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UMD Teaching Innovation Grants

Data-Driven Inquiry

The 2026–2027 Teaching Innovation Grants empower faculty to reimagine learning through a formal cycle of data-driven inquiry and course improvement. Teaching innovation, defined by the newness of any application to your specific teaching context (Rogers, 2003), is not a fixed destination but an ongoing process, continually propelled by systematic inquiry. Through these grants, faculty receive the funding and technical support to investigate and enhance instruction in meaningful, iterative ways to improve student success.

  • Each award will include $6,500 to cover faculty stipend and required fringe benefits. 
  • Deadline for Proposals: Monday, May 11, 2026

2026-2027 Grant Goals

This grant supports course-based projects that advance teaching and learning through a guided cycle of inquiry and improvement. By leveraging GenAI tools, in-depth data analyses, and staff expertise to support analysis and course improvement, faculty will generate measurable impact across key pedagogical dimensions. This grant program strives to deepen faculty engagement in data-driven pedagogical-content enhancements to support instructional innovation and student success. Student-facing results may include interventions such as improved course alignment, intentional scaffolding, and refined assessment design, along with the development of transferable practices that can be shared across courses, programs, and the broader institutional community.

Submit your Proposal

Engaging in Course Improvement

Thinking through your project? Use the following framework to guide the development of your inquiry, analysis, and implementation plan. These sections mirror the sections in the application and highlight the resources available to help you along the way.
 

  • Identify a question related to student-centered challenges or opportunities in your course. As you reflect on your students’ learning and your teaching experiences, what opportunities for improvement stand out? How might your curiosity lead to better outcomes for you and your students? Consider the following sample questions that drive meaningful course-level inquiry.
    • Do my students have the prerequisite knowledge I assume they have, and how does that affect their success? 
    • Are my learning objectives aligned with my assessments, and do my rubrics actually measure what I am asking for? 
    • Are my instructions clear? 
    • Who is succeeding in my course and why?
  • Identify which sources of data you might use to analyze the challenge or opportunity. We have tools and support available as you consider course improvement. In your proposal you will be asked to indicate which of the following you plan on using:
  • Estimate a Project Timeline. 
    • Define when you plan to conduct your analysis and when you hope to implement your changes. The enhanced version of your UMD course must be taught during fall 2026, winter 2027 or spring 2027.
  • Include an Evaluation Plan. 
    • Describe how you will ascertain the success of the approaches you have implemented. For example, you might:
      • Review student grade data, DFW rates, or assessment scores
      • Collect student feedback throughout the semester
      • Analyze evaluation data such as UMD's Student Feedback on Course Experiences
      • Compile journals throughout the semester 
  • Indicate a Plan for Dissemination. 
    • Describe how you will share what you have implemented and what you have learned (i.e. through publication, internal or external presentations, and/or sharing with peer-colleagues).

Proposal Information

Proposal Phase

Implementation & Reporting Phase

  • June 2026 - Award Orientation
  • July 2026 - Funds Distributed
  • Fall 2026, Winter/Spring 2027 - Projects are implemented
  • January 2027 - Mid-grant survey
  • July 2027 - Final reports are due

All instructors of record at the University of Maryland, College Park are eligible (tenured, tenure-track, and professional track faculty; librarians; postdocs; and instructional staff may apply). An individual may only receive one award.

Grant awardees will be expected to complete the following requirements during the grant period (July 2026-June 2027).

  • Attend a virtual orientation session in Summer 2026
  • Distribute and encourage mid-course student survey 
    • Fall 2026, Winter 2027, or Spring 2027 semester
  • Complete mid-course instructor survey 
  • Complete end-of-grant report, reflecting on your process, in Summer 2027 
  • Accept Maryland Today and/or other media inquiries to promote grants
  • Disseminate project processes, innovations, materials, or results by Summer 2027 through at least one formal channel, such as departmental briefings, committee presentations, college-wide seminars, or collaborative campus workshops facilitated with the TLTC.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 

  1. Student-Centered Focus: Does the line of questioning relate to your students’ experiences, their learning outcomes, and their overall success?
  2. Analysis Plan: Is there a clearly proposed plan to use data, to conduct an analysis for instructional improvement and to implement changes as a result? Plan should include a description of the intended tools and/or any pre-arranged collaboration if applicable.
  3. Evaluation: Is there a clear alignment of the evaluation plan with intended approaches?
  4. Dissemination: Does the proposal include a clear plan to share findings via publishing, presenting, or sharing with colleagues?

Priority consideration will be given to proposals targeting UMD courses or sections with:

  1. High rates of withdrawal, Ds, and Fs
  2. Large enrollment (100+ students).
  3. Evident disparity for certain learner outcomes.  
  4. Collaborative efforts between sections/instructors of one course.
  5. Collaborative efforts between courses in a sequence.
  6. Consistent instructional assignment in Fall and Spring semesters.

A formal budget is not required with the proposal submission for this cycle. However, grant awardees must collaborate with their unit’s business manager to plan for the receipt of funds and the payment of any required fringe benefits as needed.

Please see our budget guidelines for more information.

Quick access to resources:

For questions or concerns, contact us at tltc@umd.edu

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Check our FAQ document for any questions you may have.

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