Application Criteria

Requirements

• Quality

  Each proposal should show a good understanding of existing theory, data, and practice that apply to thetopic, and describe how these will be advanced by the project. Thus, it should be grounded in existing work and yet show evidence of creativity and innovation that will advance our knowledge of SoTL and its implementation. A wide variety of projects is encouraged.

  Projects that emphasize the assessment of learning will have priority.

• Project Preparation

  Mack Fellows join the community of Mack Center SoTL scholars. One of the benefits of becoming a Mack Fellow is feedback on research. Priority is given to projects that are at a stage that will benefit the most from this feedback. At minimum, the proposal should indicate why the study’s research questions are important and have a thorough literature review that helps inform the reader of the project’s potential contribution to existing SoTL knowledge. The proposed research design must also beoutlined.

  A discussion of the potential research methods (e.g., observation, record analysis, interventions) must be provided, accompanied by adequate description of operationalization of concepts, hypotheses, qualitative coding rules, and analytic techniques, where relevant.

  Feedback from one’s colleagues is one of the central benefits of becoming a Mack Fellow. Often, collecting data prior to becoming a Fellow precludes highly beneficial modifications to the research design. Therefore, no data should be collected prior to becoming a Fellow and attending the first FACET retreat. Of course, projects that use existing data (such as institutional records) in a new way to address questions of significance to SoTL are also welcome.

• Potential

  Mack Fellows join the community of Mack Center SoTL scholars. One of the benefits of becoming a Mack Fellow is feedback on research. Priority is given to projects that are at a stage that will benefit the most from this feedback. At minimum, the proposal should indicate why the study’s research questions are important and have a thorough literature review that helps inform the reader of the project’s potential contribution to existing SoTL knowledge. The proposed research design must also beoutlined. A discussion of the potential research methods (e.g., observation, record analysis, interventions) must be provided, accompanied by adequate description of operationalization of concepts, hypotheses, qualitative coding rules, and analytic techniques, where relevant.

  Feedback from one’s colleagues is one of the central benefits of becoming a Mack Fellow. Often, collecting data prior to becoming a Fellow precludes highly beneficial modifications to the research design. Therefore, no data should be collected prior to becoming a Fellow and attending the first FACET retreat. Of course, projects that use existing data (such as institutional records) in a new way to address questions of significance to SoTL are also welcome.

• Breadth

  Proposals from a wide variety of campus settings, departments, and disciplines are encouraged. A maximum of three proposals in any year will be selected from any one campus. Given proposals of equal quality and potential, the selection committee will seek to select fellows with diverse backgrounds and settings as a way to enrich their dialogue with one another and the potential synergy for the Mack Center and IU as a whole. Joint proposals that include more than one campus, or more than one discipline within a single campus, are also encouraged.

  In such cases, applicants must specify the role of each applicant and whether the proposed project is possible if not all project partners are selected as fellows. Typically in a joint application, only one person is designated a Mack Fellow for the project. However, applicants should make a case in the application justifying all applicants as Mack Fellows if that is their intention, and the selection committee will take it into consideration.

• Scope and Supporting Materials

  Each applicant should submit to the FACET office one electronic copy of the proposal and his/her CV.Proposals should be no more than six pages long (12-point font, doubled-spaced).In addition to a description of the project, the applicant should explain how the proposed project fits into hisor her life as a teacher-scholar. Applicants with very long vitae are encouraged to submit brief versions thathighlight their most important and relevant qualifications.
  

  Two or three letters of reference should be sent directly to the FACET office. These letters should address thesignificance of the proposed project and its applicability in departmental, campus, or other contexts. Theyshould also comment on the probability that the applicant will finish the project in a timely manner.

• Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

  By their nature, most SoTL projects will need IRB approval. If a project is subject to IRB approval, theapplicant must submit the project to Indiana University’s Human Subjects Office after he/she is named aMack Fellow and attends his/her first FACET retreat . Once IRB approval is attained please submit a copy ofthe approval to the FACET offices.

  No funds will be released until proof of IRB approval has been received.See our proposal tips for more information.