Purpose and Scope
The Study Grant Program at Collin County Community College is designed to provide support for faculty to undertake independent study of significant texts and topics in their own or related disciplines.
The program provides a stipend equivalent to two 3- credit course releases for study during either a Fall, Spring, Summer I, II or III semester. The Study Grant does not release faculty members from teaching their required full-time load and it may not be combined with a sabbatical, any form of leave, or banked courses.
Up to ten Study Grants will be awarded each academic year, subject to annual budgetary approval. The application deadline for the Fall 2008, Spring and Summer 2009 semesters is January 17, 2008.
Study Grants emphasize rigorous study of significant texts, issues and topics in the applicant’s discipline and/or collateral fields. The study plan, which is at the heart of the application, must demonstrate a clearly defined inquiry with specific aims and a well-designed reading list of primary and, if considered necessary, secondary works.
Projects shaped only by the need to prepare courses or otherwise respond to curricular or institutional requirements fall outside of the scope of this program. Moreover, Study Grants are not intended to support projects that investigate teaching methods. The primary aim should be the applicant’s intellectual enrichment.
Following the conclusion of the grant period, recipients will, within the following semester (1) submit an annotated bibliography of the sources read during the study, (2) a brief statement indicating the strudy grant's potential effect on their teaching and other professional activities and (3) conduct a colloquium for interested faculty and staff highlighting the information gained during the study.
Eligibility
All faculty who have received a multi-year contract.
Faculty receiving Study Grants may not re-apply for a period of three years following the receipt of the award.
Application Process
Applicants will submit
(1) a brief letter of interest that summarizes the goals of their proposed study and specifies the semester they would like the grant to take effect,
(2) a detailed study plan (see below) and
(3) a bibliograpgy (include publisher, date of publication) of sources to be analyzed during the grant period.
Include a cover sheet with the application that lists your name, phone number and email address but do not include any identifying information on either the study plan or the reading list.
Completed applications should be sent electronically as attachments to each of the three administrators of the program: Bill Ardis (bardis@ccccd.edu), David Cullen (dcullen@ccccd.edu), and Larry Stern (lstern@ccccd.edu).
The application deadline for the Fall 2007, Spring and Summer 2008 semesters is January 16, 2007.
Proposed Study Plan
The study plan, not to exceed four single-spaced pages, must include enough details about the ideas and topics to be explored to enable reviewers to assess the quality, feasibility and potential of the project. A simple statement of intent or need is insufficient evidence that a project merits support.
The study plan should include:
- A rationale for the plan, explaining why you chose this line of study, how it relates to your academic background and interests, and how it will foster your personal growth as a scholar.
- A clear explanation of the topics and questions to be explored, their significance, and the planned approach or line of inquiry.
- A challenging yet realistic weekly work-plan that is keyed to a one-to-two page reading list of primary and, if considered necessary, secondary sources. Provide a brief justification of why you chose these particular sources in your study.
- A discussion of how the results of this study will affect your intellectual growth; also indicate how the results might be brought to audiences other than students (e.g. other faculty, professional organizations, and the general public).
Criteria for Selection
Faculty members on the task force will use a “blind” reviewing procedure to evaluate applications for Study Grants. To facilitate this process, be certain that no identifying information appears on the study plan or the list of proposed readings that you submit.
Applications will be judged using the following criteria:
- The significance of the topic and the choice of texts, events, persons, or materials to be studied;
- The conception, definition, organization, and description of the proposed study;
- The project’s potential to enhance the applicant’s professional and intellectual life;
- The likelihood that the applicant will successfully complete the proposed plan of study.
The Study Grant Task Force
The Study Grant Task Force is made up of nine faculty members with the Vice–President of Academic Affairs serving ex officio. Of the nine faculty, three – Bill Ardis, David Cullen, and Larry Stern – are responsible for the administration of the program. The remaining six members, drawn from the previous year’s grant recipients, serve in an advisory capacity as reviewers and will rotate off the task force after a period of not more than two years.