Undergraduate Instructional Improvement Grants

Introduction

As the name implies, Undergraduate Instructional Improvement Program (UIIP) grants are intended to improve teaching in undergraduate courses.  Most grant requests that are above $500 fall into this category. (Those below $500 should be submitted via the UIIP Mini-Grant Program.)   UIIP funds are intended to provide support for:

  1. Innovations expected to enhance undergraduate education at UC Davis on a continuing basis.
  2. Departmental plans to strengthen undergraduate curricula or enhance participation in campus-wide initiatives to develop undergraduate teaching.
  3. Projects that enrich the educational experience of UC Davis undergraduates, especially in large enrollment core courses.
  4. Projects to improve TA effectiveness in undergraduate courses.

When funding is available, a call for UIIP proposals is issued in Spring Quarter.  We anticipate that the next call for UIIP proposals will be Spring 2013.  Different areas of emphasis are identified for each call. An advisory committee reviews all proposals and forwards funding recommendations to the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies.

A wide variety of projects have been wholly or partially funded in past years. Recent awards commonly have fallen in the $1,500-$6,000 range.

Apply

Click for Fall 2011 application form.

Note:  Due to funding constraints, there will be no call for proposals in Spring 2012.  We apologize.  We expect to have another call in Spring 2013.

Preparing a UIIP Proposal

See the Guidelines for UIIP Proposals and the Proposal Review Criteria.

Call for UIIP Proposals

October 7, 2011

MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY
RE: Undergraduate Instructional Improvement Program (UIIP) Grants
FALL QUARTER APPLICATION DEADLINE: Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Undergraduate Instructional Improvement Grants Program, administered by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (formerly the TRC), provides campus funding for undergraduate curricular renewal and pedagogical innovation. Applications for UIIP-funded projects are solicited twice each year to support a wide range of instructional improvement projects.
Proposals that address strategic campus needs will be given special consideration in the UIIP review process. For current-year applications, these include proposals to:

  1. Of particular significance this year: develop student learning outcomes and assessment strategies for an undergraduate major.
  2. Develop student learning outcomes for, and assess learning in, large-enrollment classes.
  3. Develop or refine online courses for large-enrollment classes.
  4. Redevelop a course in keeping with UC Davis’s commitment to physical accessibility, electronic accessibility, and the universal design for learning.
  5. Strengthen students’ writing and oral communications skills.
  6. Devise a course that will increase students’ understanding of social and cultural diversity.
  7. Incorporate issues of environmental sustainability into the curriculum.
  8. Use new technologies to address any of the challenges noted above.

Please see also the UIIP proposal guidelines.
All UIIP large grants will be evaluated by a faculty-staff UIIP Review Committee. Recommendations from the UIIP Review Committee will be forwarded to the Vice Provost – Undergraduate Studies (for allocations of UIIP funds).
Please note that this call is specific to the Large UIIP grant program. Support for small improvement projects can be requested through the UIIP Mini-Grant program (administered by the CETL). The UIIP Mini-Grant program accepts applications year-round for instructional support up to a maximum of $500.
Sincerely,
Patricia A. Turner Vice Provost