MINI-GRANT OVERVIEW
Advancing Character Development at UD
Year 1 Mini-Grants support faculty and staff initiatives that advance undergraduate character development and promote integrity-focused leadership across campus. Funded projects will strengthen educator capacity to foster ethical and values-driven learning experiences in academic, co-curricular, athletic, or experiential contexts. Grants awarded up to $3,000.
Funded projects should:
- Integrate character development into academic, co-curricular, athletic, or experiential learning.
- Contribute to a campus culture of leadership, ethics, character, and integrity aligning UD principles and values.
- Support innovative, discipline-specific or interdisciplinary approaches.
UD Coalition on Character Development
Focus Areas
Mini-Grants may support projects such as:
1) Programs & Experiential Learning
- Guest speakers, panels, or workshops.
- Colloquia or learning communities.
- Films, performances, site visits, or other experiential learning opportunities tied to character.
- Conference attendance or presentations focused on character, such as philosophical or psychological foundations.
2) Curriculum & Teaching Innovation
- Development or redesign of courses, modules, or assignments.
- Integration of character outcomes into existing curriculum.
- Discipline-specific approaches to character education.
- Training that builds educator expertise in teaching or modeling character.
3) Student Engagement & Dissemination
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Student research assistants for character-related projects.
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Applied research, assessment, or pilot initiatives.
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Incentives or stipends for student surveys or focus group participation.
What We're Looking For
Strong proposals clearly articulate their intended character outcomes, demonstrate meaningful impact across the university, and align proposed activities with well-defined goals and number of students engaged. Successful applications also show feasibility within the grant’s timeline while highlighting potential for sustainability or broader institutional impact.
We are especially interested in projects that advance integrity-focused leadership—grounded in trust, UD values, and effective communication—and that reflect aligned principles in both design and implementation. Competitive proposals will emphasize authentic, candid, and principled approaches to undergraduate development, demonstrating consistency between stated goals, actions, and student learning experiences.
Eligibility and Application Process
All university faculty and staff are welcome to apply. We encourage proposals from specifically from individuals who lead departments, programs, centers, and collaborative teams working to advance character and integrity-focused development across campus.
Staff Funding
For staff-led projects, grant funds will be distributed through departmental allocation. When multiple units or collaborators are involved, allocation and processing will be coordinated with the applicant’s home department to ensure alignment with university policies.
Faculty Funding
For faculty recipients, awards will be allocated through the faculty member’s discretionary or departmental professional development account. Applicants will be asked to indicate the appropriate account or department through which funds should be administered.
Application Timeline
| Phase | Date(s) |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | February 6 |
| Applications Due | March 15 |
| Award Notifications | Early April |
Mini-Grant Workshops
| Phase | Date(s) |
|---|---|
| ECI-Grant Overview | May 26 (In Person) |
| Summer Institute on Teaching | May 27 (Virtual) |
| Summer Institute on Teaching | May 28 (In Person) |
Funding Period & Reporting
| Phase | Date(s) |
|---|---|
| Grant Start Date | August 1, 2026 |
| Mini-Grant Mid-Report Due |
Case-by-case |
| Final Report Due | June 1, 2027 |
Deliverables and Expectations
- Participate in workshops (see timeline above).
- Work with CRESP on assessment efforts via pre-/ post-surveys of undergraduates.
- Submit a grant progress report.
- Submit a final report summarizing outcomes, lessons learned, and next steps.
- Share outcomes with the campus community (media, articles, socials...).
Thank You!
UD Coalition on Character Development
Michael Chajes, Ph.D. Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Dean of the Honors College
Jennifer Judy, Director of HR, Athletics, Community and Campus Recreation, and Development and Alumni Relations
Dan Freeman, Ph.D. Founding Director, Horn Entrepreneurship
Nicole Long, Ph.D. Assistant Vice President, Student Experience and Belonging
Johann Ducharme, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Faculty Director, Siegfried Fellows Program
Questions?
Please feel free to reach out to Sophia Cressman, Program Coordinator, at scress@udel.edu.