What ideas are exciting you lately? Anything you want to learn? Anything our campus should be talking more about? Don’t hold back … your ideas could turn into reality. The VCCS offers two types of professional development grants for projects you would like to see happen in Summer 2019: The Paul Lee Professional Development Grant, which awards up to $2,500 in the summer. (Open to all full-time and adjunct faculty.) Unallowable expenses include equipment, supplies, books, software, and student activities. The Paul Lee Workshop Mini-Grant, with a maximum award of $1,500. (Open to all VCCS employees, including adjunct faculty and classified staff.) Funds are for conducting a conference/ workshop/ in-service activity, and can include food. The event must involve more than one VCCS college. The deadline for applications is Friday, Feb. 1. The VCCS suggests the following topics to get your ideas percolating: Initiatives to enhance student success Discipline-specific projects Information literacy Faculty learning communities Student learning communities Initiatives enhancing the use of technology in teaching and learning Best practices in global awareness Pedagogy Leadership development Developmental education Alternative evaluation systems To review the online application and learn more about these grants, go to https://opd.vccs.edu/awards/grants/ I have also blogged about… Continue Reading Paul Lee professional development grants due Feb. 1Read More
As we note in our popular training video, one of the most frequent questions we receive in the grants office is “Where do we find the grants!?” The Foundation Center is one of those places. The website ( http://foundationcenter.org/ ) offers a comprehensive database of grant opportunities, along with profiles of all active U.S. foundations and recent grants awarded by the nation’s top funders. If you’re interested in finding funding for a specific program or idea, this is a good place to start. However, Foundation Center requires a $$$ subscription, which the Roanoke Main Library provides free of charge to the public. If, like me, you’re curious about how to make the most of this service, please join me on a field trip on Thursday, Dec. 13, when the library’s Virginia Room hosts a hands-on class about Foundation Center. The class begins at 2 p.m., but I will be leaving Virginia Western at 1:30 p.m. If you would like to carpool, please let me know: sseagle@virginiawestern.edu. And please don’t forget to register for the workshop by email at main.library@roanokeva.gov. Foundation Center BasicsWhat: Learn how to find grants for your nonprofit in this hands-on class.When: 2 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 13Where: Virginia Room,… Continue Reading Foundation Center class on Dec. 13 will help us find grant moneyRead More
Dr. Matthew Goff was awarded an Innovation Grant to pay for 3D anatomy and physiology software that students can access for free. I really can’t rave enough about the Virginia Western Educational Foundation’s Innovation Grants, which are due in March. These annual grants award up to $10,000 to faculty and staff (including adjuncts and part-timers) … and because it’s an internal grant program, the odds will be ever in your favor (unlike more competitive federal, state or foundation grants). I have previously blogged about the perks of Innovation Grants, but I will summarize: An innovation grant project can amplify your strengths and what you love most about your job.They can be a way to solve a problem that you have long complained about.Grants are professional development — not only will they stretch you and your collaborative skills, but they will get you noticed on campus, in the community, and if it’s successful enough — throughout higher ed.You can test an idea with this “starter grant” and build bigger funding opportunities based on what you learn.But most of all, the best Innovation Grants fulfill the mission of the community college and help our students succeed. I will give you a perfect… Continue Reading How one Innovation Grant will help thousands of biology studentsRead More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
- Have you heard? October 28, 2024
- The Game of Life – Innovation Edition! August 29, 2024
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024
- Grant Nerds Unite! March 12, 2024
- The Power of Collaboration November 17, 2023