Innovation Grants

The Human Formation in an Age of AI Initiative begins with Saint Joseph’s University’s longstanding commitment to the formation of the whole person. Through its support of Innovation Grants, the Initiative asks faculty and instructional staff to consider what should change, what should remain, and how technology can serve, rather than displace, the cultivation of knowledge, judgment, creativity, ethical reasoning, communication, reflection, collaboration, and commitment to the common good. This commitment also includes developing students’ capacity to understand, use, and evaluate emerging technologies thoughtfully within their disciplines and in their lives. 

No. The initiative does not presume that AI use is appropriate in every course, discipline, or learning experience. Faculty and instructional staff may propose its intentional use, limited use, critical examination, or purposeful non-use based on disciplinary expertise and informed academic judgment.

The proposal deadline of Nov. 23, 2026 is common to all four categories, and notification of grant awards will occur prior to the start of the spring 2027 semester in all cases as well. 

Grant award amounts, application components and expectations of awardees vary across categories: 

1. Course Innovation Grants support individuals or small teams in redesigning existing courses, developing new learning experiences, or creating a substantial learning experience, assignment sequence, or assessment approach that responds thoughtfully to the opportunities and challenges of an AI-rich learning environment. They may support the intentional integration of AI, the redesign of learning and assessment in response to AI, or approaches that strengthen distinctly human capacities such as judgment, creativity, ethical reasoning, communication, and reflection.
   Development period: Spring 2027
   Implementation period: 2027–28 academic year
   Course Innovation Grant Application
   
    
2. Program Innovation Grants support the development of a shared approach to student learning that extends across multiple courses or an academic program. They may support departments, academic programs, or the Core Curriculum in considering curricular sequencing, course/program outcomes, assessment, and emerging disciplinary or professional expectations.
   Development period: Spring-Summer 2027
   Implementation period: 2027–28 academic year
   Program Innovation Grant Application 
   
    
3. Interdisciplinary Innovation Grants support interdisciplinary teams in developing a shared approach to student learning that extends across more than one discipline, or across colleges/schools/other areas of the University. They may support new educational approaches, credentialing, or collaborative learning experiences that enrich human formation, teaching, and learning in an age of AI.
   Development period: Spring-Summer 2027
   Implementation period: 2027–28 academic year
   Interdisciplinary Innovation Grant Application
   
    
4. Emerging Opportunity Innovation Grants support ideas that advance faculty/staff learning, experimentation, collaboration, and engagement around human formation, teaching, and learning in an age of AI, but do not fit neatly within the other funding categories. They may support retreats or institutes, invited speakers or visiting scholars, reading and inquiry groups, learning communities, workshops, student-faculty dialogues, external partnerships, showcases, or other creative approaches that are aligned with this initiative.
   Development period: Spring-Fall 2027
   Implementation period: Spring 2027; 2027–28 academic year
   Emerging Opportunity Grant Application

• All full-time and part-time faculty and instructional staff are eligible to apply.
• You may apply individually or as part of a team.
• Individuals may participate in more than one proposal. Applicants should disclose overlapping commitments, and the review committee may consider whether the proposed workload is feasible.
• Individuals who have previously received internal funding to support AI projects remain eligible. Their proposal must briefly describe the previously funded work and explain how the new proposal is distinct, meaningfully extends that work, or applies it in a new context.

Proposals will be evaluated by subsets of individuals serving on the Faculty Development and Pedagogical Innovation Steering Committee, and will not include the Committee’s co-chairs or project manager. 

• Jean McGivney-Burelle, PhD, Provost, Co-chair
• Kristin Burr, PhD, Associate Provost, Faculty and Academic Support, Co-chair
• Clint Springer, PhD, Faculty Senate President, Co-chair
• Melissa McClory, MEd, Assistant Provost, Faculty Affairs and Academic Operations, Project Manager 
• Deans
  • Jay Carter, PhD, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Joe DiAngelo, EdD, Dean, Haub School of Business
  • Josh Power, EdD, Dean, School of Education and Human Development 
  • Cathy Poon, PharmD, Dean, School of Health Professions
  • Melissa Snyder, DEd, Dean, School of Nursing and Allied Health
• Faculty
  • Monica Belfatti, PhD, Assistant Professor, Teaching, Learning and Behavioral Studies
  • Luk Devorski, PhD, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences
  • Jessica Gillis, MSN, FNP, Clinical Instructor, Undergraduate Nursing
  • Eric Patton, PhD, Professor, Management
  • Jennifer Tudor, PhD, Associate Professor, Biology
• Administrators 
  • Chontel Delaney, MS, Director, Academic Technology
  • Emmalee Eckstein, Senior Director, Brand Storytelling 
  • Anne Krakow, MA, MS, MBA, Library Director

Proposals will be evaluated according to:

1. Alignment with the purposes of the Human Formation in an Age of AI Initiative;
2. The significance and clarity of the educational need, opportunity or question being addressed;
3. The quality, coherence and feasibility of the proposed design;
4. The appropriate use of relevant disciplinary practice or established principles of teaching and learning;
5. The strength and appropriateness of the plan for evaluating student learning and project effectiveness;
6. The likely benefit to students and the potential to contribute useful learning within the relevant course, program, discipline, or broader University community; and
7. The clarity and justification of the proposed budget.

In making awards, the overall balance of the funded portfolio across disciplines, faculty and instructional staff roles, student populations, forms of innovation, and approaches to AI, including its integration, limitation, critical examination, or purposeful non-use may be considered.

No. Any such changes must proceed through the appropriate departmental, college or school, and University governance processes.

Grant funds may support:

• Compensation for project development for faculty or dedication of professional development funds for staff members;
• Instructional materials and supplies;
• Student-facing learning materials;
• Assessment and evaluation activities;
• Approved software or technology access;
• Travel, registration, and lodging for faculty presenting AI/human formation research or attending premier academic conferences on the topic;
• Honoraria and reasonable travel/lodging for visiting scholars or industry experts
• Pedagogical or technical consultation; and
• Other direct expenses necessary to develop or pilot the proposed work.

All expenses must comply with University purchasing, compensation, technology adoption processes, and other applicable policies. Applicants proposing software, technology, or expenses that could continue beyond the grant period should identify anticipated ongoing costs. Funding through this grant does not constitute a commitment to continued institutional funding. 

Proposals should not include a request for funding of any positions. Additionally, grant funds may not support: 

• Extravagant Food & Hospitality: Excessive meal costs, luxury catering/meal spreads, alcohol, or social gatherings lacking a clear academic/working objective. (Note: Light, modest refreshments for working sessions or student events are allowable when requested).
• General Operating Offsets: Supplanting existing budgeted departmental operational costs unrelated to the AI initiative. Additionally, for modest operating expenses (approximately $5K or less), the first funding source under consideration should be a department’s operating budget.
• Gifts and Personal Expenses: Personal gifts, gift cards (unless explicitly approved as research subject incentives), or discretionary perks for faculty, staff, or students.
• Unapproved Hardware/Capital Equipment: Personal computers, tablets, or general office furniture not explicitly tied to approved research or pilot project specs.

As is detailed in its Intellectual Property and Tangible Property Policies and Procedures, Saint Joseph’s University retains ownership over any intellectual property developed using University funds, facilities, and/or resources. 

The Office of Information Technology has evaluated and approved AI features associated with tools that faculty and staff already use every day. Detailed information and resources for authorized tools are available to help you get started.

The Office of Information Technology’s process for evaluating new technology assesses the security, data, and support plans for the proposed technology. New requests can be submitted through the Technology Adoption Service Request. If procuring the technology service involves click-through agreement terms or a signed contract, those terms will need to be submitted independently to the Office of General Counsel for review. If the services will include sharing University data, the University’s data addendum should be added to the terms.