Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant

This Grant has been named in memory of Dr. Anne Marie Ryan (1955-2022), University Teaching Fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and 3M National Teaching Fellow. She was the Centre for Learning and Teaching’s first Faculty Associate, a position she held for over 10 years.  

Anne Marie was a beloved teacher and teaching mentor and made significant contributions to teaching and learning at Dalhousie.

The aim of this grant is to foster learner-focused teaching that encompasses the whole student, recognizing that education’s goal is to ensure students are able to embrace their role in making an impact on their world. This focus reflects Anne Marie’s particular teaching and learning passions.

Previous Grant Recipients

See information about previous grant recipients and the projects they funded!

• Submission Deadline
• Focus of Grant
• Eligibility
• Amount of Award
• Requirements
• Submission Checklist
• Submission Process
• Selection Criteria
• Contact

Submission Deadline

Submissions for this grant typically occur in the Fall (September-December), and Winter (January-February).

Fall deadline to submit is November 12, 2024.

Focus of Grant

These grants will provide support for Dalhousie educators who are interested in engaging in projects to enhance teaching and learning, through the design and development of new or alternative approaches to enhance student learning at the course, department or Faculty level. The overall aim of these grants is to foster deep and impactful student learning and promote faculty members’ professional development of teaching.

The objectives of this grant program include:

• Enhancing the learning experience of students at Dalhousie University.
• Supporting Dalhousie teaching and learning strategic priorities to transform teaching and learning for the whole student (across all modalities). Including, but not limited to:
  • Advances Dalhousie’s Diversity and Inclusiveness Strategy, Indigenous Strategy, and/or African Nova Scotian Strategy
  • Incorporates Indigenous and anti-colonial approaches to learning, and/or develops deep and meaningful relationships with the people of the Mi’kmaw Nation
  • First-year undergraduate education
  • Undergraduate research
  • Experiential and work-integrated learning (including field work and community engaged learning)
  • Active learning
  • Expands global reach
  • Interdisciplinary approach
  • Course or program design (all modalities),
  • Assessment techniques,
  • Teaching strategies, or
  • Creating new active learning and/or experiential opportunities
• Supporting projects that could include, but are not limited to:
  • Course or program design (all modalities),
  • Assessment techniques,
  • Teaching strategies, or
  • Creating new active learning and/or experiential opportunities
• Providing faculty with opportunities for professional development of teaching

Please note, if you are creating an open educational resource (OER) please refer to the OER Grant call (link to OER Grant page).

Eligibility

Each project team must be led by a full-time faculty member to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project, however non-academic staff and part-time faculty members may be co-applicants. Limited-term faculty who are project leads, must have at least one year remaining in their contract term. 

Priority will be given to those who have not previously received a Dalhousie Teaching and Learning Enhancement grant the last 12 months.

Amount of Award

Up to $3,000 may be awarded to each project.

Requirements

1. Applicants must complete the Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Application Form. Completed forms can be submitted directly to clt@dal.ca.
2. A detailed budget is required with justification for each item. See below for more information about what kinds of items are eligible for funding through this grant.
3. If you are planning to seek assistance from an Educational Developer from the CLT as part of your project, please include confirmation in writing that assistance will be available from that individual during the time frame required, prior to submitting your proposal. 
4. Statement of support from the head of the relevant teaching unit (department, school, Faculty) that includes: Description of any additional resources (e.g., funding, release time, equipment, etc.) to be provided to the project and a description of the value of the project, in particular the pedagogical impact on students. If a department head is an applicant for the grant, please provide a letter of support from your Associate Dean or Dean of your Faculty.
5. Participation in a Fall Teaching Forum where grant recipients share their course or program enhancement with other grant recipients and the Dalhousie community. 
6. Completion of a final report is required 18 months after receipt of funding for all successful grants. The completed Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Final Report Form can be submitted directly to clt@dal.ca.

Examples of items that are commonly funded through this grant:

• Student support (e.g., research assistant, programming, development)
  • This should be inclusive of an hourly wage (e.g., $24.00 or $30.50 for undergraduate and graduate students respectively) + 13.662% (6% vacation pay + 7% benefits, i.e., EI/CPP).
• Honoraria for speakers, community consults, etc.
• Technology not already available elsewhere, or where alternatives are not available
  • Projects that submit budgets that are largely requesting funds to purchase technology will only be considered in special circumstances where research has been conducted to ensure that:
    • The tool is the only possible solution
    • The tool can be demonstrated to contribute substantially to the project
    • There are no institutional plans to consider a Dalhousie-wide site licence for such a tool
    • The department or faculty is able to commit to maintaining the tool to ensure continued use and impact
      

Funding will NOT be provided for the following items

• Conferences: registration travel, accommodations, etc.
• Technology already available elsewhere, or where alternatives are available
• Office supplies
• Phone charges
• Publishing fees
• Faculty and staff salaries

Submission Check-List

Applicants are encouraged to submit well-defined proposals that will demonstrably enhance teaching and learning. 

To be submitted as part of the grant application, using the Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Application form: 

1. Names of project lead and co-applicant(s), employment status of project lead, Faculty/Department, contact information, and brief bio (as it relates to the nature of the project)
2. Project Title
3. Brief Abstract (150 words) to be used for promotion purposes if the applicant is successful
4. Project Plan (Not to Exceed 2000 words)
   • Brief description of the proposed teaching and learning enhancement
   • Rationale and goals for the project: Within the context of the program/course, outline the pedagogical impact on students and the contribution the project will make to the course or program. Outline how the project will enhance student learning and how it is related to departmental, Faculty or institutional strategic directions.
   • Describe how the teaching and learning literature in this area has guided your project direction
   • Student population impacted
   • Sustainability of project

The following must be appended to your Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Application Form:

• List of sources consulted from the literature
• Detailed project timeline
• List of additional resources
• Teaching Unit Support - Letter from Head of Department
• Detailed Budget
  

Submission Process

Grant applications must be submitted as one full package, using the Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Application Form.

Electronic submission applications can be emailed to: clt@dal.ca. Unless given permission, applications must be in a single .pdf formatted document. Specifics for electronic submissions include:

• Email’s subject should be: “Anne Marie Ryan Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant Submission [YEAR]”.
• File name must follow the format [LAST NAME OF PROJECT LEAD, ANNE MARIE RYAN TEACHING AND LEARNING ENHANCEMENT GRANT, YEAR].
• Co-applicants: Indicate if you are submitting on behalf of the project lead in the email body.

If you encounter technical issues or have any questions, please contact the Centre for Learning and Teaching at clt@dal.ca or by phone at (902) 494-1622.

Selection Criteria

• The project will significantly contribute to the enhancement of teaching and learning in the stated context.
• The project has clear and achievable aims (i.e., the proposal identifies an important teaching/learning problem or issue that the project will address, clearly states the purpose of the project, and defines realistic and achievable outcomes.)
• The project will result in impactful and sustainable benefits to students resulting in deep learning.
• The project supports Dalhousie’s teaching and learning strategic priorities to transform teaching and learning for the whole student (across all modalities) including, but not limited to:
  • Advances Dalhousie’s Diversity and Inclusiveness Strategy, Indigenous Strategy, and/or African Nova Scotian Strategy
  • Incorporates Indigenous and anti-colonial approaches to learning, and/or develops deep and meaningful relationships with the people of the Mi’kmaw Nation
  • First-year undergraduate education
  • Undergraduate research
  • Experiential and work-integrated learning (including field work and community engaged learning)
  • Active learning
  • Expands global reach
  • Interdisciplinary approach
• The proposed budget is fully justified and in line with the aims and timeline of the project.
• The project has the support of the applicant's Dean or Department Head.

Contact

Any questions or requests for feedback on proposals in development may be directed to Kate Thompson (thompskm@dal.ca).