2009 Program Announcement

The College of Engineering invites proposals for enhancements of teaching and learning practices in undergraduate engineering programs. The intent of the Grants for Advancement of Teaching in Engineering (GATE) program is to support committed efforts at identifying and solving problems in the context of the undergraduate classroom experience for engineering students.

GATE supports initiatives that investigate what happens in the classroom, how it effects instruction and student learning, and how it can be enhanced. We will consider projects focused anywhere from the scholarship of teaching to practical implementation of teaching methods. In general, we anticipate a majority of the support for projects with a direct impact in the classroom.

The GATE program is open to faculty, instructors, academic professionals, and advisors.  Proposals that address any of the following topics will be particularly welcome:

  • Design of instructional strategies focused on teaching larger numbers of students in ways that achieve  learning outcomes similar to those in small classes, and that also accommodate a diversity of students.
  • Design of asynchronous web-based learning materials to foster conceptual development and problem solving skills.
  • Implementation of active learning strategies in large classes.
  • Implementation of collaborative learning study groups and other support mechanisms to help at-risk students succeed.
  • Evaluation of curricula to identify strengths and weaknesses in terms of student learning outcomes, especially with regard to effectiveness with underserved populations.
  • Investigations of expertise in the scientific and engineering disciplines, including differences in how experts and novices acquire, organize, and deploy knowledge.
  • Investigations of how the path toward expert performance could be made more efficient for students.
  • Development and evaluation of assessment strategies for higher-level problem solving skills and conceptual understanding (including identifying misconceptions that interfere with learning).
  • Investigations of how transfer of learning from one discipline to another (e.g., math to physics to engineering) can be facilitated.
  • Innovations in curricular design that significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of student learning.


We anticipate a total annual investment in this program not to exceed $150,000 and expect to make up to six awards. Funds may be used to cover personnel costs, including release time and graduate student support. Requests for laboratory equipment should not be included as these are addressed in the annual Engineering Laboratory Equipment Program. It is acceptable to leverage awards from the Engineering Laboratory Equipment Program.

Proposals should include a description of the existing need, the objectives of the proposed project, the projected impact, the anticipated outcomes and their measurement, a timeline for implementation, and a budget. Proposals should generally not exceed 3-5 pages. Cross disciplinary proposals are particularly encouraged. Multi-year projects will be considered with future funding contingent upon the success and progress of the first year. Funds awarded in spring 2009 must be expended during the 2000-10 academic year (including summer 2009).

Proposals from individuals or groups must be conveyed to the College through the department head. Collaborations outside the College of Engineering are possible, but the PI must be a member of the faculty of the College of Engineering and the project must have demonstrable relevance to and/or impact on engineering students.

Proposals should be submitted (electronic submission acceptable) no later than February 27, 2009 to:

Leslie Srajek
Assistant Director, Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education (AE3)
210 Engineering Hall, MC 272
1308 West Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801
lcrowley@illinois.edu