Incubator grants are offered to foster pedagogical and curricular exploration and experimentation. Grants are intended to facilitate opportunities for exploration, brainstorming and creative exchange of pedagogical and curricular ideas, and provide support for exploration and concept development. Development of the ideas that emerge from these activities to their concrete curricular or pedagogical implementation could then be supported through Curricular Innovation Grants or Targeted Opportunities grants.  We particularly invite proposals to:

  • consider ways to extend our curricular model beyond the self-contained 9 1/2 week, single professor taught course to provide high value experiences for students – and for you as teachers,
  • create opportunities for you – individually or as part of a group – to explore creative and ambitious pedagogical innovations that might enhance learning and teaching at Carleton.

Activities might include:

  • retreats for groups of faculty to explore pedagogical or curricular ideas,
  • seminar-like activities in which several faculty pursue individual explorations but come together to regularly report and share what they are learning and thinking,
  • visits to other institutions to learn about innovations or experiments, or share ideas with like-minded faculty at those institutions,
  • “technology circles,” like teaching or advising circles, but focused on use of learning and teaching technologies,
  • collaborations with partners at LACOL institutions.

The focus of these activities could range from:

  • developing linked courses or projects or modules that would extend across multiple courses,
  • creative uses of mini-courses, “trailer” courses, or courses that extend across terms,
  • creative uses of December break in the curriculum,
  • exploration of new technologies or application of technologies in teaching and learning.

The timeframe for these activities could range from a few days for a retreat or workshop plus required planning time, to a series of activities and explorations that would occur over an entire year.

Proposals for incubator grants are accepted on a rolling basis.