In collaboration with the Samberg Institute, the Dean’s Office invites faculty to apply for the Empowering Learning Through EdTech: Faculty Innovation RFP. This process provides a structured pathway to secure funding, receive pre-approval for educational technology (Ed Tech) purchasing, and implementation support for approved Ed Tech projects that enhance student learning at CBS.
Eligibility: Full-time and adjunct faculty
Faculty may apply for:
- Funding for new educational technology initiatives
- Pre-approval for educational technology purchases made through your division’s chartstring.
- Expedited approval to fast-track pilot tools.
- Other: If your request does not fit the categories above, please describe your project scope and the type of support you are seeking.
For all proposals, Samberg offers in-kind support through consultation, guidance, and project coordination. We collaborate closely with faculty to refine their ideas, provide strategic insights, and guide proposals smoothly through the process.
Deadlines:
To ensure timely review and implementation, faculty should submit applications as early as possible. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and faculty are encouraged to submit requests before the following hard deadlines:
- Spring 2027 Courses: September 30, 2026
- Fall 2027 Courses: March 30, 2027
Technology Review & Approval Process
All educational technology projects, whether seeking funding or pre-approval for Ed Tech purchases, must undergo the University’s required approval process to ensure compliance, security, and successful implementation. However, projects that support faculty experimentation to pilot innovative teaching technologies may be eligible for a fast-track compliance and security process and receive approval in 2-3 weeks.
This process includes
1) Aligning technology with course learning objectives
Once a faculty member fills out the form, we will schedule a meeting with the faculty member to better understand their learning objectives and how the technology helps to meet that learning objective. We want to make sure we understand the purpose of the tool more than about the tool they are requesting.
2) Exploring University-approved tools and alternatives
Understanding the why - we can then review existing University approved tools to see if they can meet the need. If there are no University tools that are comparable or can help meet the learning objective, we need to move onto the next step. Enter Accordion Body...
3) Tool research, comparison and analysis
We will then research all the tools that can possibly meet the need that the professor identified in step 1. We will compare the tools and work with the professor to identify which one we think will best meet the needs.
4) Planning for budget, procurement, licensing, and scope of work
Once we select the tool that we want we need to think about how much does this tool cost? How is this tool going to be funded in the long term? Should we run a pilot for one class, a group of classes? How does licensing work? How do users get access? What does training look like? We have to take all these things into consideration and map out the scope of that it will take to implement this technology
We have had some technologies where we ran a pilot and wanted to do LMS integration but once we mapped out the cost and scope of work to make that jump, we realized we may actually need to go back to Step 3 to see if there are better tools that do something similar (Vitrium)
5) CUIT risk assessment process
This is required for all technology implementations
6) Testing and implementation in coordination with relevant teams
The Samberg Institute will work with faculty throughout this process to ensure a smooth experience from proposal to implementation.
Proposal requirements:
Faculty are required to submit a detailed project proposal that includes:
- Faculty & Course Information (faculty name, UNI, division, course name, number, expected enrollment, semester, and term)
- Project Description
- Learning Outcomes: How the proposed technology aligns with and enhances course learning goals
- Learning Experience: A sample activity illustrating how students and instructors will engage with the technology
- Requested Tool: Description of the hardware/software (brands/models not required at this stage)
- Budget (if applicable): A detailed breakdown and justification for requested funds
- Supporting Documentation
- Course syllabus
- Stakeholder Consultation: Insights from key stakeholders (Divisional Chair, Course Coordinator, co-instructors, etc.)
- Scalability & Broader Impact: Potential for adoption across other CBS courses or departments
How to apply: Upload a PDF answering the above questions via the application form (below). For your convenience, we created a Google Docs template for the project description (below).
Review Process: Proposals will be reviewed by the Dean’s Office, Samberg, and ITG staff.