Faculty Enrichment Program

The Faculty Enrichment Program (Course Development) provides faculty members an opportunity to develop or update a course(s) with substantial Canadian content that will be offered as part of their regular teaching load. We encourage proposals that include one or more of the following components: the use of internet technology to enhance existing courses, including the creation of instructional Web sites and interactive technologies; course development projects that include a study component in Canada, providing students first-hand learning experience; and joint programs and courses with Canadian universities.

We are particularly interested in projects that have policy relevance for Canada and Canada-U.S. relations. Topics that are highly relevant to Canada-U.S. relations include smart and secure borders; North American economic competitiveness; regulatory cooperation; Canada-U.S. trade and investment partnership; energy security and sustainability; environmental sustainability; emergency planning and management; Canada-U.S. security and defense cooperation; Canada in Afghanistan; global health policy; and changing demographics in North America.

Applications will be considered in accordance with the procedures, guidelines and conditions described below. Over the past three years, applicants have had a 41 percent success rate.

Eligibility

This program is intended for faculty members at accredited U.S. four-year colleges and universities. The candidates should be able to demonstrate that they are already teaching, or will be authorized to teach, a course with substantial Canadian content (33% or more). Applicants are ineligible to receive the same grant in two consecutive years or to receive two individual category Canadian Studies grants in the same grant period.

Terms and Conditions

The International Council for Canadian Studies, through the Canadian Embassy, Washington, D.C., will provide the successful candidates with funds to help meet expenses for the period of time for which an award is sought in accordance with the following conditions:

1. grants will be awarded for the purpose of developing a new course on Canada, enhancing an existing course on Canada, or modifying an existing course with little or no Canadian content. The new or modified course must have at least 33% Canadian content to be eligible for consideration;
2. all applicants must personally apply for a grant and carry out their own research. When the award constitutes the sole source of financial support, the period of the award must be used exclusively for the proposed project. Applicants are expected to conduct research in Canada during the award period;
3. grants are provided to help defray direct costs related to a project, including travel primarily within Canada and the U.S. as necessary as well as research and course materials. Allowable budget items include first-time membership fee for the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States or a Canadian academic association. No provision is made for release time stipends, salaries, or overhead costs to the institution;
4. applicants may request funding up to US$6,000; applicants may request an additional US$5,000 specifically to support student travel to Canada;
5. 70 percent of the total amount granted will be forwarded to each successful applicant upon receipt of a signed and dated Notice of Grant. The second payment will be made only after the Embassy receives an electronic version or two copies of:
   1. a report on the applicant's research activities in Canada and feedback on the grant program; and
   2. a detailed course syllabus complete with course description, list of weekly topics with selected readings, and preparatory bibliography. Programs that include a study component in Canada should report on the activities in Canada and include student evaluations of the trip. These materials are due by February 28, 2011 unless an extension is approved by the Embassy. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of the second payment;
6. the rights to the final course syllabus will remain the exclusive property of the researcher.

Application Requirements

Applicants must complete the online application form and submit the following materials electronically in a single file (in Rich Text (RTF) or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format).

1. an abstract, approximately 200 words in length, that describes the course, the rationale for the development or enhancement of the course, and your research/travel plans. The abstract is the first item a reviewer typically reads and is an indispensable part of the proposal;
2. a concise proposal (four to eight pages, double-spaced) which will present:
   1. a description of the proposed course including a preliminary reading list, indicate what students are going to learn from this course, how the course will broaden student awareness of Canada or Canada-U.S. relations, and why it is worth knowing;
   2. a schedule of activities, including travel plans, detailing research contacts and institutions or sites to be visited and describing how this travel relates to your research;
   3. proposals that include a study program in Canada should describe a significant home-institution, pre-travel class component, briefing(s) by Canadian faculty or graduate students while in Canada, and a student evaluation plan; 
   4. a statement outlining the applicant's background and particular areas of interest in Canadian Studies and teaching experience related to Canada (with a description or syllabus for recent courses);
3. a detailed budget that describes and justifies anticipated expenditures and indicates other funding sources. Travel and accommodation costs must be itemized by destination and include dates; research and teaching materials and other direct costs must be specified; cost sharing from other sources must be documented;
4. a curriculum vitae (not to exceed five pages);
5. a letter of commitment from either the applicant’s department chairperson, dean or academic vice-president attesting that the department will offer the new course to be taught by the applicant at least two times during the following four years;
6. the name and contact information of one additional academic reviewer from whom the applicant will solicit a recommendation. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that letters of recommendation are sent directly by the letter writers to the Embassy. Letters must be sent electronically to AcademicRelations@canadianembassy.org no later than December 1, 2009.

Applications must be sent electronically no later than December 1, 2009. Incomplete applications will not be considered. For inquiries, please e-mail AcademicRelations@canadianembassy.org or call: (202) 682-7727.

Evaluation of Applications

Upon receipt of the application:

1. the Embassy will send a notice of receipt to the applicant;
2. the Embassy will send a copy of the application to the appropriate Canadian Consulate General in the United States for appraisal and comments;
3. the assessment process may involve consultation with the applicant's referees and others who can comment on the merits of the proposal. In some cases, an applicant may be invited to submit an amended application;
4. applications will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary, pre-selection committee comprised of representatives of the U.S. and Canadian academic communities. Key review criteria are the academic merit, relevance for Canada or Canada-U.S. relations, and originality of the project; the applicant's scholarly promise and ability to accomplish the proposed research; and the likelihood that the research will advance the knowledge and understanding of Canada or Canada-U.S. relations. All applicants will be notified of the results of their applications by the Canadian Embassy, normally within 90 days of the deadline for submission of applications.

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• Past Recipients