Tier 3 (Catalyst Grants) Program
Overview
Tier 3 grants provide funding to catalyze and support more substantial instructor-initiated course interventions and program development projects that advance teaching practices, curriculum, and pedagogical research and inspire new ways of engaging students in innovative and equitable instruction. UCLA instructors of record for undergraduate, graduate, and professional student courses are eligible to request funds.
By acting as a catalyst for change, these grants should foster implementation, expansion, and assessment of innovative teaching and curricular approaches with the potential for large-scale impacts on students, instructors, and departmental culture. These grants provide financial resources ranging from $6,000 to $35,000 per instructor of record per academic year. Individual instructors are eligible for up to two consecutive years of grant support. To support the implementation of proposed projects such as redesigning a course or course sequence or developing interdisciplinary teaching collaborations, instructors also may request in-kind support from the Teaching and Learning Center as follows:
- Course and curricular design (contact IDMP)
- Project assessment (contact ASIE)
- Media production (contact IDMP)
- Teaching workshops for instructional teams, including TAs (contact EDP & GSPS)
Grants may be used to support activities such as full or partial course (re)design, curricular improvements involving new technology or instructional materials, major reform of teaching strategies across multiple courses (or multiple sections of a course) to improve student engagement and learning, and pedagogical research studies aimed at documenting and disseminating the effect of such course-level change strategies. Funding may be requested to support wages for students (undergraduates, TAs, or GSRs) or staff to assist with the project and financial support for faculty and instructors (up to $10,000).
Tier 3 grant proposals must articulate a clear plan for enhancing the student experience, define specific project goals (i.e. expected outcomes of the project), and a strategy for evaluating the effectiveness and impact of the proposed course intervention. Applications should demonstrate how the proposed project aligns with UCLA’s strategic plan to elevate how we teach and should address the potential for sustainability within the department or academic/administrative unit after the grant period ends. Successful applications will be bound within a defined and realistic timeline and leverage existing campus resources, including programs and services provided by disciplinary teaching support units. While not a requirement of Tier 3 grant proposals, applicants are encouraged to explore opportunities for their department or program to either commit matching funds and/or contribute other non-monetary support of the project to evidence a broader investment in the success and sustainability of the proposed course intervention.
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. Funds should be used within the funding period specified in the award letter; no carry-forwards are allowed if funds are not spent by the end of the fiscal year corresponding to the award end date. Any remaining funds will be returned to the TLC.
Timeline
Applications for Tier 3 Catalyst Grants must be submitted by the first week of UCLA’s spring quarter for projects proposed during the following fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Funds may be used during summer and academic calendar months.
| Quarter | Application deadline | Projects Proposed for |
| Spring 2025 | Friday, April 4, 2025 | Fiscal Year 2025–2026 |
Grant Consultation Requirements
To become eligible to apply for Tier 3 Catalyst Grants, applicants must schedule an initial consultation meeting with TLC staff at least one month prior to the submission date for guidance and advice for developing a Tier 3 grant application.
Contact: Eric Wells, Associate Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, ewells@teaching.ucla.edu.
This initial consultation meeting provides applicants an opportunity to receive personalized guidance on project ideas, explore how they align with TLC funding priorities, and address any questions about the application process. Consultation is intended to help develop a competitive proposal and is not an opportunity for lobbying on behalf of a proposal. The goal is to help instructors refine and focus their projects and ensure the proposals are as compelling and well-prepared as possible.
Following this initial meeting with AVP Wells, additional consultations with TLC staff may also be required, particularly where in-kind contributions from TLC services are integral to a project proposal.
- Applicants requesting support for course (re)design support, including media production, should meet and collaborate with the TLC’s Instructional Design and Media Production team (idmp@teaching.ucla.edu).
- Applicants requesting support for educational assessment and research should meet and collaborate with the TLC Assessment of Student and Instructor Experience team (assessment@teaching.ucla.edu).
- Applicants requesting support for teaching workshops and related programming activities for instructors and TAs should contact Educational Development Programs (edp@teaching.ucla.edu) and Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Scholar Engagement (tatp@teaching.ucla.edu).
In addition, consultations with disciplinary teaching support units may be necessary to establish collaborations and budget estimates for services being incorporated into a project proposal. Furthermore, consultations with Academic Senate staff are strongly encouraged early in the process to discuss proposals related to academic programs and courses.
Eligible Themes and Projects for Tier 3 Catalyst Grants
Restrictions
- Grant funds may not be used to supplement standard classroom expenses, including consumables and basic instructional supplies, that should be covered by departmental budgets.
- For all technology-related requests, applicants must consult with the Bruin Learn Center of Excellence to ensure alignment with campus IT policies and scalability requirements.
- Funds for hardware, software, or instructional equipment must be integrated into programmatic improvements and be used strictly for instructional purposes. Equipment costs may not exceed $6,000.
- There is no remission support for GSRs or ASEs provided through this grants program. Fee and tuition remissions, TIF, worker’s compensation, and other hiring fees will be the responsibility of the hiring department. These funds should not be included in the budget worksheet.
- The copyright to any material, including, but not limited to, technology, software, games, video clips, etc. developed with TLC grant funds will reside with the Regents of the University of California.
Application Process
Checklist with Application Requirements
- Consultation meeting with TLC staff at least one month prior to submission date (Contact: ewells@teaching.ucla.edu)
- Grant type: {new project} or {renewal}
- Department chair’s endorsement {link to form here}
- The chair should address how this project aligns with broader departmental needs and priorities as well as a plan to sustain the project beyond the funding period. Department chairs should specify cost-sharing opportunities either at the department or division/school level. Lastly, the chair should indicate their commitment to carving out time at a departmental meeting for the PI to present and discuss their work among colleagues at the end of the project period.
- Principle Investigator (PI)
- Full name, title, and email address of the primary instructor leading the proposed project
- Secondary Collaborator (SC)
- Full names, titles, and email addresses of additional instructors or other project personnel involved in the project; this may include personnel from campus units other than TLC who are contributing effort to the project, whether funded or provided as in-kind support
- Full names, titles, and email addresses of additional instructors or other project personnel involved in the project; this may include personnel from campus units other than TLC who are contributing effort to the project, whether funded or provided as in-kind support
- Course(s)
- Upload Syllabus: For projects that involve revisions to existing course(s), please upload PDF copies of your original syllabus or syllabi for these courses (before making changes associated with your proposed project)
- Request (select category; include “other”) – choose the best option
- Course-level Enhancement
- On campus, hybrid, and online course development
- Innovation in access and opportunity
- Experiential Learning
- Interdisciplinary Collaborations
- Pedagogical Research
- Other (please specify)
- Project Summary (<350 words) (Please briefly describe the overall goal of the project, the strategy/approach/methodology you are implementing, and what you predict or expect to occur as outcomes if the project is successful.)
- Proposed Project Timeline (project period with proposed start and end dates)
- Project Narrative [Please upload a PDF of your project narrative; it should not be more than 5 pages (single-spaced and minimum 11-pt font).
Tables and figures are included in total page count. Please use the following prompts to guide the organization of your narrative.]- What do you hope to achieve with this project? What are your project goals or aims?
- What are your expected outcomes?
- How are you planning to achieve these outcomes? Describe the specific approach or strategy.
- What evidence have you considered that supports your proposed approach? Are there prior research studies you have read? Are there examples of success at other institutions? Be sure to cite your sources.
- What do you need in terms of personnel or materials/equipment to accomplish your goals?
- How will you evaluate the effectiveness of your intervention or its impact on students and other relevant stakeholders?
- Note: It may be helpful to schedule a consultation with an ASIE staff member, who can provide guidance on how best to set up the assessment for your project.
- Note: It may be helpful to schedule a consultation with an ASIE staff member, who can provide guidance on how best to set up the assessment for your project.
- 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 within your department, across campus and beyond
- Reference List (Please upload a PDF; use APA format; should not be more than 2 pages)
- TLC Commitment (In-kind Support)
- Select all the apply
- Course and curricular design (IDMP)
- Project assessment (ASIE)
- Media production (IDMP)
- Teaching workshops and related support (EDP and/or GSPSE)
- N/A
- Upload a PDF of a letter of support from relevant TLC director(s)
- In the letter, the relevant director should specify the commitment and approximate cost associated with that effort during the proposed project timeline.
- In the letter, the relevant director should specify the commitment and approximate cost associated with that effort during the proposed project timeline.
- Select all the apply
- Funding requested (Include an exact budget for request, without exceeding the maximum specified limits) {link to budget sheet here}
- Brief budget justification (<500 words)
- Upload a PDF with your budget description. Please break it down into categories aligned with the budget sheet. Since funding for Tier 3 grants comes from a number of sources and may be restricted for certain purposes, the budget detail is essential.
- Departmental FAU to which funds will be transferred from TLC if the grant application is approved
- Voluntary cost-sharing is encouraged but not required. Please specify any anticipated in-kind departmental/instructor contributions/support for this project (optional).
To submit your proposal, please click the online application submission button.
The following themes and project ideas are not intended to be a prescriptive or comprehensive list; however, these should provide prospective applicants with some sense of the range and scale of proposals that TLC will consider funding via the Tier 3 Catalyst Grant program:
Course Level Enhancements
Tier 3 grants may fund proposals that create new courses and/or substantially change existing courses, integrate new teaching strategies evidenced to enhance learning, provide teaching development activities for groups of instructors and/or TAs within a department to foster student engagement and/or belonging in the classroom, and/or introduce new instructional materials, equipment, or educational technology into a course. Instructional equipment and materials purchased with grant funds should remain departmental property for future use by other instructors.
Project Examples:
- Developing new online modules or units for existing courses.
- Incorporating evidence-based teaching practices such as active and collaborative learning.
- Redesigning courses to align with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles for accessibility.
- Integrating new instructional applications such as multimedia tools and technology; for instance, virtual reality (VR), open AI, 3D printing, or drone-generated images and videos.
- Creating teaching development workshops for TAs to enhance instructional effectiveness.
On-Campus, Hybrid, and Online Course Development
Tier 3 grants may fund proposals supporting instructors in the development or improvement of courses taught in any modality of instruction where the overarching goal is to create accessible and engaging learning experiences for students. This theme should be considered by instructors who are interested in integrating educational technology to enable innovative teaching practices in their on-campus, hybrid, and/or online courses taught in the summer or the academic year. In addition to funding, the TLC also provides in-kind support for these projects in the form of filming, editing, design, and the creation of graphics and other multimedia.
Whether instructors are transitioning an existing course from one modality to another or developing a new technology-enhanced course from the ground up, grant-supported activities should provide instructors the resources and in-kind support from the TLC needed to ensure courses meet high-quality instructional standards and adhere to UCLA Academic Senate guidelines for the establishment or modification of a course.
Project Examples:
- Transforming a traditional lecture course into a fully online or hybrid format.
- Redesigning a synchronous course developed during the pandemic and delivered via Zoom into a fully online course.
- Designing interactive, multimedia-rich online content, such as video lectures or virtual labs.
- Developing course materials for asynchronous online learning, including self-paced assessments.
- Piloting new tools for virtual collaboration, such as AI-driven discussion forums or team-based learning applications.
- Conducting instructor or TA teaching development sessions to support effective pedagogy.
- Creating Open Educational Resources (OER).
Innovation in Access and Opportunity
Tier 3 grants may fund proposals that create new courses and/or substantially change existing courses, integrate new teaching strategies evidenced to enhance learning, provide teaching development activities for groups of instructors and/or TAs within a department to foster student engagement and/or belonging in the classroom, and/or introduce new instructional materials, equipment, or educational technology into a course. Instructional equipment and materials purchased with grant funds should remain departmental property for future use by other instructors.
Project Examples:
- Revising syllabi and course materials to diversify the representation of authors or perspectives in a given field.
- Creating workshops or resources to support instructors and TAs in adopting inclusive teaching practices.
- Developing interventions to reduce equity and opportunity gaps in student success.
- Supporting the conversion of digital course materials to accessible, mobile-friendly formats compliant with ADA policies and legal standards.
Grant recipients will have access to pedagogical and course design expertise within the TLC and the ability to collaborate with teaching support units across campus to ensure their projects are impactful and sustainable.
Experiential Learning
This category of Tier 3 grant proposals provides funding to support the integration or enhancement of experiential learning opportunities into courses. Instructors may design learning activities that are relevant to students’ lives or career interests, deepen student engagement with the course material or topic, and support the translation of course concepts into real-world applications.
Project Examples:
- Creating community-engaged research components or community partnerships within a course.
- Developing simulations or project-based learning modules.
- Implementing fieldwork or new laboratory experiments into a course.
- Integrating research and scholarship into a course (e.g., designing a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) course or module).
TLC staff can assist with project design for grant funding used to provide resources for piloting experiential learning models, integrating them into courses, and evaluating their impact on students or other project stakeholders.
Interdisciplinary Collaborations
Tier 3 grants may be leveraged to encourage instructors across disciplines to collaborate on innovative curricular initiatives. Projects should promote interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary learning and address complex, real-world challenges that span multiple fields of study.
Project Examples:
- Designing a co-taught interdisciplinary course.
- Creating courses that explore topics from multiple disciplinary perspectives.
- Developing interdisciplinary research or capstone projects for students.
The TLC offers in-kind support for curriculum development and course design to help instructors navigate the challenges of interdisciplinary course development and opportunities for unique collaborations that can amplify the meaning and relevance of myriad areas of research and scholarship that may be perceived as seemingly disparate topics for students.
Pedagogical Research
Tier 3 grants may fund proposals that promote pedagogical experimentation, discovery, and dissemination of findings, which document the effect of course-level change strategies aimed at improving the student experience and reducing educational inequities. Pedagogical research, also known as the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) or action research, is the systematic study of classroom instruction. It involves inquiries about how, when, and where student learning takes place; identifying teaching and/or curricular strategies that improve student learning, engagement, and belonging; and then publicly sharing study results with colleagues. Successful Tier 3 pedagogical research proposals will bring together investigatory teams to identify research themes and questions, pilot and evaluate course-level projects that elevate teaching excellence, accelerate instructional innovation, and produce generalizable knowledge beneficial to the broader UCLA educator community.
Project Examples:
- Designing a mixed-method or quasi-experimental study to investigate the effectiveness of an instructional approach or intervention.
- Exploring the impact of technology integration into the classroom.
- Studying strategies designed to enhance student engagement or study skills.
- Analyzing the effect of differentiated instructional approaches in the curriculum.
- Conducting action research to iteratively improve the quality of instruction.
The TLC supports a community of practice, which brings together educators and scholars from across the disciplines to engage in pedagogical research discussions. The TLC also provides support for IRB applications and quantitative and qualitative research studies. Tier 2 grants may be leveraged to defray publication costs for a successful pedagogical research project.
For all technology-related requests, applicants must consult with the Bruin Learn Center of Excellence to ensure alignment with campus IT policies and scalability requirements.
Proposal Review Process
Proposals received by TLC are assigned to the Tier 3 Educational Innovation Grants Review Committee chair to confirm they meet all requirements prior to review. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a committee of peers who are experienced instructors, prior grant recipients, and/or individuals with expertise in relevant areas of instructional development and education research. These reviewers, nominated by the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, are carefully chosen to ensure a knowledgeable and equitable evaluation process. Care is taken to make sure reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the proposal. The committee evaluates the proposals and makes recommendations to the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning for consideration. In some cases, the committee may suggest changes to the proposed project, which will be considered in final funding decisions. Applicants will be notified of proposal decisions via email, which may entail further consultation with TLC staff to address necessary amendments to proposal or proposal budget prior to funding transfer.
Requirements Associated with Funded Projects
Award recipients of Tier 3 grants will receive a closing email from TLC near the end of the project period and be asked to complete the following reporting requirements. Please note that future funding eligibility for the TLC Education Innovation Grants program is contingent upon completion of all reporting requirements at the end of the funding period.
- Progress report shared with Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning and department chair at the end of the funding period.
- For projects focused on course redesign or curriculum development, please provide a copy of your revised syllabus for each impacted course reflecting the changes you’ve incorporated as a result of this grant. Other projects will also be required to submit an artifact resulting from the intervention; this will be specified in the closing email from TLC staff.
- Completion of brief survey.
Award recipients of TLC Tier 3 Educational Innovation Grants will be invited to an annual celebration sponsored by the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning where you will be invited to showcase your accomplishments either as a poster presentation or 5-10 minute lightning talk. Campus community members, including department chairs and Deans, will be invited to learn more about your efforts to elevate teaching at UCLA! Award recipients will also be able to invite up to three guests to join them for the celebration.
Finally, within six months of the closing date, award recipients should arrange time at a departmental meeting to present their work to colleagues and their chair. Feedback from this discussion should inform future development efforts, particularly if planning to submit a second grant proposal related to the same project (i.e. renewal grant).
Successful projects will be featured on the TLC website, newsletter and other promotional materials, particularly as they showcase the myriad ways instructors are advancing Goal 4 of the UCLA strategic plan to elevate how we teach.