Criteria for Review of Applications for Membership in the CIRTL National Network

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Applications will be reviewed and evaluated in accordance with the principles below. The weight for each criterion in % is given. The union of the descriptions indicates the characteristics of an exceptionally meritorious application that satisfies the criteria. That said, these criteria are provided as guidelines. CIRTL has always been open to new ideas, and will continue to be so during this process.

1. Characteristics of Your Institution (15%)

Highly meritorious applicants should show substantial institutional impact on the national STEM faculty through placing large numbers of doctoral graduates on undergraduate faculties or having other significant impact on the national STEM faculty. Special characteristics of an institution’s graduates may be important in impact, and thus producing high numbers is advantageous but not required. A meritorious application should outline these special characteristics and show that a substantial core of the institution’s STEM relevant doctoral programs will participate. Experience in preparing future faculty through local or national programs is to the positive, but not a requirement.

2. Institutional Interest (10%)

Applicants should discuss how joining the Network will align with high priority institutional goals, either with respect to preparing future faculty or more broadly. They should demonstrate the value of the Network to institutional goals and programs, including several specific desired outcomes from involvement in CIRTL.

3. Plans for a Local CIRTL Learning Community (20%)

Meritorious applications should articulate a clear and plausible plan for developing a learning community and associated programming on campus that pursues the CIRTL goals and incorporates the CIRTL core ideas. The learning community should be multi-disciplinary among the STEM fields. Where appropriate, the application should include a discussion of how programs will be devised and integrated with current activities so that both are strengthened by CIRTL participation.

4. Plans for the Cross-Network Learning Community (20%)

A meritorious application should describe activities or opportunities that will be offered by the institution to future faculty throughout the Network. One such opportunity should be available to the Network within one year of the date when the institution joins.

5. Resources for Success (20%)

A meritorious application will demonstrate a strong commitment from faculty and staff (including technical staff) to implement the CIRTL program on their campus. The numbers, background and commitment (time and spirit) of this staff will be important in evaluation. The commitment of upper administration in the Graduate School or other organizations within the university will be important. The program should have capacity for engaging in evaluation of the local CIRTL activities; this need not require a professional evaluator. Highly meritorious proposals will design an internal organizational structure that shows a path toward institutionalization.

6. National Impact (15%)

Strong applications should project a plan for increasing the number of graduate student participants during the first four years, yielding significant numbers of participants in the CIRTL program.