Technology-Enhanced Learning Grants (formerly Innovation in Learning Grants) support the evaluation, design, and implementation of new approaches to teaching and learning using technology in support of for-credit courses. These small seed grants are awarded to individuals or teams working on pedagogical and curricular projects that push the boundaries of technology-enhanced learning and have the potential for broad institutional impact. Grant awards are typically capped at $5,000, though exceptions may be made under special circumstances. These grants are supported with 4-VA funds.

Eligibility

All faculty members at Virginia Tech are eligible to apply for Technology-Enhanced Learning Grants. Where appropriate, faculty members are encouraged to consider including graduate students as team members.

Please ensure your department head supports your idea and approves of your time commitment before submitting a proposal.

Expectations

If you receive an award, we will partner in the following ways:

• Identify assistance you may need for a successful project.
• Transfer awarded funds to your department.
• Periodically check on your project's progress.
• Arrange observations of your approach to teaching and learning using technology, potentially taking pictures and video along the way.
• Collaborate on collecting student feedback.
• We will ask you to complete a reflection about your project at its end.
• We may conduct a video interview about your project with you, your team or partners, and potentially your students.

Guidelines

• Grant funds must be spent by the end of each fiscal year (June 30) unless your department arranges with the university to carry over funds for use in the next fiscal year.
• Proposals involving unreviewed software cannot be awarded until the software is approved through the university's procurement process. This process may affect the timing of a grant award.
• Funds can be used towards hourly wage undergraduate or graduate student employees. Student employees would report to you.
• Funds cannot be used for course release/buyout, salary stipends for faculty, or to pay non-VT affiliates (e.g., collaborators at other institutions).
• We will strive to offer assistance and services as needed to support your project. However, this assistance is not a commitment to ongoing support. At the end of the project period, unless you have found an alternative way to provide and support the technology, we may need to turn off or disable technologies that we are hosting or providing.
• For projects that involve hosting an application (e.g., hosting an open-source app on a server or hosting service) or where there is an equipment or app that needs care and maintenance, we ask that you consult with your  IT department before submitting your proposal.
• If you are a previous grant award recipient, please know that we don’t typically award grants that are similar to past proposals or continue prior projects, though we will consider substantially different proposals.

Application Process

The FY25 request for proposals is closed. FY25 Recipients will be notified in October 2024. The FY26 call for proposals will open in August 2025.

Questions about the Technology-Enhanced Learning Grants application process can be directed to tlos@vt.edu.