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QEP Engagement Grants

We’re excited to announce the 2nd cycle of the QEP Engagement Grants program for faculty.

QEP invites faculty (staff may participate as co-applicants) to apply for funding to implement co-curricular and engagement programs (learning beyond coursework) that advance students’ climate literacy and response-ability, which we’re defining as the capacity to participate in positive climate actions in our professions and communities. Proposed programs may include climate-focused guest speakers, workshops, exhibits, performances, participatory art projects, community engagement projects, etc. Applicants may request up to $5,000; we anticipate the average award will be around $2,500.

The current proposal cycle deadline is May 2, 2025—apply for funding for AY 2025-2026 through InfoReady here.

QEP Engagement Funds support student learning through climate-focused activities outside of the classroom, such as:

  • Guest speaker fees for climate-focused programming (workshop, symposium).
  • Equipment/supplies to be used by students for a climate-focused program or engagement project.
  • Registration fees and travel costs for taking students to a climate-focused professional development program (e.g., a program like the 2024 Carolinas Climate Summit). Grant may cover these costs for the faculty member(s) and students. Note: You must follow university procedures for student travel, including submitting a Student Travel Form to Student Affairs, submitting the Student Payments for Cost of Attendance Reporting Form to the Tax Compliance Office, and completing Chrome River travel authorization(s) and expense report(s).

Limitations—QEP Engagement Funds cannot be used for:

  • Food, beverages, or other expenses that are not allowable uses of state funds.
  • Faculty travel for conferences. (Exception: You can be considered for QEP Engagement Funds if you are taking students with you and the primary purpose of the travel is student learning rather than supporting your scholarship.)

Process and timing:

  • The call for proposals opens Monday, March 31, 2025. 
  • The proposal deadline is Friday, May 2, 2025. 
  • The Review Committee will review proposals between Friday, May 2 and Friday, May 23, 2025.
  • The QEP team will communicate funding decisions by Friday, May 23, 2025. 
  • Grant awardees may begin spending budgets no earlier than July 1, 2025 and must spend down their funding by May 15, 2026. (Note: State funds that aren’t spent by fiscal year end will not roll to the next fiscal year. Spending your grant funds by mid-May 2026 allows for processing time before the fiscal year ends.)

Proposal Requirements 

Lead applicant must be a faculty member (staff may participate as co-applicants). Grant applicants must provide the following in order to have a complete proposal:

I. ABSTRACT: An abstract that briefly (max. 200 words) describes the project and how it will advance students’ climate literacy and/or climate response-ability (defined above).

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A more detailed project description (max. 1000 words) explaining the project purpose (why), participants/audiences (who), process (how), and timeline (when). Please elaborate on how your project will advance students’ climate literacy and/or climate response-ability (defined above), and indicate how your proposed project connects to one or more of the QEP’s four Student Learning Outcomes, which come from App State’s General Education program:

  • Systemic Drivers of Global Change: Students will evaluate systemic factors that produce local to global inequalities and environmental problems in order to advocate for appropriate responses.
  • Global Self Awareness: Students will evaluate the effect of human agency on social, cultural, and natural environments.
  • Consequences of Global Change: Students will evaluate the effects of global change on local environments.
  • Response-Ability: Students will evaluate the effects of social, economic, and environmental problems on communities and cultivate a capacity to actively respond to these challenges.

III. PROJECT BUDGET: 

  1. What is your total project budget, how much funding are you requesting from QEP, and what do you want to use it for? Please break your request into budget categories; see above information on what can and cannot be funded. 
  2. What additional source(s) and amounts of funding (including ‘in kind’) in support of the proposed innovative teaching project, if any, have you secured and/or intend to seek? 
  3. Project fund/account(s): What is the fund # (must be a state fund) and account(s) into which you’re hoping to accept these grant funds? Please note:
    • Your department will receive the funds and then you will spend them down by working with your department’s staff. 
    • You must request 7.65% FICA in addition to any line item for a salary account. (For example, if requesting a $1,000 one-time pay, you must request $1,076.50 total for this OTP.) Your proposal may not exceed $5,000 including FICA.

IV. POST AWARD – PROJECT FINAL REPORT: If I receive funding, I acknowledge that: 

  1. I will work with my department administrative assistant to complete the necessary paperwork for my funding or reimbursement. All funds need to be expended by May 15, 2026.
  2. These are university funds and all use of the money must comply with university spending guidelines and follow standard university policies and procedures, including travel.
  3. Any equipment, materials, and supplies purchased with these funds are university property. 
  4. If I am unable to expend all of the awarded funds, I will inform Laura Johnston (johnstonl@appstate.edu) in Academic Affairs.
  5. I will complete my final report by 5:00 p.m. on August 31, 2026. Failure to submit the final report will be factored into future consideration for QEP funding.

Please contact Shea Tuberty (tubertysr@appstate.edu) with questions.