Does the thought of developing a SoTL project on top of everything else you’re doing feel totally overwhelming? Do you have a question about your teaching or your students’ learning that has been nagging at the back of your mind? Do you want to develop and share your teaching expertise, but aren’t sure where to start? Are you orienting yourself to your disciplinary teaching norms and URI, and want the chance to examine your teaching practices? Become a Rhody Scholar, and get the time, space, and community you need!
Designed to support scholars from initial ideation through research and preparation for writing or presentation, this 1-year program walks instructors through every step of the SoTL process. Applicants in the program do not need to have a SoTL question already in mind for their study—indeed, participants are encouraged to come with broad ideas about possible research topics. Selected individuals or teams of scholars will be supported through group workshops and individual consultations on developing a research question and plan, completing the IRB process, collecting and analyzing data, and sharing one’s results. Scholars will be eligible to receive a 2025 summer stipend for their work, and professional development funding during the 25-26 academic year to support their progress.
Applications are due on Friday, February 14th, 2025, and acceptances will be announced by March 1st.
Requirements
The Rhody Scholars Program is open to anyone who teaches in some capacity at URI, including but not limited to part- and full-time faculty, instructional staff, and graduate teaching assistants. Applicants must have a course or program in which they are teaching during the Fall 2025 semester within which they can focus their research question. This could include not only traditional 3-credit classes, but also co-curricular programming with associated student learning outcomes. Applicants must also be available to participate in the five workshops or meetings and meet the deadlines for IRB submission listed in the timeline, below.
Timeline
Five synchronous meeting times will be held throughout the year to support you in developing and continuing to make progress on your SoTL project. Currently these sessions are planned between the following dates, with the precise date and time to be determined based on participants’ availability.
| 1st Workshop | 2nd Workshop | Cohort Meeting | 3rd Workshop | Writing Retreat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 17-21, 2025 | April 7-11, 2025 | October 6-10, 2025 | January 19-23, 2026 | March 9-13, 2026 |
Funding
Applications will be accepted at two different funding levels:
- Individual applications for instructors conducting SoTL independently in a single teaching context. These will come with a $1,000 stipend for summer work* and $500 of professional development funding to be used during the Fall or Spring semester (2025-26).
- Team applications for instructors conducting SoTL collaboratively across multiple teaching contexts. These will come with a $2,000 stipend for summer work* to be split among team members and $1,000 of professional development funding to be used during the Fall or Spring semester (2025-26).
In addition, applicants at both the individual and team level are encouraged to consider collaboration possibilities with undergraduate or graduate students as research partners. Up to $1,000 of additional funding will be available for individuals or teams who wish to partner with a student.
*Pending eligibility. Graduate student instructors can receive up to the same amount in the form of professional development funding, supplies or equipment related to their research, or funding toward student tuition.
Application
We ask that one person submits the application on behalf of their team, if applicable. The application requires:
- Name(s) and position(s)
- The course(s) or program you’d like to examine through SoTL
- Are you applying as an individual or as a team?
- Curiosity Statement (150-300 words): What are you curious about in your teaching and your students’ learning? How might exploring these topics enhance your students’ learning? How might exploring these topics enhance others’ teaching practices?
- SoTL Statement (150-300 words): What experience do you have with SoTL, if any? How do you hope this program will help you build on your experiences OR how do you hope this program will help you get started in this new field? How do you see SoTL enhancing your career moving forward?
- [Optional] Student Co-Inquiry Statement (100-200 words): If you have a student in mind with whom you would like to partner on this SoTL project, how might their perspective enhance your project? How will you balance including the student as a contributing member while ensuring space for their other academic and career needs?
Application
Fill out and submit the application using this Google Form