B. Expanded CIRTL Network Operations: Overview of Business Plan

Detailed models of the business plan for the expanded CIRTL Network are presented in Section E. Here we give an overview to provide context for the operational details of the Growth Plan about to be presented.

Our business model will first seek funding from the National Science Foundation and private foundations to jump-start the transformation of STEM graduate education at the new partner universities. We envision four years of such funding, with a major initial investment in each partner for development work followed by a ramp-down toward institutionalization. After four years, ongoing operations of each CIRTL learning community will be supported by the home institution, as is happening in the current prototype Network. Thus the business plan lays the groundwork for the Network to become a self-sustaining entity by mid-decade, likely still developing funding for new initiatives but not requiring external funding for standard operations.

Based on the prototype CIRTL Network, we anticipate seeking $300,000 in direct funds over 4 years for each partner institution. To be clear, currently there are no commitments by any funding source.

One possible funding profile for direct funds is:

Academic Year 1 - 2012-2013 $110,000
Academic Year 2 - 2013-2014 $ 82,500
Academic Year 3 - 2014-2015 $ 70,000
Academic Year 4 - 2015-2016 $ 37,500
Academic Year 5 - 2016-2017 --

Total $300,000

In addition to local institutionalization, the cross-Network learning community will require ongoing support and coordination. The business plan develops this funding from institutional dues and in-kind contributions of Network members (such as providing instructors for cross-Network courses or program leadership). Over the first five years of the partnership the dues profile will ramp up from $3000/yr to that for nominal operations, which here we estimate as $15,000/yr per institution.

Academic Year 1 - 2012-2013 $ 3,000
Academic Year 2 - 2013-2014 $ 5,000
Academic Year 3 - 2014-2015 $ 7,500
Academic Year 4 - 2015-2016 $10,000
Academic Year 5 - 2016-2017 $15,000

Finally, the business plan includes modest revenues from individual participants not at a partner institution.