Gateway Initiative Grant

The Gateway Initiative team offers grants to promote and support innovative initiatives that build Calvin’s capacity to foster student academic success. Initiatives could develop new programs or practices, improve existing programs or practices, or develop faculty and staff knowledge and skills. Proposals of any amount—small or large—are welcome.

The goal of the Gateway Initiative is to ensure that all students, especially first-generation students and emerging scholars—groups that we have not historically served well—feel welcome and prepared to thrive at Calvin. The Gateway Initiative is made possible by a significant grant made to Calvin to enable Calvin to build on our strong track record in student success and retention. Students are more likely to succeed when they both believe and belong: Faculty and staff across the university play an important role in helping students believe that they are capable of academic success and developing a sense that they belong here.

Project guidelines

• Projects should facilitate thriving and academic success of students who have been historically underserved at Calvin such as first-generation students and emerging scholars. Emerging scholars enter Calvin with either a high school GPA of less than 3.2 and/or ACT composite (or comparable SAT) score less than 22, but are not conditionally admitted, and therefore are not formally connected to the Knight Scholars (formerly Access) program. Proposals must demonstrate that they build our capacity to better understand or serve underserved student groups. Proposals in which this is a primary rather than secondary goal will be privileged.
• Projects must focus on enabling success among students early in their Calvin careers, especially first-year students.
• This program is designed to prompt creativity and innovation. Funds cannot be used to maintain existing programs. Funds are available on a one-time not an ongoing basis and cannot be used to pay for faculty or staff salaries or course releases.
• Proposals should be informed by evidence and best practices.
• Proposals should demonstrate that they have exhausted other existing avenues on campus to support the proposed initiatives.
• Proposals must articulate how you plan to continue to fund the initiative after the grant period if the intervention proves to be effective.
• Faculty and staff are eligible to apply. Staff or faculty sponsors may apply on behalf of student organizations. Applicants must demonstrate their ability to accomplish the proposal.
• Two types of grants are offered: small grants of up to $1000 and large grants of $1000 or more. While awards are typically limited to $20,000, proposals up to $50,000 will be considered.
• To get feedback on the appropriateness of your project for this grant, those intending to apply should contact Todd Dornbos before submitting an application and no later than two weeks before the application deadline.
• Proposals should be submitted to the Gateway Initiative Team via email as a Word document.
• Quarterly application deadlines are November 1, February 1, April 1, and August 1.

Small grant proposal guidelines (up to $1,000)

Proposals must include the following items and may be up to two single-spaced pages in length. Proposals should be thorough yet succinct.

• Title
• Summary (up to 200 words)
• Need Statement: Clearly articulate the problem that the proposal is intending to address and offer evidence to demonstrate the extent of that problem
• Description of Initiative
• Goals and Anticipated Outcomes
• Rationale that articulates how the project supports the goals of the Gateway Initiative
• Timeline
• Participant List that includes the names, roles, responsibilities, and suitability of those who will execute it and indicates the support of the relevant supervisors

Large grant proposal guidelines ($1,001-$20,000)

Proposals must include the following items and may be up to five single-spaced pages in length (not including appendices). Proposals should be thorough yet succinct.

• Title
• Summary (up to 200 words)
• Need Statement: Clearly articulate the problem that the proposal is intending to address and offer evidence to demonstrate the extent of that problem
• Description of Initiative
• Goals and Anticipated Outcomes
• Rationale that articulates how the project supports the goals of the Gateway Initiative
• Timeline and Implementation Plan
• Evaluation and Dissemination Plan that outlines how the impact and effectiveness of the project will be assessed as well as how you plan to build on and/or disseminate what is learned
• Bibliography
• Appendices: Include relevant supporting documents including participant résumés or curricula vitae and brief statements of support from participant supervisors

Proposals should be submitted to the Gateway Initiative Team as a Word document.

Required reporting process for grantees

Grantees must submit a report to the Gateway Initiative team by the date specified in the award letter, generally one month following project completion. The report, limited to two pages, should discuss (1) project execution and what was learned through the process, (2) project outcomes (including any available evidence), (3) future plans (including what could be improved and next steps for building on what has been done), and (4) how funds were used. If a report is not submitted, future applications by grant recipients for The Gateway Initiative Grant will not be considered. The Gateway Initiative team may also ask grantees to present about their work and/or to be interviewed about it for Calvin publications.

Gateway Initiative team:

• Todd Dornbos, Director of Retention
• Thea Brophy, Center for Student Success
• Crystal Bruxvoort, Chemistry & Biochemistry; Teacher Education
• Christian Edmondson, Dean of Intercultural Student Development
• Kyle Heys, Center for Student Success
• Jim Jadrich, Physics & Astronomy; Science Education Studies
• Dave Koetje, Biology

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