Communication Pedagogy Grant

Eligibility Requirements

1. Applicants do not need to be a member of NCA at the time of application, but recipients must become a member for the duration of their funding (PI can use grant amount to fund membership).  
2. Officers, directors, trustees (the Legislative Assembly and its Executive Committee), key employees, substantial contributors, or employees thereof, or grant selection committee members are not eligible to be considered for or to receive grants from NCA.  
3. Priority will be given to applications for which institutional funding is not available. 
4. Anyone employed full or part time as an instructor of communication at any level (e.g., K-12, community college, undergraduate and/or graduate) is welcome to apply. We particularly invite individuals from community colleges, K-12 institutions, under-represented, small/regional/less-funded and minority institutions and/or marginalized positionalities. 

All funding support must apply directly and in full to pedagogical practices, assessment design, or creation of learning environments. Grant will not cover research-based efforts or those that primarily support the scholarly investigation of those pedagogical domains.  

1. The following items will be considered for funding: Funding expenses must be directly related to the conduct of the pedagogical practice (e.g., OWL cameras, microphone, office supplies, or other related pedagogical technology, not otherwise available institutionally). Funding can be used for travel that is essential for conducting the pedagogical practices or for dissemination of the pedagogical practices (e.g., to College Board, Advanced Placement, other K-12 organizational conferences and workshops, NCTE), subcontractual hires (e.g., NFHS), equipment essential for media/video/digital production, project computer time, programming services, software essential to the project, costs of generating materials (e.g., video production or tools associated with generation of materials and/or practices not otherwise institutionally available). 
2. Funding cannot be used for: conference travel or events, open access fees, computers and hardware for routine tasks like managing and tabulating data, writing or editing documents or manuscript preparation, construction and remodeling of facilities, subscriptions to journals. 
3. NCA will pay up to 10% of indirect costs, but the total funding amount, including both direct and indirect costs, cannot exceed the $15,000 funding limit.  
4. Funds are disbursed to identified university fiscal agents, not to individuals. 
5. No more than 25% of the total requested funds may be used for faculty salary. 
6. Undergraduate and graduate appointments must be on an hourly basis (if not institutionally available). 
7. Any materials generated through the grant become the property of NCA.  

All questions should be directed to Dr. Dane S. Claussen at academic@natcom.org.

The CPG supports, and will in turn prioritize proposals that support, the following NCA Strategic Priorities: 

Goal 1: Create Conditions to Support and Empower Members 

1.1 Support excellence in Communication-related scholarship, pedagogy, and service 

Goal 3: Embrace and enact inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. 

3.1 Provide the tools for members to value and promote inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access within all disciplinary spaces and societal practices. 

1. All CPG proposals should include the following: 
   1. A detailed description of:  
      1. The pedagogical methodology, practice, or model to be explored, grounded in pedagogy research 
      2. The importance and contributions of this project 
      3. How this project supports excellence in communication-related pedagogy. Optionally, state how this project provides the tools for members to value and promote inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access within all disciplinary spaces and societal practices 
      4. Specifically how the effectiveness of the pedagogical methodology, practice or model will be determined 
      5. How the results of your project will be disseminated (e.g., conference presentation, Communication Teacher, resources for NCA website, etc.) 
      6. The timeline for the project  
   2. Acknowledgment that applicant will hold an NCA membership for the duration of the funding period 
   3. Acknowledgment that all materials generated become the property of NCA 
   4. A detailed budget with a detailed budget justification sheet* 
   5. The applicant’s 3-page C.V. If the application is being submitted by a team of faculty, then each individual must submit their own 3-page C.V. 

*For every line item in the budget, provide a narrative justifying the need for the expense. University of the Virgin Islands provides an excellent example of a budget narrative.   

Preferred Criteria for Submissions:  

1. Projects that address and acknowledge one or more of the NCA’s Learning Outcomes in Communication (https://www.natcom.org/learning-outcomes-communication)  
2. Projects that include pedagogical practices or create resources that can be broadly adopted. 
3. Projects that have no internal institutional and extramural funding. 
4. Projects that have an enduring and broad impact.  
5. Projects that demonstrate an enduring disciplinary/social/community/self-reflexive student-based transformative impact and/or change.  

All grant recipients are required to follow the reporting requirements outlined in NCA’s Assessment Protocol and follow the NCA Promotional Activities and Sponsorship Acknowledgment Policy.  

Applicants should consult with their institution's Office of Sponsored Programs (or similar grants office) to review the NCA Funding Assessment Protocol and the NCA Promotional Activities and Sponsorship Acknowledgment Policy. Failure to secure the institution's guidance prior to submission can significantly delay, or prevent, grant awards. 

While grant recipients are not required to attend NCA, conference attendance is encouraged. Grant recipients choosing to attend NCA may be offered the opportunity to engage in a panel showcasing Communication Pedagogy Grant work.