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Many NetVUE member colleges and universities have strong historical ties to a specific religious tradition, a particular educational philosophy, or a pioneering educator. These elements of an institution’s heritage are important, but their significance may not always be clear in the midst of changes in the institution's demographic profile, surrounding community, and founding organizations. These changes can influence student recruitment and retention, curriculum design, and the composition of faculty. The purpose of this grant program is to enable institutions to produce an updated account of their history and mission in light of their current context.
This initiative is being administered by CIC with generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc.
CURRENT STATUS
Grants may be requested in amounts ranging up to $40,000 for use over two years. Funds may be used for a range of purposes, but not to substitute for faculty and staff costs that the institution is presently providing for its vocational exploration activities. Additional buyouts of faculty and staff time to produce an updated institutional narrative may be included as a part of the grant. Certain expenses are ineligible for grant support; for details, please consult the
Grant Budget Guidelines. In general, grants should be used to offset one-time costs of the process of reframing the institutional saga, as well as the creation of one or more written enduring products that reflect deep research and gather the results of this process.
In February 2021, awards were given to 20 NetVUE campuses.
View summaries of the 2021 program initiatives.
In February 2022, an additional 24 NetVUE campuses received awards.
View summaries of the 2022 program initiatives.
In February 2023, an additional 18 NetVUE campuses received awards. View summaries of the 2023 program initiatives.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Grants will be awarded based on proposals that explain (a) the purpose and goals of the proposed project, including the institution’s understanding of the relationship between its historical mission and its current context; (b) the extent of institutional support for vocational exploration efforts to date; (c) a clear account of the work that the institution plans to undertake, including a description of the final product(s) that the work is expected to generate; and (d) the ways in which the project’s outcomes would continue to shape the institution beyond the grant period.
Eligible NetVUE institutions may submit only one proposal for a Reframing the Institutional Saga Grant during the current round. To submit an application, please refer to the invitation and online application form:
Applications for the current round of Grants for Reframing the Institutional Saga are due by
August 12, 2022.
ELIGIBILITY
All NetVUE member institutions that do not currently hold a Reframing the Institutional Saga grant are eligible to apply for this award. Please note: If an institution already holds another NetVUE grant, the application must demonstrate that staffing and other resources are adequately distributed to allow both projects to succeed. Ordinarily this will require that the programs supported by the two grants be directed by distinct leadership teams.
This is the third round of NetVUE Grants for Reframing the Institutional Saga. In the first two rounds, grants were awarded to 44 NetVUE member institutions. Up to 20 additional awards will be made in this round. The application deadline is August 12, 2022. Decisions will be announced by December 2, 2022. Funds will be disbursed in two payments: the first half by February 1, 2023, and the second half by February 1, 2024 (following the approval of an interim report). Spending must be completed by January 31, 2025.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Questions about this initiative can be addressed to Carter Aikin, NetVUE grant director, at caikin@cic.edu or (217) 854-5619, or David Cunningham, director of NetVUE, at dcunningham@cic.edu or (616) 632-1060.