President Ronald J. Daniels and interim Provost Jonathan Bagger have announced a second round of grant funding for the Gateway Sciences Initiative, with the two offices infusing $800,000 into the program.
The JHU Gateway Sciences Initiative, created by the Provost's Office in 2011, seeks to enhance the quality of teaching and learning across the university in courses that serve as entry points, or provide critical introductory material, for undergraduate and graduate study in the natural, behavioral, and medical sciences, and in other fields where some basic scientific or mathematical knowledge is a necessary component.
In December 2011, the Office of the Provost awarded 11 Enhancing Gateway Sciences Learning grants to Johns Hopkins faculty who were experimenting with or exploring ideas that would improve current gateway courses, such as Introduction to Biology.
These pilot projects were designed to improve the effectiveness of current courses and provide a means to study and implement potentially larger-scale innovations in pedagogy, course and program design, and instructional methodologies. Early results from many round-one pilot projects were discussed at the second GSI Symposium on Excellence in Teaching and Learning, held on Jan. 17 and attended by nearly 300 faculty, students, and staff.
This new round of funding is intended to continue that legacy and expand the scope of the original GSI program. Specifically, the program calls for proposals to transform gateway science teaching and learning methods, courses, curricula, and programs and to assess their outcomes in providing the best possible education for JHU students.
"In the first phase, GSI explored best practices within and beyond Johns Hopkins. Having educated ourselves about proven learning strategies, the goal of Phase II is to implement tailored versions of known or novel methods at Johns Hopkins, thereby transforming the quality of student learning," says Scott Zeger, vice provost for research.
The total project period for an application submitted in response to this RFP may not exceed two years. It is anticipated that several smaller awards with funding levels of $50,000 will be made, in addition to larger awards of up to the maximum of $500,000. Matching funds or other in-kind contributions, including faculty release time, from participating departments or divisions are encouraged.
Deadline for grant proposals is Friday, June 14. Earliest anticipated start dates for awards are Aug. 1.
To review the RFP or for more information, go to http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/initiatives/gsi/grants. For questions, e-mail Gateway.Sciences@jhu.edu.
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