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  3. Immersion Grants

Immersion Grants

The College of Arts & Science has established a dedicated funding stream to support innovative undergraduate Immersive experiences developed by A&S faculty members. These grants are intended to complement the new opportunities for Immersion funding through the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt. These grants can offer partial to full funding if other funds are not available, sufficient, or appropriate.

A&S faculty have access to two types of Immersion Grants: Immersion Scholar Grants (ISGs) and Immersion Mini-Grants (IMGs). All full-time, tenured, tenure-track, and continuing-track faculty with multi-year appointments are eligible for ISGs and IMGs. Postdoctoral fellows and staff are ineligible for these funds.

Immersion Scholar Grants

ISGs provide funding for faculty-involved/led projects that lead to the completion of a student’s Immersion requirement. These grants are competitive, and proposals selected for funding will prioritize experiences that demonstrate thoughtful design and integration with classroom/curricular experiences for all participants. Additionally, ISG proposals should have a well-considered, demonstrable end product that enables students to produce their creative culminating projects.

Details
  • ISG terms may be up to one year, although term lengths within that limit may vary, and some projects may be renewed for a second year upon completion of a report that demonstrates both prior success and additional demand.
  • ISG grant amounts will vary, but funding requested should not exceed $15,000. The college will prioritize applicants who can demonstrate an intention to cost-share and seek out additional funds outside of the college.
  • ISG proposals may be submitted by one faculty member or a team of faculty members, but one faculty member must be designated as the lead and must submit the proposal.
  • Please upload all application materials (as detailed below) to REDCap.
  • The chair or director will be prompted to approve the application via REDCap after the materials are submitted. We strongly recommend that faculty members have a prior discussion with their chair or director before submitting a grant application.
Application

A proposal and budget are required.

Proposal:

The proposal narrative should be no more than three pages, submitted as a PDF, and should include the following:

  • A title and brief description of the experience being proposed.
  • The faculty member(s) proposing to lead the experience (collaboration among faculty members is encouraged) and their qualifications for doing so.
  • The Immersion pathway(s) to which the experience will be linked, and why.
  • What kind of planning and development for the experience (if any) is required before it is launched.
  • The number of students expected to be involved or that can be served by the experience, and whether specific students (within a major or area of study) will be targeted.
  • The course(s) in which the Immersion experience for students will be grounded.
  • A timeline for development and launch of the Immersion experience.
  • The outcome(s) expected from the experience, including specific knowledge gained by students and a description of the type of final project that students will be expected to complete.
  • A budget narrative describing the categories of expenses expected to be incurred, including expenses associated with development of the experience, expenses associated with student participation, and expenses that might be incurred by the faculty member(s) leading the experience. Please include any and all funding from outside sources in the budget.

Budget:

  • A separate budget indicating the total funds being requested is also required. The budget must be submitted as a PDF.
  • All funding disbursement will be handled by the lead faculty member’s SAO. Please work with them to access awarded funds.
Deadlines
  • The application deadline is September 15 for projects to be implemented in the beginning of fall of the following academic year.
  • The application deadline is February 1 for projects to be implemented in spring of the following academic year.
Immersion Mini-Grants

IMGs are for smaller expenses (up to $3,000) associated with Immersion experiences. They may be used to cover, for example, the cost of materials, the planning and execution of events, and/or faculty-led student visits to off-campus venues (e.g., an exhibition or event).

Details
  • IMG proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis. IMG terms may vary, but the expenses associated must be incurred within a single fiscal year.
  • All requests for IMGs should mention which class or curricular experience they are associated with.
  • IMG proposals may be submitted by a single faculty member or a team of faculty members. One faculty member must be designated the lead on the proposal.
  • IMG grant amounts will vary, but funding amounts requested should not exceed $3,000.
  • Please upload all application materials (detailed below) to REDCap.
  • All funding disbursement will be handled by the lead faculty member’s SAO.
Application
  • IMG proposals will consist of a single PDF, no more than two pages, which must include the rationale and specifics for the request, a brief budget, and a timeline.
  • Supporting documentation may also be submitted, e.g., invoice or price quote.

Applicants should expect a response to their proposal within three weeks to a month.

Please direct all questions to Assistant Dean Angela Sutton.