Overview
The Royal Roads University Faculty Association created the Buttedahl and Skene Learning and Teaching Innovation Fund in 2006. The RRU Foundation provided subsequent matching contributions, and former chancellor and acting president Bob Skene donated to the fund.
In 2007, Dr. Paz Buttedahl, who was president of the faculty association during the creation of this award, passed away. She was also the founder of Human Security and Peacebuilding program.
In 2015, the fund was renamed to honour the relationship between the late Dr. Paz Buttedahl and Bob Skene. The faculty association, Bob Skene and the university contributed an additional $20,000 to create a more robust fund.
This award honours Bob Skene and Dr. Paz Buttedahl, and supports projects related to their joint commitment to enhancing teaching and learning at Royal Roads. The fund supports faculty members to make direct links between scholarship, teaching effectiveness, research and student learning.
Purpose
The purpose of the fund includes the following:
- support initiatives that enhance the professional growth of the faculty as a whole
- enhance teaching at Royal Roads
- serve a strategic function in highlighting faculty members’ contributions to the success of the university
Successful recipients will also be encouraged to contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning by writing up the results of the project for eventual conference presentation and/or publication.
Eligibility
All core faculty are eligible to apply.
Core faculty members can use funding from the Professional Development Pool and/or the Internal Research Grant awards to complement the funding received through the Buttedahl and Skene Learning and Teaching Innovation Fund, as long as the use of complementary funds is approved by the respective committees.
Award value
Funding available will be based on the value of the fund and interest earned. The amount will be reviewed annually by the Office of Advancement.
Awards will normally not exceed $2,000; however, initiatives with higher requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Applications will be adjudicated, so the total amount awarded does not exceed the allocated budget for that fiscal year. If the total amount applied for exceeds the monies available, the committee can reduce the amount of individual awards or select applications to be held as alternatives if additional monies become available.
Selection criteria
Grants will be awarded on the basis of the following selection criteria:
- significance of the proposed initiative and how it will enhance the professional growth of the faculty as a whole
- quality of the proposed activities, as reflected in the strength, timeliness and feasibility of the activities
- potential of the project to enhance teaching at RRU
- relevance of the activity to the university’s mandate
- degree to which the initiative highlights faculty members’ contributions to the success of the university
Project description
Provide a project description (of no more than two pages) in addition to the selection criteria above, including the following information:
- the overall goal(s) and specific objectives
- the significance and benefits of the activities (to students, faculty, the university and knowledge creation
- the activities or work plan with time frames
- the feasibility of the proposed project
- expected outputs and outcomes
- potential long term impacts of the project
- detailed budget with justification — Specify the total amount requested (normally up to $2,000). Justify each budget item in terms of how it will help you achieve your objectives, and the calculation of the cost. Funds requested may be used only for the purposes described in this application.
Duration of award
The number of awards offered each year will be dependent on the number of applications and funds requested.
The term of the award is one year. All funds are expected to be expended within one year.
Should award recipients not be able to complete the research within one year, they may request a one-year extension with justification and with a revised timeline. Any unused funds will be returned to the fund.
Faculty members can only hold one Buttedahl and Skene Learning and Teaching Innovation Fund award at a time.
Recipient requirements
The Office of Research Services provides information about each award to the Office of Advancement after each Research Advisory Committee meeting. This includes the name(s) of recipients, title of project, amount awarded, budget, details of the project, projected outputs, outcomes and impacts.
Recipients of funds are required to submit a final written report to the Office of Advancement and Office of Research Services within 30 days of the end of the project.
Adjudication
The Research Advisory Committee will adjudicate applications.
Use of funds
Funds requested through the Buttedahl and Skene Learning and Teaching Innovation Fund may be used for the following purposes:
- to support attendance at related conferences or meetings
- to bring together groups of internal or external experts or collaborators
- to support costs related to engaging students in the project
- to purchase resources or books that will facilitate the successful completion of the project
- for honoraria for individuals involved in the project
Post-award project changes
Once awarded, any significant changes to the proposed activity in terms of subject matter and budget expense categories must be discussed with the Chair of the Research Advisory Committee and may require approval of the Research Advisory Committee as a whole.
How to apply
Email applications by midnight on February 15. When February 15 falls on a weekend or a statutory holiday, the due date will be midnight of the next business day.
Include a (maximum two-page) project description with the application.
Incomplete applications, late applications or applications not submitted as instructed will not be considered.