Status: closed

We invite research proposals from Yukon University or B.C. post-secondary educators and students who are committed to exploring and improving student learning and eager to conduct and share research with others. For this call, only Indigenous researchers or Indigenous-led projects that are equitably and reciprocally partnered with Indigenous Peoples and communities will be considered.

BCcampus Research Fellowships have an 18-month term, and awards are typically up to $6,000 CAD each, but we will consider other amounts, depending on the project scope and needs. Here are some examples of other BCcampus Research Fellows projects.

The deadline for proposals is February 19, 2021.

BCcampus Research Fellows – Submission Template [Word]
BCcampus Research Fellows Program: Call for Proposals — FAQs [PDF]

This program is designed to achieve the following results:

  • To support Indigenous educators and students to conduct small-scale research on teaching and learning
  • To support development and dissemination of evidence-based teaching practices that focus on student success and learning in B.C. post-secondary education
  • To support Indigenous educators and students to participate in scholarly work through conference attendance, research support, and dissemination of their work

Current areas of research focus:

  • Online learning and teaching, with a special interest in projects about “pivoting” online; strategies for alternative assessments and exams (e.g., moving away from online or face-to-face proctored exams); experiential learning online (e.g., how to do hands-on or lab work online); and digital literacies
  • Open educational practices (OEP), including implementing open assignments and activities and the impact of OEP on teaching and learning in post-secondary education
  • Indigenization and decolonization in B.C. post-secondary teaching and learning
  • Trades education in B.C. post-secondary teaching and learning
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion in B.C. post-secondary teaching and learning

A combination of 2+ areas of focus is strongly encouraged.  

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must be an instructor, staff, faculty member, or student at a British Columbia public post-secondary institution OR an instructor, staff, faculty member, or student at Yukon University. Candidates who have been BCcampus grant recipients in the previous two years are not eligible.

Proposal Expectations

Proposals should address one or more of the areas of research focus listed above. Proposals will be reviewed by an adjudication committee that will evaluate on the basis of:

  1. Participation by Indigenous peoples: A requirement of this program is leadership and/or involvement of Indigenous peoples.Preference will be given to projects with Indigenous lead researchers and/or projects that are equitably and reciprocally partnered with Indigenous peoples and communities. Please self-identify as Indigenous in the application and/or describe your partnership with Indigenous peoples and communities.
  2. Student learning and experience: Projects that ultimately seek to understand and improve student learning outcomes and experiences in B.C. post-secondary education are a key goal of this program. There are many potential pathways, but this should be a clear goal of all projects.
  3. Clarity and feasibility of the research plan: The research plan should include articulation of a clear research problem, focus or questions, methodology, and a reasonable timeline.

We aim to support research and collaboration across the B.C. post-secondary system; therefore, proposals that also include the following will be more strongly considered:

  • Researchers and/or research sites located in Northern, rural, and remote regions of B.C.
  • Collaborations between roles, departments, and institutions
  • Researchers in equity-seeking groups and under-supported roles, including part-time and contract instructors, as well as student researchers

Appointment Terms

  • Appointments will be for 18 months, beginning April 1, 2021, with projects expected to be completed by September 30, 2022.
  • Each Fellow will receive a stipend to support the research project as outlined in your proposal.
  • Where possible, materials created as part of this project will be shared under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY).

 Fellows will:

  • Conduct research according to an approved research plan, outlined in the application form.
  • Present their research from this project at one or more BCcampus-organized events, e.g., Educational Technology Users Group (ETUG), Symposium, Cascadia.
  • Author two posts for the BCcampus blog related to their research.
  • Attend periodic research fellow check-ins with BCcampus (up to once per month for 30–60 minutes).
  • Publish the results of the research in an open format on the BCcampus website, and optionally, in a suitable academic journal (preferably open access) in a relevant discipline.
  • Acknowledge BCcampus as a funder for the research in all papers, publications, and presentations.

How Funding Should Be Used

  • To provide technical, pedagogical, and/or research support for the project (e.g., data collection, transcription).
  • To cover travel, accommodation, and other expenses related to research activities and/or presenting at a minimum of one BCcampus-sponsored event.
  • To provide honoraria, protocol, and gifts.
  • To pay open access publishing fees.

Important Dates

Call opensDecember 7, 2020
Application deadlineFebruary 19, 2021
Adjudication of proposalsFebruary 22–26, 2021
Notifications to successful applicantsMarch 1, 2021
BCcampus Fellows appointment starts (runs for 18 months)April 1, 2021  
Midpoint check-inJanuary 31, 2022, at the latest
Presentation by Fellows
(minimum 2 events)
To be determined, but usually, BCcampus hosts events in spring and fall each year (e.g., ETUG, Symposium)
Final research reports dueSeptember 30, 2022

How to Apply

Please complete the BCcampus Research Fellows Application and submit it by 11:59 p.m. PST on February 14, 2021 to LTproposals@bccampus.ca. Submissions will be confirmed by an email reply, and we will notify you of the results of your submission by March 1, 2021.

BCcampus Research Fellows – Submission Template [Word]
BCcampus Research Fellows Program: Call for Proposals — FAQs [PDF]