FITI Application Deadline: March 18

Overview

FITI grants are sponsored by the Information Technology Department to enhance teaching and learning by promoting and supporting the integration of technology in courses at Rollins.

This grant aims to accomplish the following goals

• Increase student engagement, interaction, and learning through the effective use of technology
• Increase digital literacy skills of students and faculty
• Support faculty with the implementation of effective pedagogical practices related to instructional technology
• Contribute to the community of knowledge at Rollins about the impact of technology on student learning.

FITI grants provide an award of $5,000 to cover both work on the grant project and any costs associated with training, software, or hardware. For instance, if $1,000 is needed to cover training, software, or hardware, the recipient would receive the remainder of $4,000 as a stipend. If $3,000 is needed to cover training and software, the recipient would receive the $2,000 remaining as a stipend.

The grant timeline is June 1 – May 31; all funded proposals must integrate the use of technology in the classroom within the academic school year. Upon completion of the grant, recipients are required to complete a final report and present the results of the project at an IDT hosted professional development event.

Grant recipients will be assigned a project team consisting of an instructional technologist, a librarian, and the Director of the Endeavor Center for Faculty Development. Recipients will work collaboratively with this team throughout the planning, implementation, and evaluation of this project. This team will help faculty research, test, design assignments and assessments, provide training for students, and more. 

Examples of FITI grant topics

• Using a technology Rollins currently supports in a new or innovative way to enhance teaching and learning.
• Learning a new technology tool for your field of study and integrating it into the course curriculum by designing a project for students to complete using this technology.
• Integrating an emerging technology into your course to support the achievement of course goals.

A sample of previously funded FITI grants is provided below

• The Rollins Bodcast Project (Dr. Sarah Parsloe)
• The Complete Musical Artist in a Digital Era (Daniel Flick)
• Teaching Qualitative Data Analysis with NVivo (Dr. Alice Davidson)
• Capturing Narratives and Communicating Worlds with 360 Videos (Dr. Todd French) 
• Enhancing Student Learning Through Interactive Classroom Games (Dr. Raghabendra KC)
• Incorporating GIS (Geographic Information System) into Sustainable Development Cases (Dr. Mike Gunter)

Funding Eligibility

Full-time Rollins faculty members with continuing contracts are eligible for FITI grants. If the FSAR is required from your school, grant applications will only be considered from faculty members who have filed their most recent FSAR with their Academic Dean's office.

Permitted Expenditures

Grant awards fund $5,000 to cover work completed on the project and the following expenditures. Estimated travel and per diem expenses are awarded at the start of the project, and the remaining grant funds after the purchase of any hardware/software are awarded upon successful completion of the project.  

• Software or hardware requests  
  • Please note that software and hardware purchased for a FITI grant are property of Rollins College and may not be kept for individual use following the completion of the grant project. 
  • Software and hardware purchases with grant funds will be one-time purchases and cannot be funded or refreshed beyond the scope of the grant. 
  • Rollins IT will facilitate the purchase of the hardware/software.
• Travel (automobile travel will be funded at the current indexed rate per mile) 
• Per Diem in accordance with federal guidelines 

Excluded Expenditures

• Funding for conferences and meetings which can be supported by faculty travel grants.
• Per Diem expenses for longer than 5 days.
• Travel for support staff.
• Car rental expenses in excess of the per diem. 
• Routine software or hardware upgrades should not be requested through this grant.

Grant Recipient Expectations

Grant recipients are expected to work collaboratively with their grant team (instructional technologist, librarian, and Endeavor Center) to ensure successful implementation and evaluation of the project. This will involve multiple meetings and check-ins with the grant team members throughout the project. 

Project budgets must be spent within the fiscal year of the award, and projects must be completed within the fiscal year in order to receive the remaining grant funds. If your project extends beyond the fiscal year, there is no guarantee that you will receive the remaining funds. 

Any changes to the proposed budget after the grant is awarded must be submitted to the FITI Grant Evaluation Committee for approval.  The FITI grant committee members are the CIO & AVP of Information Technology, Director of Support, Outreach, & Digital Learning, Dean of Olin Library, and a faculty librarian.

Grant recipients are required to complete an online FITI Grant final report on the outcome of the grant and present the results of the grant at an IDT-hosted professional development event. The remainder of the grant funds will be awarded after these requirements have been met.  

Submission Guidelines

Please complete the FITI grant online submission form to apply for a grant. The deadline to submit proposals is March 18.

• Although proposals can include the use of technology in faculty research, all funded proposals must integrate the use of technology in the classroom within the academic school year. 
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with an instructional technologist or with the Director of the Endeavor Center for Faculty Development prior to submitting this application. Grant proposals developed with input from an instructional technologist or the Endeavor Center for Faculty Development tend to be more successful.
• Proposals that involve a course taught by multiple faculty members should be accompanied by a statement from the department head or director, or from the appropriate dean supporting the proposal.

Review of Grant Proposals

Grant proposals will be reviewed and approved by the FITI grant committee (CIO & AVP of Information Technology, Director of Support, Outreach, & Digital Learning, Dean of Olin Library, and a faculty librarian).

Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria

• Project goals: Clearly stated, measurable project goals that align with FITI grant goals
• Assessment: Plan for assessing project goals
• Collaboration: All grant team members are utilized in the proposed project. Grant team consists of an instructional technologist, librarian, and Director of the Endeavor Center for Faculty Development
• Long-term impact: Explanation of long-term impact of grant funded research. Explanation of impact of grant research after the grant project has concluded.
• Timeline: Project is feasibly accomplished within the one-year timeframe
• Budget: Planned expenditures support the grant and are clearly defined and related to project goals

Proposals meeting the following criteria will be given priority:

• Proposals that specifically identify how the entire grant team (e.g., instructional technologist, librarian, Endeavor Center) will be utilized throughout the project.
• Proposals that actively engage students in the use of technology and support the development of their digital literacy skills throughout the course.
• Proposals that include mechanisms to assess/compare student learning before and after the changes you plan to implement.
• Proposals by faculty members who have not received more than one Technology Grant within the past three years.

The committee will not review proposals:

• Submitted after the application deadline
• With missing information
• With budget exceeding $5,000, including stipend
• From faculty members who have not submitted a Final Report on the outcomes of previous FITI grant awards.
• From faculty members who have not submitted an FSAR for the previous year.

Timeline

• March 18: Deadline to submit FITI Grant proposals
• April: FITI Grant Committee reviews proposals.
• April/May: FITI Grant recipients are announced
• May/June: FITI Grant team meets for project kick-off meeting