Course Development Grants

Each year the Center for Social Concerns accepts proposals for three $2,500* summer grants to fund the design of a new course or a major redesign of an existing course. These course development grants are a special initiative for faculty interested in incorporating social concerns into their courses through community-based learning. Community-based learning integrates student direct service or other forms of civic engagement, such as research for non-profit organizations, into academic courses.

The Center for Social Concerns also makes available a $2000* course development grant to a graduate student each year.

The deadline for the 2009 applications is Monday, March 1, 2010 at 5:00 p.m.

Faculty member or graduate student should submit a proposal of approximately 3 pages. The proposal should include the following information.

Background: Proposed or actual name of the course; a brief course description; an indication of how the course fits into the major, college and/or university requirements/electives; the target student population; prerequisite student knowledge; desired size of the class; and the semester when the course will first be offered.

Course Content and Pedagogy: The social concerns issue or issues the course will address; anticipated community engagement of the students and how this will be integrated into the course (e.g., through potential assignments); and one or more civic learning goals and method to assess their attainment.

Department Approval:  A brief statement from the applicant's Department Chair should be included with the course proposal indicating departmental approval of the course and verifying that the course will be offered at least once during the upcoming two academic years. Note that this grant does not include any payment for instruction of the course. All such compensation must be worked out with Department Chair or other appropriate parties.

Who May Apply: Teaching-and-Research and Special Professional Faculty may apply. One grant will be available to a qualified graduate student.

Assistance: The Center for Social Concerns is available to provide one-on-one assistance in the crafting of the new course and proposal. For assistance or additional information, contact Mary Beckman, Ph.D. at mbeckman@nd.edu or 631-4172.

Where to Send: Three copies of the proposal must be sent in hard copy to Mary Beckman, Ph.D., Room 116, Center for Social Concerns.  A copy must also be sent as an email attachment to mbeckman@nd.edu.

*Course development grant monies are taxable.

Learn more about previous grant recipients:

2009-2010 Course Development Grant Recipients

• James M. Frabutt and Anthony C. Holter, “Change Agents in Schools” in Leadership in Catholic Schools IV
• Marisel Moreno-Anderson, “Beyond the Islands: U.S. Latino Caribbean Literature and Culture”
• Tamo Chattopadhay, “India Education” Action Research Seminar

2008-2009 Course Development Grant Recipients

• Essaka Joshua, “Disability” College Seminar;
• Anthony Juan, Jr., “Dramatic Text, Production, and Social Concerns”
• Connie Mick, “Living Lean: Rhetoric of Sustainability in Modern Media”
• Krupali Uplekar, “Research and Documentation of Historic Buildings”

2007-2008 Course Development Grant Recipients

• Katherine Zieman, "Literacy in the Classroom and in the World"
• Alexandre Chapeaux and Felipe Witchger; "Energy Policy, the Environment and Social Change"
• Stuart Greene, "Senior Research Seminar" in Education, Schooling and Society

2006-2007 Course Development Grant Recipients.

• Wendy Arons, "Theatre and Social Activism"
• Daniel Lende, "Researching Disease: Methods in Medical Anthropology”
• Alvin Tillery, “African Americans and U.S. Politics”

2005-2006 Course Development Grant Recipients.

• Mark Gunty, “Community Research Practicum;”
• Yih-Fang Huang and Daniel J. Costello, Jr., “Wireless Communications – The Technology and Impact of Anytime/Anywhere Connectivity”
• Jonathan Noble, "To Serve an Ancient Village in China: Historical Preservation, Religious Life, and Teaching English”
• Margie Pfeil and Wilasa Vichit-Vadakan, “The Ethics of Energy Conservation”

2004-2005 Course Development Grant Recipients.

• Rev. Dan Groody, "Walking Humbly, Living Justly: Being Christian in a World of Poverty"
• Michael Wiescher, "Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Warfare"
• Mary Wong, "New Urbanism: Diversity & Community in South Bend"

To review courses incorporating social concerns go to Courses Offering CBR Opportunities.