New Grant to Support Staff and Faculty
Engaging Students in Mission
The Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education, through the Ignatian Formation for Mission program, is honored to establish a new grant. This grant will support faculty and staff in directly engaging students in SCU’s Jesuit, Catholic mission.
The Engaging Students in Mission Grant will award grants for programming, teaching, and contributing to university initiatives that support students in encountering, exploring and engaging mission. The grant application process will open in late January 2024. Due to inquiries we have extended the grant application deadline to Tuesday, April 2, 2024, with decisions announced in late April 2024. Funding will be available from May 2024 through November 2025. For additional information see the grant application process below.
Up to 4 grants (up to $5,000 each) will be awarded to staff and faculty to support the integration of mission, the characteristics of Jesuit higher education, Jesuit values and/or Ignatian Spirituality into the student experience. Projects can be new or existing and can take various forms, such as curriculum and course development; mission-based programming; or initiatives that bring together an affinity group of students, such as class year. Proposals that develop partnerships with more than one campus unit and/or student collaborators are particularly encouraged.
Funding might support activities such as:
- The development and implementation of new courses (e.g., ELSJ courses) or the integration of mission into existing courses (e.g., first year experience/intro to major courses).
- The deeper integration of Jesuit values into an existing university initiative for students (e.g., new student orientation; student leadership programs; student organizations).
- The deeper integration of mission into structures and services designed for student success such as advising; residence life programming; and student services.
- The integration of mission into practices that engage the holistic development of students such as JDEI programs; peer education programs; and student fellowships.
- Funding for staff and faculty retreats/training programs to deepen understanding of mission and integrate it into professional responsibilities that impact students.
Eligibility
Full-time faculty (of all ranks) and full time staff working directly with undergraduate or graduate students are eligible to apply. Proposals that involve faculty and/or staff from more than one department and integrate students as collaborative contributors are encouraged. Proposals must be signed by the primary applicant(s) and by the related department chair(s)/supervisors.
Application Deadline
Applications must be submitted by March 15, 2024. Receipt will be acknowledged. Grant recipients will be notified in April 2024. Grant award funds become available in May 2024.
Project Duration
Engaging Students in Mission grant activities must be conducted within eighteen months from the date of funding. Unused funds will be returned to the Ignatian Center at the end of the 18 months. When a decision to award a grant has been made, the Director of Mission Integration will notify each grant recipient and schedule a meeting to review the related grant parameters and expectations. The Director of Mission Integration will serve as a point of contact for the grant recipient during the duration of the project.
Review Procedures
Proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee chaired by the Director of Mission Integration. Occasionally, proposals may be distributed to additional expert reviewers selected by Ignatian Center staff who may advise the committee. The committee's recommendations will be reviewed by the Director of Ignatian Formation & the Bannan Forum and the Executive Director of the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education for final funding decisions. Reviewers consider the following criteria, among others, when evaluating proposals:
- Does the proposal meet the submission criteria as laid out in this call for proposals?
- What is the significance of the proposed project to the work of student formation for mission? How does it showcase the distinctive elements of SCU’s Jesuit, Catholic mission?
- Does this proposal specify impact to the student community and the university community?
- Is the project clearly described, well defined, and able to be successfully completed within the grant timeline?
- Is the proposed methodology appropriate? Are sufficient resources and expertise available?
- Is there departmental/institutional commitment to support the project?
For a fuller description mission, see Connect to Mission: A Guide for Santa Clara University’s Faculty, Staff and Administration. In it you will find a brief introduction to the foundations of our Jesuit, Catholic mission including: SCU’s mission and vision; characteristics of Jesuit higher education; and key Jesuit values. Each distinguishes SCU in higher education. In developing a grant proposal, staff and faculty can consider integrating one or multiple of the foundations into the student experience.
These descriptions are not meant to restrict proposals only to religious themes. Faculty and staff will accompany students of all faith traditions and human ideals in encountering, exploring and engaging in our mission. SCU’s Jesuit and Ignatian foundations embrace a wide range of humanistic, artistic, scientific and technical activities that help individuals, society, our common home and our students to flourish.
To apply, submit the following items as a single PDF:
1. A proposal that:
- Describes the nature, scope, and method of the proposed program, course, or university initiative.
- Discusses the significance of the proposed program, course or university initiative to the full development of the student and the mission, vision, and values of Santa Clara University.
- Identifies methods that will be used to measure the success of the project.
- Suggests future work based on the anticipated results of the project.
- Outlines dissemination plans or scope of student impact.
- Notes the role and contribution of all applicants.
2. Detailed budget that clearly identifies the purpose of the funds requested and identifies institutional cost sharing.
3. Additional supporting materials such as curricula vitae of project faculty or staff, relevant bibliography, and/or project schedule.
4. A summary of the Criteria that will be used to review the grant applications.
Fill out the cover sheet and submit your completed application here: Engaging Students in Mission Grant Application Cover Letter Form
As a condition of the grant, awardees must furnish the Ignatian Center with updates 6 and 12 months after funds are made available and a final project report one quarter after the completion date indicated on the proposal cover page. The final project report may be made available on the Ignatian Center website.