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UIIP Minigrants/Travel Grants

Purpose

UIIP Minigrants of up to $500 provide instructors with funds for small-scale projects that have an immediate impact on undergraduate courses. Instructors are limited to one Minigrant per fiscal year, and some restrictions apply (see below). Proposals to fund eligible expenses should be submitted well in advance of scheduled activities. Retroactive applications cannot be approved.

Who May Apply

UC Instructors (faculty/lecturers) who are the “instructor of record” for teaching undergraduate courses.

Eligible projects and expenses

CD/DVD purchases will be considered if there is evidence that no similar titles already exist on campus. VHS titles will be considered if this is the only format available. Fill out a media application form (PDF or Microsoft Word version) and submit to the TRC.

  • Note: Videos, CD’s, DVD’s or films purchased with UIIP funds should have closed captioning. If closed captioning is not available the instructor or department is responsible for taking measures to accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities. (For more information on multimedia accessibility, contact the Student Disability Center at 752-3184.)
  • Shields Reserves is now managing all course video reserves and video checkout services. The Hart Media Distribution lab has transferred over the VHS and DVD collection.  All items have been cataloged in Harvest and Melvyl. One benefit to this cataloging is subject and keyword searches are now possible. Click here for instructions on how to search for videos in Harvest to ascertain if UC Davis owns the title. More information regarding this change of service can be found at http://hartmedialab.ucdavis.edu/

Guest lecturers (maximum $250 per year per instructor and per course). Any “instructor of record” may request an honorarium for a guest to lecture directly in her/his undergraduate course. Guest lecturers cannot be funded for departmental program lectures, seminars or colloquia. As part of your request, submit a brief biography of the proposed guest. Also check with your department’s bookkeeper to ensure that the guest is eligible and that an honorarium can be processed (UC employees cannot be funded as guest lecturers).

Software is potentially fundable if it is specific to an undergraduate course and falls outside the instructor’s routine responsibilities. It is necessary to describe in what ways the software will improve the pedagogical quality or the anticipated educational outcomes of the course. ‘Productivity’ software (e.g., PowerPoint, Photoshop) would not be fundable. Even though it may contribute to a course, it falls within the realm of routine departmental responsibilities.

Participation in workshops on pedagogy or conferences directly related to teaching may be funded for travel expenses up to $500 (meal expenses are not included). The purpose of participation must be directly related to improving instruction on the Davis campus, but faculty members are eligible for this support whether or not they are presenting a paper or otherwise “on the program.”  Interested instructors should complete a travel application (in PDF or Microsoft Word) and submit it to the TRC. Please note: costs of presenting scholarship or participating in scholarly meetings and research projects are not eligible for UIIP Minigrant support.

Field trips within California, conducted to enhance class instruction, may be funded. Field trips cannot be funded if they are a course requirement, and funds cannot be allocated to pay mileage expenses for student drivers or passengers in private automobiles.

Other projects that are innovative and have an educational impact on an undergraduate course may be funded based on the merit of the proposed endeavor

Types of projects and expenses that cannot be funded

  • Funds may not be used to supplement regular departmental expenses and budgets. Expenses basic to the teaching of a course will not be funded.
  • Equipment, such as TV’s, computers and accessories, CD players, scanners, small electronic devices, etc. are not eligible.
  • Textbooks, books, office supplies, telephone charges, copying charges etc., are not eligible.
  • Graduate courses do not qualify according to system-wide policy.
  • Expenses for departmental seminars, colloquia, or clubs cannot be funded.
  • Travel to conduct research or to present research papers is not eligible for UIIP support.

Application Process

With the approval of your department chair, submit a one-page request for UIIP Minigrant support to the Teaching Resources Center at trc@ucdavis.edu. Your request should include: (a) a brief description of proposed activities and related expenses, (b) a brief description of the how these activities will enhance the education of UCD undergraduates; (c) an itemized budget; and (d) an indication of signed approval from your department chair. Requests lacking one or more of these elements cannot be reviewed. To ensure an expedited review process, make sure that your request is complete.