Guidelines for CRIF Proposals - the Faculty of Arts & Science ...

Guidelines for Proposals to the Curriculum Renewal Initiatives Fund [CRIF Round 5]of the Faculty of Arts & ScienceCRIF submissions will be evaluated and prioritized on the basis of three required components:A. the proposal itself (maximum two pages);B. a detailed budget (maximum one page);C. a high-level one- to two-paragraph abstract describing the project (maximum 200 words).Please adhere to the following guidelines in preparing each component of your proposal package.A. Each project proposal must be a maximum of two pages (one double-sided sheet of paper),using 12-point font and no less than ¾ inch margins. Proposals must address the followingthree components. Each component must be explicitly labeled in the proposal (i.e., “1.Project”, “2. Evaluation”, “3. Timeline”), with clear indication within each section of how theparticular points below are addressed.1. Project: A description of the project focusing on:a. what specific curricular and/or co-curricular innovations are proposed;b. how the project meets curricular, co-curricular, or academic support goals of curriculumrenewal, with clear reference to specific recommendations;(See of the Final Report of the Curriculum Review & Renewal Committee 2006-2007 here:http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/curriculum-renewal/pdfs/crrcfinalreport15aug07.pdf)c. how the project benefits students, the number of students affected, and the likely degreeof impact (e.g., core programs or skills addressed, etc.);d. how the project may benefit the Faculty more broadly (e.g., contribution of pedagogicalmaterials or insights transferable to other units, generalizable findings regarding studentacademic experience, etc.);e. whether the project is a one-time initiative (such as curricular development) or a pilotproject with a view to continuation if successful. In the case of a pilot project, pleaseoutline the plans for broadening the scope if successful, either within or across units.2. Evaluation: A description of the means for evaluating the degree of success of the project inachieving its goals, including:a. identification of specific learning outcomes to be evaluated;b. clear mechanisms for assessing each of the various outcomes.Evaluation is important for judging the impact of a project and for determining means forimproving curricular efforts. Please be very clear and specific in stating the expected outcomes,and focus on those that are of highest priority to your project. Outcomes should be developedwith a consideration for how you expect to assess them, so that you avoid ones that cannotreasonably be evaluated. Note that successful proposals will be expected to submit a report ontheir project evaluation at the end of the academic year, 2012/2013.3. Timeline: The projected time course of the project, addressing:a. whether the proposal is for a pilot project, to be broadened in scope if successful;b. the projected timeline for evaluating the success of the project (at least partial results areexpected to be available within the first year for informed evaluation);c. the time needed for full implementation of the proposal.

B. The budget should be presented on one additional page (one single-sided sheet of paper), detailingthe proposed use of the requested funds, with:1. clear justification of how the funds support the stated goals of the project;2. evidence of ability to leverage funds from other sources, where possible;3. for a pilot project, anticipated needs for sustainability of the initiative, if successful, andevidence of the unit’s commitment to the project.C. The abstract should be presented on one additional page (one single-sided sheet of paper). Thisshould be a high-level description of the project motivation, goals, and expected outcomes, forcommunicating to students, faculty, and staff across the Faculty. (Abstracts of successful proposalswill be posted on the Faculty of Arts and Science website.)Proposal packages must be submitted no later than 5pm Friday, November 4, 2011; please notethat this is a firm deadline.The academic head of the unit (department/college/EDU) should submit any and all proposals from theunit. Packages containing more than one proposal from a single unit should be accompanied by aletter from the unit head indicating their relative priority.Packages must be submitted both electronically and on paper, so that the competition can beadjudicated as rapidly as possible.Each proposal package should be submitted electronically (in Word or PDF format) by email tokafayat.matti@utoronto.ca, with the subject line “CRIF submission”.Each proposal must also be printed double-sided on a single sheet of paper, with additionalsingle-sided sheets for the budget and for the abstract. All sheets must be punched with astandard three-hole punch. Twenty-five (25) collated paper copies of each proposal should besent to:Kafayat MattiExecutive Secretary to the Vice-Dean, Teaching & Learningand Special Advisor to the DeanOffice of the Dean, Faculty of Arts and ScienceSidney Smith Hall, Room 2005100 St. George StreetUniversity of TorontoIf your unit is submitting multiple proposals, please copy and collate the proposalsseparately, as they will be entered separately into binders.Please direct any questions about these guidelines or submission arrangements to Special Advisor theDean, Sandy Welsh or her assistant Kafayat Matti at (416) 946-0413, or kafayat.matti@utoronto.ca.2