Grant Opportunities Reignited for Faculty and Student Learning, Inspiring New Research Opportunities
We are pleased to announce the reintroduction of our grant programs for the 2025-2026 academic year, enhancing teaching and learning at Furman University:
- Teaching Development Grants: Support for enhancing teaching pedagogy, ranging from $100 to $1,000. Spring grant project submission deadline: December 1, 2025; Summer/fall grant project submission deadline: June 1, 2026.
- Buckman Teaching Innovation Grants: Up to $5,000 for collaborative proposals (with two or more colleagues) that integrate new technologies to transform pedagogical practices. Proposals accepted on a rolling basis.
For more details about each grant and the links to apply, please visit the FDC’s grant application page. Do not hesitate to reach out to the FDC with any questions.
Often the projects funded by these grants become great opportunities for research. If you would like to explore how to assess and disseminate findings related to student learning in your classroom, we are happy to assist.
To get started, we recommend including a consent form in your syllabi or course documents if you’d like to collect data for research purposes.
New to thinking about the integration of teaching and research—or it’s been a while? This worksheet guides you through the process of making student learning visible, crafting the assessment, and sharing what you’ve learned from the process with others in the field. We are especially keen to engage with you on pedagogical research related to AI. If you would like to be a part of the AI research community on campus, please reach out to Stephanie Freis, FDC Associate Director, so she can connect interested faculty and help you build a robust portfolio of data and observations.
Several projects that promote faculty/staff learning and student success include:
Caroline Davis, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts, received funding to attend an eight week-long summer seminar entitled “Critical Response Process Fundamentals,” which explored a structured, dialogue-based approach to critique. That approach helps learners receive feedback supporting reflection, creative risk-taking, and sustained growth. Professor Davis will be facilitating a workshop this fall to share what she has learned, which is applicable across disciplines.
Buket Oztas, Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs, worked to integrate the political strategy game Democracy 3: Africa into her POL 224 Politics of Africa course last spring, where students used active learning techniques to serve as leaders of African nations, developing policies to correct problems and improve the lives of their citizens.
Tori Montrose, Assistant Professor of Religion and Asian Studies, participated in Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and the Right Question Institute’s three-week workshop titled “Teaching Students to Ask their Own Questions: Best Practices in the Question Formulation Technique.” She learned how to apply the Question Formulation Technique, relevant in many different learning environments and academic settings, to inspire student curiosity and confidence engaging deeply with concepts in and out of the classroom.