New programs for faculty help foster a culture that supports and rewards innovation at UTSA.
(Nov. 20, 2018) -- Innovation and teaming are mission-critical to UTSA’s goals of becoming a great research university, a model for student success, and an exemplar for strategic growth and innovative excellence. To foster a culture that supports and rewards innovation at UTSA, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy and Interim Vice President for Research, Economic Development and Knowledge Enterprise Bernard Arulanandam have joined forces to create three new opportunities for UTSA faculty.
These opportunities include a new team award to recognize innovation and impact, funding to support the redesign of key courses, and seed grants to support scholarly research activities that foster transdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships.
“UTSA is an institution of creative, innovative thinkers,” said Espy. “These new opportunities will reward visionary, game-changing work that is already taking place, and provide crucial seed funding to help faculty explore innovative ideas—ultimately allowing them to extend the reach and impact of their teaching and scholarship.”
Two new programs have been created to support full-time faculty interested in applying pedagogical innovation, or adopting a fresh perspective to high-enrollment, core, gateway, or other high-risk undergraduate courses. Five 18-month Innovative Course Redesign Grants of up $30,000 are being offered to faculty. Additionally, grants of up to $5,000 or $10,000 are available through the Online Core Curriculum Academy for converting a face-to-face course to online or adopting a fresh perspective on an online core course. The deadline to apply to both opportunities is December 1.
As a new addition to the President’s Distinguished Achievement Awards for faculty, the Innovation and Impact (I2) Award will recognize a faculty-led team of up to five individuals for an innovative and impactful project in any area relevant to the mission of UTSA—for example, the student experience (e.g., course design/redesign, a new degree, an extracurricular program) or research-related (e.g., a commercialization or other type of intervention impacting a practice or policy). A prize of $1,000 per UTSA employee on the winning team (i.e., up to $5,000) will be awarded. Any faculty member may nominate a team, with nominations routed through the colleges.
Lastly, a new Transdisciplinary Teams (T2) Program will provide seed grants to support scholarly research activities that foster transdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships. The primary goal of these awards is to assemble multidisciplinary teams that will ultimately seek extramural funding, advancing UTSA’s Research Excellence initiative. It is anticipated that two grants up to $20,000 will be awarded. Further details on this new program are forthcoming.
“Seeding collaborative research is critical to the advancement of innovative ideas, especially those that have the potential to solve societal grand challenges. Success will require the intersection of multiple fields of inquiry with transdisciplinary teaming,” added Arulanandam.
These new programs will complement several long-standing UTSA programs that incentivize or reward innovation, such as the Sawtelle Teaching Innovation Grants, the UTSA Innovation Awards, the OIT Academic Support Solutions Fund and the Richard S. Howe Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
In partnership with Metro Health, HCAP will host a lecture discussing the life and body of work of Dr. Fernando Guerra, longtime director of the Metropolitan Health District.
Buena Vista Theater, Downtown CampusJoin our team to reflect on the students’ achievements and challenges during the semester and explore techniques, strategies, and tools to address growth mindset, self-reliance, and what it takes to keep students committed and on the path to success
Multidisciplinary Studies (MS 240) and VirtualThis course will introduce you to this popular graduate program, providing a review of UTSA’s Employee Educational Benefit program and MPA info. Free lunch will be provided!
Mesquite Living Lab, Main CampusDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza , Main CampusFiesta Arts Fair is a party with a purpose! The annual art-focused fundraising celebration provides operating support for UTSA Arts, which is dedicated to community arts education for children and adults, public-facing performances and exhibitions, and arts-based research and partnerships to enhance the accessibility of the arts for the public.
UTSA Southwest, 300 Augusta, San Antonio TX 78205This year’s UEA ceremony will be an in-person event that will take place from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25 in the H-E-B Student Union Ballrooms (HSU 1.104/1.106) on the UTSA Main Campus. The ceremony will feature UTSA President Taylor Eighmy, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Myron Anderson, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Business Affairs Veronica Salazar and representatives from Staff and Faculty Senate.
H-E-B Student Union Ballrooms (HSU 1.104/1.106), Main CampusSan Antonio’s treasured Asian Festival returns on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Downtown Campus. In observance of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month the one-day performance, entertainment, and food event will celebrate the diverse Asian diaspora represented in South Texas and San Antonio. Come and enjoy one of San Antonio’s premier family-friendly events, with hands-on activities and opportunities to learn through experience.
UTSA Downtown CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
