NIU Foundation announces new Venture Grants

NIU faculty and staff with new and different ideas to cooperate across disciplines can apply for financial support through the NIU Foundation’s Venture Grants.

Foundation leaders are announcing today the availability $50,000 in private money – grants can range anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 – for projects that show innovation, including imaginative use of new technology, interdisciplinary focus, collaboration, community outreach, sustainability, image enhancement and appeal to donors.

Proposals are due Feb. 4, 2005, to the Office of the Provost.

“The Foundation board relishes the opportunity to support the work of faculty and students whose exceptional work brings further acclaim to NIU,” said Mallory M. Simpson, president of the NIU Foundation. “While nearly all gift dollars are designated by donors to specific departments and programs, the Foundation earmarks some of its limited unrestricted dollars each year to its grants program. The grants program helps the Foundation to fulfill its mission of advancing excellence at NIU.”

Provost Ivan Legg encourages all faculty to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Historically the Foundation’s grant program has enabled the university to accomplish some noteworthy goals that impact the quality of students’ experiences here at NIU. The grants have supported projects ranging from theatrical productions to research and public lectures by noted authors,” Legg said.

“The objectives of the Venture Grants are particularly timely because of their emphasis on innovation, interdisciplinary work and collaboration,” Legg added. “This grant program is important to the university, our faculty and our students, and we’re very happy to have this kind of support from the Foundation.”

Venture Grants trace their name to two places: first, to the venture fund that feeds them, and second, to the venturesome spirit asked of the recipients.

Foundation leaders view the fund as an investment in the imagination, intellect and dedication of NIU’s faculty and students, and will pledge these dollars to support activities that might not be funded in other ways. The projects are expected to reap an increasing awareness of the university’s stature in research, teaching, learning and outreach.

Projects funded last year were:

• “Reaching Out through Reading and Arts,” $12,357 to Chris Carger in the College of Education. NIU students serve as tutors for small groups of first- through third-grade students in Aurora and the new NIU-DeKalb District 428 partnership school, Wright Elementary. Students include native and non-native English speakers who gain an enriched literacy and art development while appreciating diversity in their communities.
•  “Mapping NIU: Server, Imagery and Software,” $17,482 to Andrew Krmenec in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The NIU Geospacial Lab in the Department of Geography used software provided through Intergraph Corp. to develop an interactive Web map of NIU, advancing research in Web-based mapping that could have worldwide application. This grant supports the development of the database to provide visual landscape cues for campus locations as well as an interactive locator function that allows students to “see” location of classes.
• “Neonatal Hearing Screening,” $20,000 to Joseph Smaldino in the College of Health and Human Sciences. This grant continues a successful neonatal hearing screening and follow-up program conducted through partnership with Kishwaukee Hospital. The funds assisted in the purchase of equipment to test hearing impairment in newborns. The state-of-the-art equipment also enhances NIU’s new Doctor of Audiology program.

Project proposals from faculty and staff within the Division of Academic and Student Affairs and Athletics should involve students, directly benefit them or both. Projects should have clear outcomes, timely results and matching support from the department, unit or elsewhere.

A detailed budget is required.

The proposals should include a title and a written description of the project in terms that are clear to those outside the discipline, and should not exceed three pages. All proposals must come with letters of support from the appropriate representative, whether the department chair, director, dean or provost.

Grant recipients are expected to complete the project within the planned timeline. A final report must be submitted to the Grants Committee upon completion of the project, generally one year after the award.

Full guidelines and an application are available online at http://www.niufoundation.org/news/current/venture_grant.html.

11-1-04