Teaching Career Enhancement Award

Award Description

The Teaching Career Enhancement Award supports APS members seeking to advance their teaching careers through innovative and broadly applicable educational initiatives in physiology. The award supports the development of new programs, collaborations, or instructional approaches that strengthen teaching and learning.

Award recipients are expected to attend the American Physiology Summit for the award presentation and are responsible for securing their own travel support, which can be included in the proposal.

Funding may be used to support short-term visits to other institutions to consult with experts, attendance at specialized courses focused on relevant methodologies, or research and development collaborations that result in products or publications.  The award does not provide reimbursement for indirect costs, salary support or daily per diem. The award is contingent upon funding and may not be deferred. 

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be a member in good standing of the APS for a minimum of two consecutive years at the time of application. 
• Hold a rank equivalent to assistant professor or above.

Criteria

Application materials must include the following:

• The goal(s) and measurable objectives for the project (maximum 3 pages). Examples:
  • Implementation of a new or significantly revised course or unit with a plan for evaluating its effectiveness.
  • Other similar outcomes indicating an improvement in teaching methods and/or a contribution to teaching knowledge. 
  • Plans to submit an abstract to the American Physiology Summit to present the outcomes.
  • Plans to submit the findings to Advances in Physiology Education.

Abstracts submitted to American Physiology Summit.

• • Manuscripts submitted to Advances in Physiology Education.
  • Implementation of a new or significantly revised course or unit with a plan for evaluating its effectiveness. 
  • Other similar outcomes that indicate an improvement in teaching methods and/or a contribution to teaching knowledge.
• The methods that will be used to accomplish these objectives, for example:
  • The experts or collaborators the applicant proposes to visit and what benefits each will bring to the project.
  • A detailed description of the research to be undertaken or the course to be develop.
  • A detailed course outline of any course or training that the applicant proposes to attend  and how it will help the applicant accomplish their objectives.
• The long-term impacts of this project, for example:
  • A description of how this opportunity will be incorporated into future courses or help the applicant approach their project goals.
  • How the project  benefits the applicant’s career, institution and where appropriate, the teaching of physiology in general.
  • How the applicant will share what has been learned with the broader physiology teaching community, e.g., presentations, posters, workshops, publications. 
• Applicants must provide a justification for the requested funds, which:
  • Include a quote for any products/equipment being purchased from vendors.
  • Not exceed $10,000.

Funds may be used to purchase software, course/training materials, instructional equipment, classroom resources, etc. and to support travel to conferences and/or other institutions. Funds may not be used to purchase computers.

• Appropriate approvals by institutional oversight committees e.g., IRB, IACUC, or proof of exemption for any educational research study or teaching materials development project involving human participants or animals.
• A letter of recommendation from the department chair or equivalent.
• A letter from any expert agreeing to the proposed visit. 
• A detailed course outline for any course(s) that they propose to attend. 
• A detailed curriculum vitae.

All applications must be submitted in full by the deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

The award does not provide reimbursement for indirect costs, salary support, daily per diem or participant compensation. Funds must be used within one year of the award date, beginning after Aug. 1.

As a condition of the award, successful applicants must complete a short survey on the outcomes of their career enhancement activity three to five years after completion. The award must also be acknowledged in any publications resulting from Teaching Career Enhancement Award–supported activities. 

Applications are only accepted via online submission