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LEAF—New Priority Areas and Call for Applications

From: Susan McCahan, Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education
Date: June 5, 2024
Re: LEAF—New Priority Areas and Call for Applications

The Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education (OVPIUE) is pleased to share that we are launching new priority areas for the LEAF program and are now accepting applications.

Learning & Education Advancement Fund (LEAF)

The Learning & Education Advancement Fund, or LEAF, provides funding opportunities for teaching and learning projects that explore, implement and scale up promising practices. As a two-tiered funding model, LEAF support projects at different stages of their development and implementation creating pathways for projects from their initial inception to the realization of their full potential. 

New Priority Areas

LEAF supports projects that align with the following priority areas:

Student Success: Developing or enhancing student learning experiences in academic courses and programs to support students succeeding academically in their courses. This might include amplifying and integrating mental health and well-being into academic courses, enhanced student engagement activities in academic courses, curriculum renewal or re-design, integrating high impact teaching practices into courses or programs, opportunities for supplemental academic support and instruction or initiatives aimed at course-level interventions to support greater student success.

Experiential Learning: Developing, redesigning, expanding or incorporating new experiential learning opportunities in academic courses or programs. This might include research opportunities, work-integrated learning, community-engaged learning, academic internships, field courses or unique project-based learning. Refer to the Experiential Learning Hub for further information about curricular EL opportunities.

Technology in the Classroom: Developing, expanding and implementing new technologies or technology-enhanced solutions in academic courses or programs. This might include the integration or development of Generative AI interventions, e-Modules, digital tools (e.g., gamification, online sharing platform, apps) or software programs / learning management systems.

Equitable and Inclusive Teaching: Advancing equity and inclusion in academic courses or programs. This might include attending to Indigenous ways of knowing and being, intentionally diversifying course or program content, engaging the expertise of people from structurally excluded groups, addressing systemic barriers for students, re-developing course assignments and processes to improve access and accessibility, incorporating Universal Design for Learning principles, or responding to discipline-specific challenges / opportunities.

Call for Applications

LEAF supports two tiers of grant applications, both to a maximum of 3 years: 

  • Seed ($5,000 – $10,000 / year for up to 3 years) 
  • Impact ($10,000 – $100,000 / year for up to 3 years) 

The LEAF application process includes two stages:

  1. Expression of Interest (EoI): interested applicants are asked to submit an EoI prior to the submission of a full application. This EoI model is intended to increase faculty engagement with the program prior to final submission and provide interested faculty with additional support as they consider and scope potential projects.
  2. After the submission of an EoI and a consultation with members of the OVPIUE, eligibility for the LEAF program will be determined. If eligible, you will then be invited to submit a full application.

Timelines: