Contemplative Mind-1440 Teaching and Learning Center Grants

2012 Request for Proposals

Funded by the 1440 Foundation, the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society is pleased to announce the Contemplative Mind-1440 Teaching and Learning Center Grants to foster and support the use of contemplative practices throughout the curriculum. Within this initiative, we are offering two grant programs: Contemplative Pedagogy and Teaching and Learning Grants and Invited Speaker Grants.

Examples of activities that could be supported by the Contemplative Pedagogy and Teaching and Learning Grants:

• Sub-grants to faculty for course development
• TLC consultation with faculty in course development
• A weeklong on-campus course design institute
• Planning and creation for Centers for Contemplative Pedagogy
• Faculty learning communities
• Sub-grants to faculty who wish to participate in CMind’s annual Summer Seminar in Contemplative Curriculum Development
• Invited speakers

The Contemplative Pedagogy and Teaching and Learning Grants are open to Teaching and Learning Centers that have Directors and/or staff who are members of the ACMHE and who have attended an event organized by The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society (such as a Summer Session on Contemplative Pedagogy, ACMHE Conference or Retreat for Educators) or have already invited speakers to address them and faculty on contemplative pedagogy.

The Invited Speaker Grants offer funds to subsidize the costs of invited speakers on contemplative pedagogy. This program may be of particular benefit to TLCs which do not qualify for the Contemplative Pedagogy and Teaching and Learning Grants.

Background and Vision

Over past few years, the Center has established good relationships with Teaching and Learning Centers (TLCs) throughout the country. We gave two presentations at last year’s POD in Atlanta, the annual conference of TLC professionals, and have an article, co-written by Daniel Barbezat and Allison Pingree, coming out this year in the annual publication, To Improve the Academy (Jossey-Bass). Daniel and David Levy will be presenting at the upcoming POD conference in Seattle about the use of contemplative practices and technology. In Fall 2011, the Center sponsored an event at Amherst with the leadership of POD and a number of directors of TLCs. It was a very successful and exciting meeting, and we realized the powerful potential of working more closely with TLCs.

Working with Teaching and Learning Centers is a highly effective means to reach right across the curriculum and work with professionals who are committed to teaching excellence. The TLCs have legitimacy on campuses and can easily reach hundreds of instructors across all types of instruction and
disciplines. In addition, these centers are ideally situated to collect and assess the outcomes of the implementation of contemplative pedagogies, an area that is currently underdeveloped.

We envision that these grants will provide resources to TLCs so that they can help support and develop groups/courses to extend the use of contemplative practices throughout their institutions and assess their impacts.

Grant Information

The Center has funding for two types of support:

• Small grants to subsidize the cost of invited speakers on Contemplative Pedagogy
• Five $5000 Contemplative Pedagogy and Teaching and Learning Grants

Invited Speaker Grants: The Center is offering small grants to subsidize speakers from the Center on Contemplative Pedagogy. The intent of these grants is to provide funds for institutions that have very limited budgets and could not otherwise afford to bring in speakers. Proposals should make clear financial need as well as a vision for how a presentation on contemplative pedagogy might initiate further development at your institution. For more information, please contact us at speakers@contemplativemind.org.

Contemplative Pedagogy and Teaching and Learning Grants: Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded through a competitive application, review and selection process.

The grants are open to Teaching and Learning Centers that have Directors and/or staff who are members of the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education and who have participated in an event organized by the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society or have already invited speakers to address them and faculty on contemplative pedagogy.

Applications that satisfy the requirement above are reviewed and selected based on three criteria: approach/design, innovation/novelty, and strength of possible assessment.

Grant applications will include a program plan and rationale for use of the grant, budget, assessment plan, and plan for ensuring sustainability of the recipient’s commitment to advancing contemplative pedagogy.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit the following materials November 15, 2012, through the online application form. An ACMHE username and password (assigned to ACMHE members) is required to access the application form.

• Proposal, including plan, rationale and expected outcomes for TLC’s development of contemplative pedagogy. Proposals must include strategies for evaluating the effects of contemplative practice on educational outcomes, e.g., attention, understanding, connection and well-being, as well as how this will sustain the use of contemplative pedagogy after the grant period (1200 wordsmaximum).
• A list of the TLC's recent and scheduled programs (for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years).
• Detailed budget (awards may not be used for salary or personnel)

Awards will be made in early January and the proposed programs should be initiated in Spring 2013. By July 15, 2013, an assessment report must be received by the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society.

We hope through these modest efforts that education can become a transformation process for ourselves and our students. May you be well and thrive in all your undertakings.