A New Strategy for DELTA Grants Outreach
The DELTA Grants program offers NC State faculty opportunities to receive DELTA funding, collaborate with DELTA staff and explore innovative solutions to instructional challenges. The annual DELTA Grants cycle runs from February through May each calendar year. In fiscal year 2019-2020, Senior Instructional Designer Cathi Dunnagan launched a targeted strategy to reach out to faculty and administrators to share information about DELTA Grants across the university. Her concept was to bring each presentation to faculty within a single department or college and highlight DELTA Grant recipients from that college — building connection and community within that college as well as across NC State.
Dunnagan shared, “The DELTA Grant is a spark spreading beyond student success in the classroom to faculty in other departments and colleges, and sometimes extending beyond NC State through published papers, presentations, honors and awards. Together we create amazing learning experiences for students — from using augmented reality to peer inside feed mill equipment to engaging in virtual organic chemistry labs. I love sharing DELTA Grant stories!”
With the help of DELTA Communications Coordinator Sherry O’Neal, Dunnagan developed a new DELTA Grants guide and scheduled presentations with NC State colleges to discuss DELTA Grants, their benefits and the application process. The goal was to inspire solutions to instructional challenges at NC State and motivate faculty to apply for the program.
The DELTA Grants Guide is a step-by-step guide to the DELTA Grants application process. Dunnagan created the website to enhance transparency and efficiency for prospective applicants. The guide includes a matrix of the six DELTA Grant types and their key features and requirements. It also directs users to the DELTA Grants Request for Proposals with more detailed descriptions of each grant type. Users can get started on their proposal with a checklist of information to begin a DELTA Grants submission and browse examples of successful proposal writing.
DELTA experienced 25% increase in proposal submissions for the 2020-2021 DELTA Grants cycle.
Due to COVID-19, several planned presentations for April and May were canceled as the university’s focus turned to pivoting courses online. If you are interested in learning more about DELTA Grants, visit the DELTA Grants homepage or contact Cathi Dunnagan to plan a virtual presentation for your department or college.
