Funding

The Division for Teaching Innovation and Program Strategy (TIPS) and the Center for Teaching Excellence (CETL) at CU Denver are committed to fostering faculty innovation and excellence in teaching. Through a range of grant-funded opportunities, we provide faculty with the resources and support needed to explore new pedagogical approaches, integrate emerging technologies, and enhance student learning experiences. The monthly TIPS newsletter will announce opportunities throughout the year. Below are typical offerings available to faculty.

COLTT

COLTT is an annual conference held in Boulder, Colorado. COLTT stands for Colorado Learning and Teaching with Technology. COLTT engages participants in learning about teaching practices and technologies, challenging the way they think about both. By attending sessions and hands-on workshops, attendees are able to network and gather effective practices that change the way they teach and learn in classrooms, online, and in virtual environments.

COLTT is typically held in late July or early August at the University of Colorado Boulder.

TIPS offers one-time scholarships for faculty who would like to attend this annual conference. Scholarships are funded to cover the registration fee. Apply by emailing [email protected] with "COLTT Scholarship" in the subject line. These will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

Applications typically accepted in May each year.

COLTT

Faculty Fellows

The Faculty Fellow program is open to faculty from all academic disciplines, ranks, and appointments, including IRC faculty. Faculty Fellowships are 1-year awards with a $2,000 stipend. Faculty Fellows select an area of focus related to innovations in teaching practice or emerging trends/research and develop a program (e.g., a community of practice or a short course for the TIPS Course Development Institute) for faculty, sharing their expertise and elevating the critical work of teaching at CU Denver. Faculty Fellows also serve as advisors and colleagues with TIPS Division staff. They may also share their expertise with the broader campus community through 1-on-1 faculty consultations and/or classroom observations.

We have six fellowships, including areas of focus on two strategic priorities for CU Denver and the TIPS Division. Descriptions of the categories for CETL Faculty Fellowships are as follows:

Applications are open now through April 30th, 2026 for the 2026-27 academic year.

Open pedagogy is an area of growing importance for CU Denver. However, efforts in this area often focus on developing or evaluating open educational resources; many avenues exist to explore and lead within the broader lens of open pedagogy. Some possibilities include the following:

Advocate on behalf of OER and open education as a strategic benefit and support to university equity and affordability efforts (see: Strategic Plan, Strategic Enrollment Management Plan)
Create opportunities for cross-disciplinary/departmental collaboration and sharing on open education projects
Create, facilitate, and/or co-facilitate short courses for the Course Development Institute on open education-related practices
Be a resource for instructor colleagues on open education, open pedagogy, and the pedagogical affordances of OER through, among other avenues, the open pedagogy consultation service
Facilitate and/or participate in open education-related programming, including Open Education Week

Inclusive pedagogy is of key importance to our student's success, our campus's identity, and our goal of becoming an institution that welcomes and empowers all learners. There are many possible avenues to explore within inclusive pedagogy; here are a few examples:

Create, facilitate, and/or co-facilitate short courses for the Course Development Institute on inclusive pedagogy
Share, develop, and distribute resources and events related to inclusive pedagogy and related areas of practice (e.g. universal design for learning)
Advocate on behalf of inclusive pedagogy as a strategic benefit and support to university equity efforts (see: Strategic Plan, Strategic Enrollment Management Plan)
Create opportunities for cross-disciplinary/departmental discussions and community learning on inclusive teaching practices
Advise campus leadership and the broader community on inclusive pedagogy, centering the well-being of faculty and students alike in important discussions on campus priorities

Review Rubric for Faculty Fellows Applications

To ensure that the selection process is fair, inclusive, and timely, the review committee will use the following rubric when reviewing applications:

Review Criteria	Limited (1)	Moderate (2)	Strong (3)
Statement of Interest demonstrates knowledge of CU Denver faculty needs and commitment to the goals and work of the institution.
Area of Focus—relevant to the diverse CU Denver faculty body; demonstrates significant expertise in the area of focus; indicates willingness to explore the work with colleagues through newly developed programming (e.g. short course, community of practice).
Letter of support highlights the importance of their work for CU Denver faculty and demonstrates support for the faculty and their area of focus.
Faculty applicant indicates a collaborative approach to their work and alignment with the mission and focus of CETL/TIPS.

Teaching Innovation Grants

Explore, implement or evaluate emerging techniques, technologies or practices with support from a Teaching Innovation Grant.

The Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL), as part of the Teaching Innovation and Program Strategy (TIPS) Division, is excited to share this call for proposals each fall and spring.

This call is open to faculty from all academic disciplines, ranks, and appointments, including IRC faculty; we welcome all faculty to submit a grant proposal and hope to have diverse representation from across our campus.

CU Denver has a rich history of innovative teaching by expert faculty with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and ideas. Your ideas have the power to transform our students’ learning—and we are excited to support you as you explore innovations in teaching and technology at CU Denver.

Applications are accepted two times a year, typically in mid-April for Fall semester and late-October for Spring semester.

We are accepting grant proposals now through April 30th for the 2026-27 academic year.

Grant Category	Description
Pedagogy and Teaching Practice Innovations	Proposals in this category focus on emerging pedagogies and teaching practices and are not limited in scope—everything from a technique for a single class session to formal pedagogical frameworks are included and encouraged.
Professional Learning Opportunities	Proposals in this category are focused on professional growth, and can include opportunities such as professional organization memberships, conference attendance, workshops, online courses, and/or other learning opportunities focused on teaching practice.
Technology Innovations	Proposals in this category focus on academic, social, and/or other emerging technologies. Technologies can include software, web applications, mobile applications, hardware, and other technologies relevant to teaching practice in any modality/context. *
Inclusive Pedagogy Practice	Proposals in this category will pursue improvements to teaching practice to provide more equitable and inclusive learning experiences for our students. Proposals can include professional development centered on inclusive pedagogical training or funds needed to redesign course(s) toward more inclusive pedagogies. Applicants are encouraged to propose ideas that go beyond these examples.

*Technology proposals with new technologies are subject to security review/approval from OIT; please also note that new technologies may not receive centralized support from OIT and academic technology.

We have two funding cycles each academic year:

Fall Cycle: Typically apply by mid-April; funding available from July 1 to December 30.

Spring Cycle: Typically apply by late October; funding available from January 2 to June 30.

This grant cycle will be around $20,000 available for dispersal in individual awards of up to $1,000, distributed through professional development accounts. Please note that faculty cannot use these grants to fund personnel such as Teaching Assistants (TAs) or Research Assistants (RAs).

Required proposal materials include:

a description of the project or opportunity (200 words)
the category of your grant proposal
funding amount requested
a brief plan for gathering and sharing your results and/or reflections (150 words)
and a brief statement on how your proposal could advance teaching innovation, both for you personally and for our broader community of teachers at CU Denver.

Review Rubric for Teaching Innovation Grants

Proposals will be reviewed by a collaborative group of faculty and TIPS Division staff. To ensure that the selection process is fair, inclusive, and timely, the review committee will use the following rubric when reviewing proposals:

Review Criteria	Limited (1)	Moderate (2)	Strong (3)
Proposal description outlines a unique innovation or opportunity related to teaching innovation at CU Denver
Funding request is appropriate to the scope of the proposal
Proposal includes a clear plan for gathering and sharing results and/or reflections
Proposal is positioned to advance teaching innovation personally and within the broader CU Denver community

Please reach out to us at [email protected] with any questions.

What is the acceptance rate of grant proposals?

Over the past 3 cycles, the acceptance rate for proposals has been around 50%.

Who reviews the proposals?

The reviewers are a combination of faculty (the CETL Faculty Fellows) and TIPS staff.

Can I use the grant to pay for teaching or research assistants?

No, these funds cannot be used to pay personnel such as TAs or RAs.

Any tips for writing my proposal?

In general, reviewers prefer work that will:

Last more than one semester. Guest speakers and field trips are great experiences. How can we make those have a longer impact?
Have an impact on more than one course. Do you teach several courses? Are there plans to share innovations across your department or school/college?
Help reduce costs, or at least keep costs neutral. Are you researching an open education resource to replace a more expensive solution? Or, is there a free student license for the software you’re introducing?

Course Design Grants

Course Grants

When funding is available, TIPS may offer course design grants to departments and/or individual faculty who wish to partner with instructional designers to design or redesign a course or program. If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Jason Drysdale ([email protected]) to discuss your proposed course or program design project.

Instructional designers working within a collaborative course design process aim to help faculty articulate their vision and design learning experiences with intention. Instructional designers will not evaluate courses, nor will they impose any requirements in terms of content or types of engagement.

Applications are announced as funding becomes available and will be communicated through our newsletter.

Career-Readiness Integration Grants

The Career Center, is requesting proposals for career readiness integration into curriculum. We’ve all heard the questions about the “return on investment” of a college education. Graduates are facing an increasingly tough job market, and some students graduate still unsure of what they can do with their degree. This initiative provides funding for the integration of career-readiness skills into existing courses to help students recognize and more clearly tie the skills they are learning to post-graduate success, whether that be graduate school or a new career.

“Having a senior in college myself and seeing that she has no clue how to go find a job in her field, I have realized how important this work is and how beneficial it will be for our students,” said a faculty member of the spring 2026 cohort.

Grant Overview

We are happy to offer 8-10 Career Readiness Integration Grants for the fall 2026 semester; each grant will be for participation in a four-part workshop series and completion of at least two assignments integrating career-readiness, and a syllabus update. The course will include four 2-hour-long workshops during which faculty and career center staff will collaborate on assignments and reflection elements to help students connect the dots between the skills they are learning and their relevance to potential careers. Assignments can also include structured career exploration. Emphasis will be on helping students recognize and articulate the value of the skills they gain while seeing how these skills contribute to potential careers.

Another spring 2026 cohort member shared his impression of the workshops, “After spending years focused on teaching theory, this workshop was a clear reminder that career readiness goes beyond knowledge; it’s really about how effectively students can apply what they’ve learned in real-world situations.”

The stipend for each grant is $1350 and will be awarded after completion of all required elements (listed below). These funds may be allocated to a single lead faculty member for the course or, if desired, split between two faculty who participate in the design (both faculty would need to commit to attending all 4 workshops). These grants are available to faculty of all ranks and roles, including IRC faculty.

Proposal Criteria

Please share all basic information about your course as requested in the proposal application form: number and title, course modality, course duration (traditional or accelerated), planned first offering of your redesigned course, course description, average/expected class size per section
We will prioritize courses that currently make minimal or no use of career-integration strategies

If awarded the grant, we ask grant participants to commit to the following:

Attend all four workshops in their entirety (currently planned for September 4, September 25, October 16, November 13)
Add at least two career-related assignments and integrate skills/competencies awareness into your syllabus
Share these assignments and updates with other grantees during the fourth (final) session
Share your workshop experience during a department or faculty meeting and submit a 1-page recap of your presentation to the Career Center team
Implement these changes by the next offering of the course
Collaborate/consult with other faculty who teach sections of the same course to ensure alignment, sharing your work with colleagues so all students can benefit
Share reflections and results from the update after teaching, in a format of your preference (e.g., debrief with a TIPS staff member or Career Center counselor)

Proposal Deadlines and Contact Information

For questions about the logistics (i.e.: form submission, payment process) please contact [email protected].
For questions about course content, please contact Mark Isenburg at: [email protected]
Submissions for Career Readiness Integration Grants will be accepted until Friday, July 3, 2026. We may follow up with additional questions if needed.

Thank you, sincerely, for the time, energy, and expertise you bring to our university, and to the educational journey of our amazing students. We look forward to receiving your proposal and partnering with you in integrating career-related elements into your important courses!

Aging Curriculum Grants

In partnership with The Division for Teaching Innovation and Program Strategies (TIPS), CU Denver’s Age-friendly University Committee seeks proposals from teaching faculty to integrate aging-related content into existing courses. Faculty with selected proposals are typically awarded a $2000 stipend.

There are no active grants available at this time.

Proposals are to be submitted to the Division for Teaching Innovation and Program Strategies (TIPS), who are helping to facilitate this process, through the following Formstack form. Questions can be directed to [email protected]

All teaching faculty (including IRC faculty) are eligible to submit a proposal for one of the courses they currently teach. Faculty should discuss plans for their proposal with their department chairperson and/or curriculum committee. Because this initiative does NOT involve creation of new courses, further curriculum approvals should not be required.
Each proposal must indicate approval from the department chairperson.
Selected proposals are typically announced early in the Spring semester.
Half of the $2000 stipend is typically awarded in Spring as work commences on course revision. The second portion of the stipend will be paid out after census date when the revised course is offered for the first time.
An assessment tool for gathering student reactions to the added content will be sent to the instructor during the semester the course is offered. The assessment should be administered to the enrolled students and results shared with TIPS and the University’s Age-friendly University Committee for consideration in extending funding for this initiative in the future.

Review Rubric for Aging Curriculum Grants

Faculty applications will be reviewed by a faculty committee led by members of the Age-friendly University committee. Up to five proposals will be selected for funding this academic year. Faculty with selected proposals will be awarded a $2000 stipend for their work.

Review Criteria	Limited (1)	Moderate (2)	Strong (3)
Proposal summary describes thoughtful plan for adding aging related content.
Proposed aging-related content appears well-aligned to course description and existing course topics.
Proposed course schedule indicates significant aging-related content that will constitute at least 10% (1-2 weeks) of course content. (Aging-related content may be interspersed throughout course.)

Relevant Aging-Related Topics & Materials for Course Content

Below are brief examples of materials and ideas to assist faculty in preparing aging content for courses across different disciplines. These suggestions are intended to inspire submissions for the current RFP.

Psychology

Whitbourne, S. K., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (Eds.). (2003). Integrating aging topics into psychology: A practical guide for teaching.
American Psychological Association.
Click here for book info

Environmental Issues

Sampling of Articles:

Bektas, A., Schurman, S. H., Sen, R., & Ferrucci, L. (2018). Aging, inflammation and the environment. Experimental Gerontology, 105, 10-18.
DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2017.12.015
Carnes, B. A., Staats, D., Willcox, B. (2014). Impact of climate change on elder health. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 69(9), 1087–1091.
Read article
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Climate change and extreme heat events.
CDC resource
Delpla, A. et al. (2009). Impacts of climate change on surface water quality in relation to drinking water production. Environment International, 35, 1225-1233.
Leyva, E. W. A., Beaman, A., & Davidson, P. M. (2017). Health impact of climate change in older people: An integrative review and implications for nursing. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 49(6), 670–678.
Read article
Nwanaji-Enwerem, J. C., Jackson, C. L., Ottinger, M. A., Cardenas, A., James, K. A., Malecki, K. M. C., et al. (2021). Adopting a compound exposome approach in environmental aging biomarker research: A call to action. Environmental Health Perspectives, 129:045001.
DOI: 10.1289/EHP8392

Politics and Policy

Faber, M. A. (2016). The policies and politics of aging: A new paradigm? In Sugar, J. A., Riekse, R. J., Holstege, H., & Faber, M. A. (Eds.), Introduction to Aging: A Positive, Interdisciplinary Approach (Ch. 18).
DOI: 10.1891/9780826108845.0018

Geys, B., Heggedal, T.-R., & Sørensen, R. J. (2022). Age and vote choice: Is there a conservative shift among older voters? Electoral Studies, 78.
Read article

Super, N. (2020). Three trends shaping the politics of aging in America. Public Policy & Aging Report, 30(2), 39–45.
Read article

Criminal Justice

Burke, G., Prunhuber, P., Phan, T., & Takshi, S. (2022). Reducing barriers to reentry for older adults leaving incarceration. Justice in Aging Issue Brief.
Download issue brief
Kratcoski, P. C., & Edelbacher, M. (2016). Trends in criminality and victimization of the elderly. Criminology, 80(1), 58-63.
Maschi, T., Sutfin, S. L., & O’Connell, B. (2012). Aging, mental health, and the criminal justice system: A content analysis of the literature. Journal of Forensic Social Work, 2, 162-185.
Reese, H. (2017). What should we do about our aging prison population? Can compassionate release laws solve the problem of nearly 200,000 people aged 55 and older who are incarcerated in America? JSTOR Daily.
Wright, A. M., & Holliday, R. E. (2010). Police officers’ perceptions of older eyewitnesses. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 10, 211-223.

Previous Funding Awards

2024 Grants Awarded

Open-Education Resource Grants: $15,000

CETL Faculty Fellows Grants: $10,000

Inclusive Pedagogy Academy Facilitators: $8,000

Funding Recipients

TIPS would like to highlight CU Denver faculty who have received funding from our division in the previous year.

Funding Recipients

Tools

Resources

Schools & Colleges

Campus Affiliates

Funding

COLTT

COLTT

Faculty Fellows

Teaching Innovation Grants

Course Design Grants

Course Grants

Career-Readiness Integration Grants

Aging Curriculum Grants

Previous Funding Awards

2024 Grants Awarded

Funding Recipients

Funding

COLTT

COLTT

Faculty Fellows

Faculty Fellow, Open Pedagogy (1-2 Fellowships Available)

Faculty Fellow, Inclusive Pedagogy (1-2 Fellowships Available)

Faculty Fellow, Teaching Practices & Innovations (2-4 Fellowships Available)

Application Timeline and Review Process

Review Rubric for Faculty Fellows Applications

Teaching Innovation Grants

The Four Categories for Teaching Grant Proposals

Application Timeline and Review Process

Review Rubric for Teaching Innovation Grants

FAQS

Course Design Grants

Course Grants

Career-Readiness Integration Grants

Aging Curriculum Grants

Application Timeline and Review Process

Review Rubric for Aging Curriculum Grants

Examples of Aging-related Courses

Previous Funding Awards

2024 Grants Awarded

Funding Recipients