海角大神

Academic Program and Career Readiness Innovation (APCI) Grants: 

Applications are due by noon, Friday October 30, 2026

Program Guidelines and Application Instructions

2. Increasing enrollment at EIU through program and/or curricular innovation.

Amount: The maximum amount per grant will be $5,000.

• Collaborative Proposals: Collaborative proposals and interdisciplinary or interdepartmental collaborations are welcome and encouraged. Applicants may submit multiple proposals in which they are co-director or collaborator on a project.

Proposals should aim to achieve one or more* of the following:

Improve Student Career Readiness: The project should focus on developing or updating academic programs to improve student career readiness by integrating National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) .

Increase Enrollment: The project should enhance curriculum, with an aim to increase enrollment.

Appeal Broadly: While a project can be discipline-specific, it should not be isolated to a niche interest.

Innovation: The project should bring something new to EIU.

*A highly competitive proposal will seek to increase enrollment and improve student career readiness.

APCI Recipient Requirements:

A final report will be due by on the last day of the fiscal year in which the grant is awarded. The report will detail the achievements of the project.  A final report form can be found here. 

APCI Grant funds must be expended in accordance with Business Office deadlines during the fiscal year in which the grant is awarded.

• Travel: The applicant must show that the proposed activity requires travel to the destination specified.
• Student help, including experiential learning opportunities: Wages must be appropriate to the task, as defined by EIU classifications.
• Equipment: The applicant must show that the equipment is needed for the proposed activity and is otherwise unavailable.  Equipment purchased with the funding is the property of the university.
• Commodities
• Contractual Services
• Summer salary
• Other: The applicant must show how this some other type of expense is required to make the APCI-funded project viable.

• Campus student service-based activities
• Programs focused solely on mentoring students
• Research and creative activity projects with limited potential to increase EIU enrollment, student career readiness, and student interest
• Projects with small prospects for bringing external distinction to EIU
• Equipment needs based solely on research activity

Submission and Evaluation of Proposals:

• Proposals are not intended for a lay audience and should be written for review by someone who is trained in the faculty member’s field.
• All relevant attachments (as specified in the application) must be included with the initial submission.
• Department Chair (or immediate supervisor) signature is required in the application. If the project will involve collaboration with another department(s) that department chair or director’s signature is also required.

Proposals submitted by a single individual: In any given round of funding, an individual may submit no more than one proposal for which they will serve as the sole project director. An individual who submits such a proposal may still submit one or more collaborative proposals. Applicants who submit more than one proposal per round of funding should explain how working on more than one project will be feasible.

Collaborative proposals: Collaborative proposals are welcome. In any given round of funding, an individual may submit more than one proposal for which they will serve as co-director of the project.

Timeline for Proposal Evaluation and Awards:

Proposals are submitted by noon on the due date. Late proposals will not be reviewed.

Proposals will be reviewed by a committee consisting of the Dean of the Graduate School, a Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and an additional dean selected by the Dean of the Graduate School and approved by the Provost.

APCI Award Criteria:

• The project’s potential to improve student career readiness by addressing National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) .
• The project’s potential to increase enrollment at EIU.
• The project’s potential to benefit a substantial number of students.
• The potential for the project’s curriculum innovations to enhance the academic reputation of EIU.
• The plans for the project’s implementation are realistic and achievable.
• Evidence of substantial academic engagement and commitment by the project director, including, but not limited to:
  • Previous record of curriculum innovation
  • A commitment to student career readiness
  • A record of interdisciplinary or interdepartmental collaboration
  • A commitment to design, implement and disseminate results
  • Record of collaboration and engagement with students

• Focus on developing or updating academic programs to improve student career readiness, addressing National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) .
• Enhance curriculum with an aim to increase enrollment at EIU.
• Develop a new program or transform an existing program into something new.
• Have a broad appeal; it should not be isolated to a niche interest.
• Be innovative, bringing something new to EIU.
• Provide clear, specific, and realistic projections that include credible data whenever possible.

A highly competitive proposal will seek to increase enrollment and improve student career readiness.

• Be entirely devoted to the marketing of something that already exists. 
• Rely upon service activities that make no strong contribution to student academic growth or career readiness.

• Projects that create opportunities for student experiential learning
• Projects that include a digital literacy component
• Projects that create new curriculum that will enhance Eastern’s academic reputation
• Projects that support innovation in student learning and career readiness
• Projects that support innovation in program accessibility
• Projects that enable Eastern to evolve to address new learning interests of students
• Projects that provide innovative program pathways that will attract students to EIU

Other Internal Funding Opportunities:

Projects that foster new curricular innovations but would not impact enrollment can be funded in other ways. Please visit the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs' Other Internal Funding webpage for more information.