Application and Submission Guidelines

All members of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) teaching community may participate in Instructional Innovation Seed Grant projects, while the following are eligible to apply as Project Leaders:

• Tenured faculty
• Tenure-Track faculty
• Contract faculty on multi-year contracts
• Part-time faculty who are contracted to teach at UMB during the grant year
• Staff who have worked at UMB for at least one year

Recipients will be asked to share their findings with the UMB community at LEAPS events and through other campus channels.  

Projects that received funding with LEAPS Seed Grant funds in prior years are not eligible.

NOTE: Members of the LEAPS Council and Committees are not eligible to participate. 

• Overall potential for innovation in teaching and learning.
• Assessment plan that includes measurement of outcomes -- Successful project proposals will include a plan for how the effectiveness of the implementation of the tool, resource, or application will be assessed. The assessment should be linked to the objectives for which the project is developed.
• Potential breadth of impact on instruction beyond a single course, department, and/or school -- Tools and resources created through the grant should have the potential to be applied beyond the initial course(s) for which they are created. Applicants should explain how they intend to make their resources available to broader constituencies, both on and off campus. Projects that can be effectively presented at conferences, workshops and other venues are highly encouraged.
• Potential for outcomes that will improve future teaching -- Proposals should demonstrate sound and innovative pedagogical practices and illustrate clearly how the project will result in an enhanced learning experience in the classroom or online.
• Potential contribution to the scholarship of teaching and learning (public dissemination of assessment/measurement of outcomes) -- proposals that aim to bridge the gap between faculty research interests and classroom teaching. Projects presenting research results in a manner accessible to students and a broader audience are highly encouraged.
• Impact on equity and inclusion in teaching and learning
• Proposal clarity and quality, especially the quality of learning objectives,
• Feasibility -- Proposals should center on objectives that can be realistically fulfilled before the start of the semester in which the target course will be taught.
• Alignment to UMB strategic plan and LEAPS mission via contribution to one or more core values or strategic goals, and • Specific and necessary budget items; Effective use of funding.

Cover Sheet (see page 5) – complete and include with submission

Title – Please provide a tentative title for the project that clearly indicates its scope and purpose; Brief description of the project, including a description of the high-impact practices to be developed and implemented;

Project Team – Please list all members of the project team, including name, title, role on project team, and contact information (email and phone). If applicable, include designation of team member who will serve as project leader — taking primary responsibility for implementing the project;  

Rationale – Please provide a rationale for your project. This is your opportunity to make a persuasive case by articulating how your project advances larger scholarly conversations about teaching and learning;

Equity and Inclusion – Please describe how the proposed project addresses the LEAPS’ mission to "engage all students in inclusive and equitable learning environments" For example:

• Will the project lead to increased awareness of the multiplicity of factors that can affect individual student outcomes in your course(s)? If so, please describe how.
• Will the project promote success and retention of underrepresented or minoritized students? If so, please describe how.
• Will the project address climate issues that may have made some students feel less welcome in your discipline? If so, please describe how.

Research Design – Please provide a brief description of how you will study the impact of this innovation, including any data analysis (qualitative, quantitative, or other);  

Schedule – Please provide a brief timeline of the major development activities of the project schedule;

Budget – Please specify the total amount requested and provide a brief description of how requested funds will be spent.  

• Full proposal (including references) should be 1000 words or less
• 12 pt. standard font (e.g., Times New Roman)
• Double-spaced, 1” margins 
• Please add page numbers to the upper right corner 

All proposals must be submitted electronically. Please combine all parts of the application into one document in PDF format with the applicant's name in the file title; hard copy submissions of proposals will not be accepted. The PDF of the application should be attached to an email to LEAPS@umaryland.edu with the subject line: "Instructional Innovation Seed Grant Proposal." 

• Awardees will be announced at the LEAPS Symposium on March 26, 2026.
• Awardees will be able to begin work on their projects as soon as they are notified but will be asked to maintain some level of confidentiality until a formal announcement is made.
• Awardees will be required to submit a final report, due June 1, 2027.
  • The final report shall include, but is not limited to, the following information: 
    • Project Summary & Implementation Details
      • Description of project findings, tangible/pragmatic teaching methodology developed during the project, implementation, outcomes, participation, successes, data summary on key findings, and project application/sustainability plans. 
    • Budget Accountability
      • A financial report of actual expenses incurred and description of how grant funds have been spent.
• Awardees must present their findings (may be preliminary) at the LEAPS Symposium in the spring of 2027.