are eligible to apply, including past grant recipients. Interested faculty must secure a nomination from a program director, chair, associate dean, or dean. The grant must support a course for the academic year either in the year after the application submission or the following year.

Faculty may receive this grant only once for a specific course. While faculty may apply for both this grant and the Pedagogical Innovations Grant in the same year, only one award may be granted. The Office of the Provost has final authority in determining eligibility.

To be considered for a 2025–2026 award, faculty must submit their application as a single PDF through the online application portal listed below by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 3, 2026.

Required Application Documents (all documents listed below will be submitted as one single PDF):

• • Course Development, Revamp, or Sustainability Plan: Explain how the requested funds will be used to develop a new course, significantly revise an existing course, or sustain an innovative course with a strong research or creative component. Describe the specific course elements that will be added, improved, or maintained (e.g., assignments, projects, tools, or collaborations) and how these changes will strengthen student learning through original inquiry or creative practice.
  • Justification of Research or Creative Activities: Describe how the proposed research or creative activities contribute to scholarly or artistic knowledge. Place the project within the appropriate disciplinary or interdisciplinary context and explain its originality, rigor, or potential impact. When appropriate, include citations of relevant literature, theoretical frameworks, or examples of comparable work to support claims of significance and innovation.

• • Include materials that support and demonstrate the nature of the innovation described in the proposal. Examples may include syllabi, student work, assignments or class activities, student evaluations, and/or letters of support from Chapman faculty or colleagues at other institutions that speak to the significance of the pedagogical innovation and its contribution to scholarly or creative inquiry.

• • Copy of your last awarded Pedagogical Innovation Grant proposal, Research and Creative Activities Grant Proposal, or statement that you have never been awarded one from Chapman University.
  • Copy of your grant report for the last award. The report should demonstrate substantial attainment of the goals/objectives.
    • If you do not have a copy of your last report, you may request assistance from the Office of Faculty Advancement, which will provide the documents if they are available. 

Letter of Support (not to exceed two pages):
Faculty must request a letter of support from a program director, chair, associate dean, or dean. Letters will be submitted separately through an online submission portal and are due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Faculty should notify the appropriate administrator of their intent to apply well in advance of the deadline. Once the faculty member submits the application, the designated letter writer will receive an email with instructions for uploading the letter by the designated deadline.

The letter should address the following:

1.  A clear rationale for supporting the application
   
   
2.  A description of how the course fits within the program curriculum and how the funding will benefit undergraduate students in the program
   
   
3.  An explanation for how the program or department will continue to support and sustain the proposed research or creative elements of the course after the grant ends.

Selection:
Applications will be evaluated by the following criteria: 

• Clarity, creativity, and merit of the proposed research or creative activities
• Impact on student learning and engagement through original inquiry or creative production
• Contribution to the faculty member’s pedagogical growth and disciplinary advancement
• Feasibility and probability of successfully achieving objectives by the end of the grant period
• Sustainability of the changes promoting research or creative activities beyond the grant period
• Necessity and effective use of requested funding
• Evidence of prior progress or preparation, if applicable

Selections are expected to be based solely on the application. However, finalists may be invited to give a brief presentation and answer questions with the Center for Undergraduate Excellence.

Spending Cycle for Use of Grant Funds
All grant funds must be used within the grant spending cycle, which runs from June 1 through April 30 of the academic year in which the grant is awarded. All equipment and supplies must be received, and any planned travel must be completed by April 30. Additional grant policies and requirements will be provided to recipients at the time of award.

Course must be implemented within 2 years of grant award

Changes to Funded Proposals
If a funded project requires a modification to its budget, scope or purpose, the grant recipient must submit a formal change-of-use request form (link) to CUE via email that provides a clear justification for the proposed change.

Requests are required for any alterations to the project’s objectives, aims, or key personnel. Each request must address the following:

• Justification: An explanation of why the proposed cost or change is necessary and appropriate.
• Direct Relevance: A description of how the proposed cost directly supports and benefits the approved grant project.

All change-of-use requests must be submitted no later than March 1 of the grant spending cycle.

All terms and conditions of the grant award, as outlined in the award email, are required and apply to all use of funds.

Grantees are expected to attend the Spring 2026 Faculty Honors Convocation, where awards will be announced. Grantees may also be asked to work with the Center for Undergraduate Excellence to share their work or lead workshops for other faculty.

Grantees may be invited to share project outcomes during the following academic year through a faculty forum or other appropriate venues.

Grantees must submit a final report to the Office of Faculty Advancement and the Center for Undergraduate Excellence within six months after the end of the academic year of the award.