Inquiry to Impact Project Initiation Grants

Inquiry to Impact Project Initiation Grants

We invite proposals from Lehigh faculty to initiate and offer multi-semester Inquiry to Impact (I2I) projects through the new interdisciplinary Creative Inquiry (CINQ) course structure. In I2I projects (what we are calling Mountaintop-style projects over the academic year), faculty, students, and external partners come together to take new interdisciplinary, intellectual, creative, and/or artistic pathways leading to transformative innovations, new expressions, and new questions. We are interested in projects that need longer time horizons, larger and more diverse cross-functional teams, and diverse resources and partnerships across their lifecycle. We expect students to claim ownership of the projects, and see faculty mentors as partners and co-creators striving to propel their projects forward on the journey towards tangible and sustainable impact. We invite faculty to define impact in their own ways, in a multiplicity of ways, and inspire us to join their dreams.

The I2I Projects will be funded for a one-year period with continuing annual funding for up to five years made available based on project progress and outcomes. The grant consists of two components:

1. Discretionary funding of $500 per semester for the lead faculty mentor for the project
2. A project expense budget of up to $1,000 per semester, by request.

Higher project budgets, not exceeding $3,000 per semester, will be considered under special circumstances. Faculty will have the opportunity to attend professional development workshops on mentoring and supporting teams as well as consulting support from the Office of Creative Inquiry (OCI) and the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL). Also, I2I projects will have preferential access to funding for up to three students for the Mountaintop Summer Experience.

How Do Inquiry to Impact Group Projects Work?

We envision two models:

US-Based Projects through the CINQ 389 course

I2I projects, with the CINQ 389 (1-6 credit) course as their academic vehicle, offer a distinctive integrated pathway to learning, research, and engagement with teams systematically advancing projects over multiple semesters and years with aspirations for large-scale impact. The CINQ 389 course can be cross-listed with as many other project-based or research-based courses as the faculty mentors wish. The courses can either be ‘on-loaded’ into cross-listed versions of existing courses, or taught as an overload, as determined by department heads. These multi-semester interdisciplinary projects span the journey from creative inquiry to sustainable impact, with one team handing the baton to another team in the following semester. The faculty mentor typically meets with the team on a weekly basis, while an advisory panel with Lehigh faculty as well as external experts provide support on a monthly basis. For faculty, these projects offer opportunities to work with the highest caliber of self-motivated students at Lehigh. Faculty can leverage I2I projects to pursue inquiries that emerge from their own research or projects that they are personally passionate about as long as students have substantive intellectual and creative freedom and contribution to the project. These faculty-student teams create and disseminate new knowledge through conferences and journals while advancing praxis and striving to solve relevant and important problems across industries and geographies. With support from various Lehigh offices, teams pursue external funding, resources, and partnerships and share their fruits of innovation with the big good world.

Global Projects through the CINQ Courses

We are also interested in I2I project proposals focused on sustainable development challenges such as those related to health, food, water, energy, education, and human rights, in Low and Middle Income Countries and Least Developed Countries. We welcome translational research-based projects, use-inspired basic research, and all forms of creative inquiry that have the potential for extramural funding, lead to lasting impact, and promote scholarly contributions. For such proposals, in addition to the incentives and supports for I2I projects, we will offer travel grants of up to $2,500 (may be increased to maximum of $4,000 for special circumstances) to initiate new projects and build relationships. Projects in countries where Lehigh faculty, OIA, and OCI have long-term partnerships (e.g., India, Kenya, Ghana, Antigua, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Philippines, and Singapore) are preferred.  However, we welcome projects in all countries where faculty have worked previously and have strong local networks. Faculty will be invited to a series of professional development workshops being developed in collaboration with the Global Knowledge Initiative to build collaborative problem-solving networks and develop competitive funding proposals from USAID, Grand Challenges, and other funders in this space. Finally, these projects will have preferential access to funding for up to three students for the Mountaintop Summer Experience and travel for fieldwork.

Proposal Format and Submission Process

Proposals for I2I Project Grants must be submitted by the faculty member who will serve as lead mentor for the project. Submit proposals in a PDF document, attached to an email sent to creativeinquiry@lehigh.edu, with the subject line “I2I Project Proposal: <Project Title>.”