Teaching Conference/Workshop Grant Application Information

The mission of the Eykamp Center for Teaching Excellence (ECTE) is to encourage effective innovative teaching in support of the University’s mission of “active learning and scholarship”.

Our goals are:

• To promote better understanding of teaching and learning
• To cultivate engaging conversation about effective teaching in a community of active learning
• To foster an understanding of teaching as a valued scholarly endeavor
• To support professors in the vocation of teaching 

The ECTE grant program exists to encourage and support faculty who seek professional growth in relation to these goals.

Description: The Eykamp Center will provide up to $750.00 to offset the cost of attending a teaching conference or workshop, either general or discipline related. The Director, Co-Director, and ECTE Advisory Council will make funding decisions. Though there may be many worthy applications, ECTE funding is limited. Therefore, proposals may be funded depending on the number of applications received and funding amounts requested.

Requirements: ECTE grants may be awarded to full-time faculty of any rank. In keeping with the goals listed above, grant recipients are asked to identify questions/issues regarding teaching which they wish to explore, and upon return, are asked to present what they have learned to the larger faculty community at an ECTE Lunch and Learn session.

Procedure: Individuals wishing to be considered for a grant must complete the accompanying application, including all requested information. Strong applications will consider the ECTE goals listed above, as well as how the proposed conference will enrich individual teaching and the larger faculty community.

Review: Please email your application to ecte@evansville.edu. The Director and Co-Director will review applications and make award decisions in consultation with the ECTE Advisory Council. 

This grant program is possible through the generous support of Rita and Richard Eykamp.

Teaching Conference/Workshop Grant Application Guidelines

Please include the following information in a document and send it to ecte@evansville.edu.

1. Name, email address, campus phone number
2. Title and department
3. Title, dates, and location of the conference or workshop
4. A description of the conference/workshop that shows its teaching focus. Although it may be useful to include pertinent language from conference literature or calls for papers, the description and explanation of teaching focus should be your own. Please also provide a link to the conference/workshop webpage that includes the conference objectives and tentative or confirmed schedule.
5. A rationale for your funding request. This section should identify the teaching questions/issues you intend to explore and include anticipated connections to your own teaching practice. Please state specific presentations/sessions that you plan to attend, as well as whether you are presenting at the conference. If you plan to present, please also include an abstract of your presentation.
6. Plans for presentation to the faculty community at UE, including time frame and format (e.g., seminar, lecture, or workshop). The ECTE Director and Co-Director will coordinate all presentations. If you do not complete the dissemination plan for the University community, you will not be eligible for ECTE funds in the future.
7. The budget, including cost of travel, lodging, registration, and any other anticipated expenses (e.g., tax) or confirmed sources of funding, should be clearly outlined or itemized. ECTE grants do not cover meals or beverages.
8. Signature/E-signature

Before conference travel:

1. Upon approval, please submit a travel request form to ECTE (ecte@evansville.edu). You must file this form before travel takes place, and then resubmit it (with receipts, etc.) within one month upon return from the conference/workshop to be reimbursed. You must submit your receipts within the fiscal year of your expenses to be reimbursed.
2. You are required to inform your department chair, college dean, and University (currently through MyUE) about your plans to travel for insurance purposes.

After conference travel:

1. Upon your return from the conference/workshop, please email ECTE at (ecte@evansville.edu) with a timeframe and suggested focus for your Lunch and Learn presentation for UE faculty, including potential application to faculty outside your discipline.