The President's Innovation Fund

ELIGIBILITY, TIMELINE, AND SCOPE 

All members of WSU’s campus community are eligible to submit a proposal for funding, including students, faculty*, and staff. 

Applications for funding will be accepted from January 24, 2025, through March 26, 2025. Grant awards will be announced in May 2025. Funding will be available to awardees July 1, 2025 through April 2026 for use during the AY ‘25-’26. This will be the only formal grant cycle for the President’s Innovation Fund for AY ‘24-’25. NOTE: Funds will not extend beyond this timeline even if the project is not complete. 

Awards are limited to $25,000 for a single applicant (one or more applicants within the same department) or $50,000 for interdepartmental proposals (across different departments). 

EVALUATION CRITERIA 

Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria: 

1. Aligns with the purpose of the President’s Innovation Fund: 

• Presents a new strategy or initiative to address an institutional priority which incorporates  innovative ideas and approaches.
• Advances new opportunities for experiential learning, creative problem-solving, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Multi-departmental or interdisciplinary collaborations are highly encouraged. 
• Increases community engagement and career exploration. 
• Increases local, regional, and global student engagement in innovation.

2. Enhances the value of the student experience and supports increased enrollment, recruitment, and retention 

3. Aligns with WSU’s values of embracing diversity, building a strong community, maintaining excellence and integrity, engaging the outside community, collaborating, and providing an accessible education. 

4. Whether the proposed initiative is programmatically and financially feasible and sustainable and/or has the potential to generate revenue. 

5. All proposals will be reviewed, evaluated, and recommended for funding by the President’s Innovation Fund Advisory Committee. The President and Cabinet will review the final grant awards. 

*Adjunct faculty are asked to apply in partnership with a full-time faculty or full-time staff member. 

Applicants must comply with the following instructions when preparing their responses. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

• Complete the President's Innovation Fund Application here: https://forms.office.com/r/BdSEmpzdZt?origin=lprLink 
• Complete the PIF Budget Template (see "Budget" section below). 
• Faculty must obtain approval from their Department Chair and Division’s Dean. Staff must obtain approval from their Vice President. Please acknowledge in the President's Innovation Fund Application that all are aware of your proposal. 
• If facility or space changes are needed, the applicant must contact Tom Therrien, Associate Vice President, Capital Planning and Facilities, at ttherrien@westfield.ma.edu for guidance, approval, and a general cost estimate. The attached form letter (see below in "Forms") signed by Tom Therrien acknowledging this process must be uploaded at the time of submission. 
• If technology purchases and/or services are required, the applicant must contact Alan Blair, Assistant Vice President, Information and Instructional Technology, at alan@westfield.ma.edu for guidance, approval, and a general cost estimate. The attached form letter signed by Alan Blair acknowledging this process must be uploaded at the time of submission (see "Forms" below).
• Proposals requesting funds for research and scholarship are not eligible.  
• Proposals requesting funding solely for capital improvements or additional staffing will not be considered. 
• The President’s Innovation Fund is designated as a one-time infusion of financial support and must not be added to a department’s base budget. 
• Proposals should include a plan for sustainability beyond the grant term. 
• Initiatives that have the potential to generate revenue will be highly favored. 

Please fill out all required elements of the President's Innovation Fund Application.

• Download PIF Budget Form here.
• Awards are capped at $25,000 for a single applicant or $50,000 for interdepartmental proposals.
• Informed estimates regarding facility, space, technology upgrades, and equipment are acceptable. However, all estimates must be approved by Tom Therrien (Facilities) or Alan Blair (Technology).  See "Forms" section below.

• PIF Technology Form Letter can be downloaded here.
• PIF Facilities Form Letter can be downloaded here. 

• The grant term will run from July 1, 2025, through April 2026.  
• Awardees will be required to communicate the impact of their projects in a written report (format will be provided) no later than April 16, 2026, at 5 pm. Awardees may be asked to present their results as part of a campus celebratory forum. 
• NOTE: Funds will not extend beyond this timeline even if the project is not complete.