To tackle today’s greatest challenges, to investigate ideas that matter, to have significant impact on the region, to engage our stakeholders requires multidisciplinary approaches. The Vandal Ideas Project (VIP) is a competitive university-wide grant program to stimulate bold new ideas that support our strategic plan goals. VIP especially encourages projects that address issues important to Idaho and the Northwest that also have national and global relevance.

2018 VIP: Transform — Increasing our Educational Impact

The University of Idaho is excited to begin moving forward on the next round of the Vandal Ideas Project.

Chuck Staben (university president 2014-2019) and Provost and Executive Vice President John Wiencek have charged Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives Cher Hendricks and College of Science Dean Ginger Carney with leading this year's effort, which focuses on our “Transform” goal to increase U of I's educational impact.

The 2017 VIP: Engage projects emphasized work to increase the number of Idaho students who attend college. This year, VIP: Transform will support those students who are already in college by focusing on ways to help our students succeed and graduate.

Share Your Ideas

In May 2018, we held a half-day Student Success Conference to begin campus conversations on our VIP topic. At that event, approximately 90 staff and faculty identified several strategies to support student success, such as increasing first-year support, connecting students with resources and clearing the academic path. This fall we will hold the first of two events to continue our student success conversations. A primary goal of these events is to foster collaboration among faculty, students and staff that will lead to transformative and sustainable Vandal Ideas Projects. The first fall VIP event was held on Thursday, Sept. 27, and slides and video are now available. A second brown bag event will be held on Oct. 25 from 12:30-2 p.m. in the Vandal Ballroom.

More Information

For questions about this year’s program, contact Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives Cher Hendricks at 208-885-7941 or cherhendricks@uidaho.edu or College of Science Dean Ginger Carney at 208-885-6195 or gingercarney@uidaho.edu.

Request for Proposals

Documents

The proposal submission page will open on Nov. 1, 2018. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, and should be submitted using the VIP: Transform Program Proposal online form. The submission link also includes the cover sheet and budget sheets that must be used for the proposal.

For more information about the VIP: Transform project, contact Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives Cher Hendricks at 208-885-7941 or cherhendricks@uidaho.edu or College of Science Dean Ginger Carney at 208-885-6195 or gingercarney@uidaho.edu.