Tier 2 (Sandbox Grants) Program
Overview
Tier 2 grants provide funding to support modest, instructor-initiated projects that improve teaching practices and curriculum. Instructors of record for undergraduate, graduate, and professional student courses at UCLA are eligible to request funds. Successful applications will address how the proposed course intervention will improve student learning, engagement, or the overall academic experience. Proposed projects should be innovative and experimental with the potential to broaden participation through continued use in multiple terms or courses, bound within a defined and realistic timeline, and leverage existing campus resources and non-monetary supports. Ideally, applications will articulate some strategy by which the effectiveness or impact of the intervention will be evaluated.
Grants may be used to cover expenses such as instructional equipment and/or technology and hardware tied to programmatic improvements, creation of open educational resources (OER), defrayment of publication costs for a pedagogical research project, conference participation to support education research dissemination efforts, course accessibility enhancements, etc. The copyright to any material, including, but not limited to, technology, software, games, video clips, etc. developed with these funds will reside with the Regents of the University of California. Please acknowledge the TLC’s support in all presentations and publications.
These grants may not be used to supplement standard classroom expenses that should be covered by departmental budgets, nor may they be used to fund project personnel such as GSR and TAs or to partially fund course releases. The TLC does not offer in-kind support for assessment or course design services for this grant tier.
Tier 2 grants are available in amounts up to $6,000.00 per instructor of record per academic year. Individual instructors are eligible for up to two consecutive years of grant support. Awarded funds will be transferred directly to departments, which bear full responsibility for administering the funding and any associated vendor payments in strict accordance with university policies, as well as state and federal regulations. Departments will also be solely accountable for any budget overages. Any funds not used by the end of the fiscal year will be returned to TLC; no carry-forwards are allowed.
Timeline
Applications for Tier 2 grants must be submitted at least one quarter in advance of the quarter in which the associated course will be offered. Applicants will be informed of funding decisions approximately 10 instructional days following the application deadline. There are usually three grant cycles per academic year, once per quarter. The deadline for the next grant cycle will be announced once the submission period is open.
Quarter | Application deadline |
Winter 2025 | Friday, November 1, 2024 |
Spring 2025 | Friday, February 7, 2025 |
Fall 2025 | Friday, May 16, 2025 |
Eligible Projects for Tier 2 sandbox grants
Restrictions
Some restrictions apply to the use of Tier 2 grants. Certain types of projects cannot be funded; these include the following Tier 1 seed grant restrictions:
- Funds may not be used to supplement regular departmental expenses and budgets, thus any expenses intrinsic to the teaching of a course will not be approved.
- Classroom textbooks and office supplies are not eligible.
- Readers may not be hired for classroom instruction.
- Two instructors may not apply for the same course.
As well as the following Tier 2 restrictions:
- Any personnel costs such as GSRs, TAs, Readers, Undergraduate Assistants
- Course releases
- No in-kind support from the TLC is offered for this grant tier.
- Funds for equipment or other materials used exclusively for instructional purposes.
Application Process
All instructors of record including professors, visiting professors, lecturers, and academic administrators are eligible to apply for Tier 2 grants. Please be sure that all required information is provided (see checklist). Retroactive applications will not be reviewed or approved. If a funding request is approved, two weeks should be allowed for the transfer of funds to a departmental account.
Questions regarding applications should be directed to Eric Wells, Assistant Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, at ewells@teaching.ucla.edu.
Please indicate your intended use of a Tier 2 grant by carefully reading the application requirements checklist and completing an online application. Awarded grant funds will be transferred to your department for disbursement. Please submit your Tier 2 grant request by the quarterly deadline (see table). Reimbursement funding and retroactive requests will not be approved.
To submit your Tier 2 grant proposal, please click the online application submission button below.
Checklist with Application Requirements
- Department chair’s endorsement
- Instructor Name(s)
- Course
- Course Syllabus (a draft is acceptable)
- Request (select category; include “other”)
- Project Description (<1200 words)
- What do you hope to achieve with this project?
- What are your expected outcomes?
- How will you evaluate the effectiveness of your intervention or its impact on students?
- How does this activity elevate teaching in alignment with UCLA’s strategic plan?
- How do you plan to broaden the longer term impact of this project?
- Proposed Project Timeline (project period)
- Funding requested (Include an exact budget for request, without exceeding the maximum specified limits) → budget worksheet?
- Brief budget justification (<500 words)
- Departmental FAU to which funds will be transferred from TLC if the grant application is approved
- Any anticipated in-kind departmental/instructor contributions/support (optional)
Accounting Procedures
Transferring approved Tier 2 Grant Funds
- Funds are transferred from the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) to the requesting department using the FAU provided by the department.
- Departmental financial staff supply TLC with the appropriate account and cost centers to use. Please refer to internal departmental records for the account number used for mini-grants.
- Tier 2 grant funds are approved for use only by a specific instructor for a particular course or project, and may not be redirected. Any other use of the funds, or additional sums needed above the approved amount, must be requested in writing to TLC and may not be approved.
Fund numbers and invoices
- TLC uses 19904 fund numbers for Tier 2 grants. No 19900 money is used for Tier 2 grants.
- TLC does not issue checks to guest speakers or vendors; the home department is responsible for paying invoices with transferred funds.
- For more information on visa restrictions for guest speaker honoraria, contact UCLA’s Payroll office at 310-267-5774.
- Each departments’ financial staff is responsible for purchasing and reconciling all expenses for various Tier 2 Grants received during the fiscal year.
- Each department is responsible for making and reimbursing any travel arrangements, conference registrations, etc.
If there is a balance of funds
- Positive balances in Tier 2 fund accounts are automatically returned to TLC at the end of each fiscal year by General Accounting.
- Negative balances are not transferred back to TLC at the end of the fiscal year. They must be covered by the department.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should I request a consultation with the TLC prior to submitting my application?
While a consultation meeting is not required, we strongly encourage applicants to reach out with questions, especially to clarify what may or may not be eligible for funding through the TLC’s Tier 2 grants program. Direct inquiries to Eric Wells, Assistant Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, at ewells@teaching.ucla.edu.
What should be addressed in the project description of the Tier 2 grant application?
A strong application will start with an explicit statement of what you aim to achieve with your project and what impact you expect it to have on your course(s). In 1200 words or less, describe the intervention and your expected outcomes. Share how you will evaluate the effectiveness of your intervention and/or its impact on students. Importantly, be sure to address the way(s) in which this activity elevates teaching in alignment with UCLA’s strategic plan. And explain how you plan to broaden the longer term impact of this project within your department or across the university.
How much budget detail is necessary?
Complete budgets including any taxes or fees are required. Any overages are the responsibility of the home department of the instructor, so accurate budgets are essential.
What letters of support are required?
No letters of support are required. However, a signed Chair’s endorsement form is required for all grant submissions.
Can a department submit a request for funding via the Tier 2 grants program?
No, this grant tier is intended to support individual instructors of record. That said, collaboration among instructors is strongly encouraged and so departments should consider applying for Tier 3 or Tier 4 grants, which can represent a department-wide initiative.
Can more than one request be submitted by an individual at a time?
Individuals may only submit a single request at time. However, multiple individuals from the same department may submit their own individual requests.
How soon are applicants notified of the status of their application?
Applicants will be notified of TLC funding decisions within 10-15 instructional days after the submission deadline closes.
If approved, how and when are the funds handled?
Please see the Accounting Procedures for Tier 2 Grants.
If the project is not completed by June 30 of the fiscal year in which the funding period ends, can funds be carried forward to the next fiscal year?
No, all remaining funds will be automatically transferred back to the TLC during fiscal close. Funding for grants awarded in the spring term will not be transferred to the department until on or after July 1 of the next fiscal year to allow sufficient time for the project to be completed by fiscal close of the subsequent year.