Course Development Grants

Learn more about the 2007-2008 Course Development Grant Recipients

Learn more about the 2006-2007 Course Development Grant Recipients.

Learn more about the 2005-2006 Course Development Grant Recipients.

Learn more about the 2004-2005 Course Development Grant Recipients.

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 2008 applications is Tuesday, March 11, 2008.

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.

To review courses incorporating social concerns, download our Spring 2007 Community Based Learning Courses.