Purpose

The purpose of the educational research mini-grant program is to provide funding for instructors to explore specific research questions about teaching and student learning, to promote a culture of the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Eligibility

All full-time faculty, full-time staff who also have teaching duties, or department chairs may apply. Team projects across disciplines are encouraged.

Funding

Awards will be up to $2,500 for an individual project and up to $4,500 for an interdisciplinary team project. Funds may be used for summer support, materials and supplies, printing, TA or GTA support, and/or release time. Any salary and wages of personnel need to have the appropriate fringe benefit added. One-half of the funding will be available when awards are announced in July 2021. The remaining funding will be released after the update to CAFE in June 2022. Contact the CAFE office at cafe@mst.edu if this is problematic for the implementation of your project.

Expectations

• Awardees must receive IRB approval by December of the year of proposal acceptance. For more information on IRB approval, visit irb.mst.edu.
• Proposals will be reviewed by an educational research committee according to the 2021-2022 Proposal submission rubric for the educational research mini-grant.
• Awardees are required to present their findings, March 2023 at the Missouri S&T Spring Conference.

Proposal Process

Submit a letter of intent containing your research question and a brief abstract to CAFE (cafe@mst.edu) or mail it to Library G8 by April 23, 2021

Projects must address a specific research question that has the potential to address one or more of the following (at the course, department, college, or university level).

Submit a full proposal on or before June 11, 2021, to the CAFE address above.

The proposal should include:

• Cover sheet (name, department, phone/email, project title, date, signature of department chair(s))
• Research question
• Purpose/objectives for the project, including a literature review
• Methodology and timeline (to be completed by December 2021)
• Evaluation plan
• Budget with justification
• Deliverables and dissemination plan
• Proposals will be reviewed by an educational research committee according to the 2021-2022 Proposal submission rubric for the educational research mini-grant. Awards will be announced in July.

Final Report

The final report for the project will be due to the CAFE office (email cafe@mst.edu or mail to Library G8) no later than Jan. 6, 2023.

The final report should include:

• Cover Sheet
• Abstract & Research Question
• Purpose of Project
• Methodology
• Results
• Conclusion/Future Implications/Plans for Further Dissemination
• Reflection on whether/to what extent the project has impacted your teaching, and/or student learning

Timeline for 2021-2022 Cycle

• April 23, 2021 – Letter of intent due to CAFE office (email cafe@mst.edu, or mail to G8 Library)
• June 11, 2021 – Full proposal due to CAFE office (email cafe@mst.edu, or mail to Library G8)
• July 16, 2021 – Committee decisions announced
• December 2021 – Awardee provides an update to CAFE
• June 2022 - Awardee provides an update to CAFE and remainder of funding released
• January 6, 2023 – Final report due to CAFE office (email cafe@mst.edu, or mail to Library G8)
• March 2023 – Awardee presents findings at the Missouri S&T Spring Conference

Suggested Areas of Focus

Projects must address a specific research question that has the potential to address one or more of the following (at the course, department, college, or university level):

• Improve student engagement, retention, and/or persistence
• Improve attainment of student learning outcomes
• Improve access and success for underrepresented students
• Promote strategies for equity and inclusion
• Enhance student professional development
• Increase faculty-student interaction
• Promote collaborative, experiential, technology-enhanced, or active learning strategies