Call for Proposals: SoTL Grants
The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) invites instructors to apply for grants to support Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research at the University. The purpose of the SoTL Grants Program is to foster a culture of evidenced-based research designed to contribute new knowledge related to teaching and learning..
If you wonder whether your idea is a good fit for one of the grants, review past SoTL Scholars projects and SoTL Grant projects to get an idea of the scope and scale of classroom-focused research questions.
The duration of the grant is from July 1, 2026-May 1, 2027. All funds need to be spent prior to the end of the fiscal year or they will be lost. Funds are available for the following:
- SoTL Research Grant: This grant supports instructors in initiating a new SoTL project, continuing data collection for a project-in-progress, or extending a previous project to another course, intervention, or research question. Each applicant may request up to $3,000.
- SoTL Collaboration Grant: This grant supports a group of instructors in developing and implementing a common SoTL project across the collaborative. Cross-departmental/school collaborations are encouraged but not required. Each collaborative may request up to $5,000.
- SoTL Dissemination Grant: This grant supports instructors in disseminating their SoTL findings. The applicant can focus on data analysis and/or preparing submission(s) to journals, conferences, and other relevant outlets. Each applicant may request up to $1,000.
Eligibility
- All UVA instructors, including faculty (tenure-track, tenured, and general), staff, graduate students, and postdocs are eligible to apply.
- Instructors are encouraged to have demonstrable SoTL experience (e.g., through the CTE’s SoTL Scholars program, a similar program, or completed SoTL projects). Those who do not are encouraged to first participate in SoTL Scholars or contact Jess Taggart (jt2bb@virginia.edu) and Lindsay Wheeler (lsb4u@virginia.edu) to discuss the possibility of additional assistance from the CTE to support project success.
- Previous grant recipients are eligible to submit another proposal only after 3 years have passed since the application submission date of their most recent grant. The exception is for SoTL Dissemination Grants, which can be applied for at any time.
Expenses
- Eligible expenses (not exhaustive): Wages for research assistant(s), consulting or data-analysis fees, research equipment, supplies, participant incentives (e.g., gift cards), travel for conducting and/or presenting research, conference travel and lodging, and publishing fees.
- Ineligible projects & expenses (not exhaustive): Purchasing of equipment for personal use, funds for the production of commercial items, conference registration fees*, overhead, indirect costs, or facilities and administrative costs.
*UVA faculty are eligible for the Education Benefits Program to cover conference registration fees. If the applicant is not eligible for the Education Benefits Program, conference registration fees will be considered an eligible expense on a case-by-case basis.
Awardee Expectations
All recipients are expected to:
- Conduct the project as proposed, to the best of their ability, and keep the CTE apprised of any substantive changes to plans.
- Provide a brief mid-year report in January 2027 (a template will be provided).
- Submit a one-page final report in June 2027 (a template will be provided).
- Work toward disseminating the results of the project.
- Acknowledge the funding from the CTE when presenting and publishing the findings.
How to Apply
Proposals are due Friday, April 3 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. All proposals must be submitted electronically via the application form. We recommend preparing responses in a separate document and then copying them into the form to ensure no work is lost.
All applications will be anonymized before review. Applicants will be notified of decisions in April 2026. Questions? Please contact Lindsay Wheeler at lsb4u@virginia.edu.
Application Details
- Title of Project
- Principal Investigator Information
- Grant Category
- Abstract: In up to 250 words, describe the project
- Importance of the Project: In up to 500 words, provide a clear problem statement that outlines what the project examines, followed by a brief literature review. Clearly indicate how this project adds to existing research (i.e., what is new or what problem will be solved?).
- Dissemination Plan: In up to 250 words, describe the plan for dissemination (e.g., submission of a conference proposal, journal article, creation of open educational resources, etc.), including the timeline and tasks involved and who will work on the project and their responsibilities. (Note: To enable anonymous review, please do not include individual names; instead, use roles such as Principal Investigator, Graduate Assistant, etc.)
- Budget and Justification:
- Total amount requested
- List each budget item, anticipated cost, and a justification for its inclusion. The amounts should be as specific as possible (e.g., if you plan to budget for a Graduate Assistant, indicate number of hours, $/hour, etc.) and the outlined expenses should be directly relevant to meeting the project objectives. Reference eligible and ineligible expenses in the Call for Proposals.
- Department financial administrator information
Research and Collaboration Grants Only
- Study Design: In up to 500 words, describe the study’s design, including the data sources that will be used, the timeline of the project, and who will work on the project and their responsibilities. (Note: To enable anonymous review, please do not include individual names; instead, use roles such as Principal Investigator, Graduate Assistant, etc.)
Dissemination Grants Only
- Project Status:
- Has your project been accepted for presentation at a conference?
- Has your project been accepted for publication in a journal?
More on applying for our limited-time SoTL Dissemination Awards.
List of our grantees from 2022 to present.
