Teaching Excellence Grant Program – FY26

Request For Proposals

Purpose

The Teaching Excellence Grant Program (TEGP), offered by the College of Education & Human Development (CEHD), provides grant funding designed to empower excellence in all aspects of teaching by CEHD faculty.

Introduction

The goal of the CEHD Teaching Excellence Grant Program is to promote student learning through:

  • The implementation of innovative, high-impact teaching methods that can be immediately and successfully integrated into instructional practice across the CEHD
  • Engagement of graduate and/or undergraduate students with the scholarship of teaching and learning
  • Improvement of distance education

TEGP projects must address current CEHD student learning needs and reflect the unique expertise and experience of the investigators.

Projects should focus on undergraduate and/or graduate student learning and educational needs such as novel curriculum, pedagogy, innovative techniques, or learning experiences. Projects may propose to collect evaluative data, but a research component is not required.

For undergraduate research projects, applicants are encouraged to consult with CEHD Undergraduate Academic Affairs prior to submission.

Because CEHD already supports study abroad/field trip programs and the Catapult Seed Grant program, TEGP projects must differ from pending or awarded proposals submitted to those programs.

Applicants needing guidance should contact the CEHD Research Enterprise & Outreach (REO) office at cehdresearch@tamu.edu.

Eligibility

Faculty Eligibility

This program is open to all CEHD full-time faculty (100% nine-month FTE) who have not received a TEGP grant within the last five years.

  • Academic Professional Track (APT) and Tenured/Tenure Track (T/TT) faculty are eligible to submit.
  • A faculty member may not participate in more than one CEHD TEGP application in any capacity.
  • If a faculty member appears on more than one proposal, all proposals involving that faculty member will not be reviewed.
  • Jointly authored proposals are strongly encouraged.

For additional guidance on PI and Co-I eligibility, contact the CEHD REO office.

Award Limits

The maximum award amount is $15,000.

Project Period

TEGP awards will be announced according to the Key Dates listed below. The project period will end on August 31, 2027.

If compliance approvals are required, approvals must be in place before August 31, 2026, or funds will be returned to CEHD.

Any remaining funds at the end of the project period must also be returned to CEHD.

Key Dates

Milestone Date
Release of RFP November 21, 2025
Deadline for Proposal Submissions (5:00 p.m. CDT) January 30, 2026
Awardees Announced March 6, 2026
Compliance Documentation Due / Awards Activated August 31, 2026
End Date of TEGP Project Funding August 31, 2027
Final Project Report Due December 31, 2028

Submission

Applications must be submitted as a single PDF document through the TAMU-EHD InfoReady submission portal.

Proposals must be submitted no later than the date and time stated in the Key Dates section to be eligible for review. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Proposal Application Guidelines

Cover Page

The cover page is limited to one page and must include:

  • Descriptive title (maximum 81 characters)
  • Need for compliance review, if applicable
  • Up to four project keywords
  • Names and contact information for all senior personnel
  • Project abstract (250 words maximum)
Project Summary

The project summary is limited to one page and must include:

  • Background — Overview of the teaching or mentoring challenge and overall project goal
  • Project Objectives — Main activities guiding the project
  • Expected Outcomes and Significance — Anticipated impact, innovations, and contributions to teaching and learning
Project Description

The project description is limited to three pages, including figures and tables.

  • Background and literature review
  • Specific project objectives
  • Description of work and team contributions
  • Team expertise and student involvement
  • Anticipated outcomes and broader impacts
  • Description of innovation
  • Project timeline
  • References cited
Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketches are required for all key personnel and are limited to five pages each.

  • NIH or NSF biosketch formats may be used
  • Include relevant publications and synergistic activities
  • The REO Office can assist with creating SciENcv profiles upon request
Budget Request

Applicants must itemize all project-related expenses using the attached budget form.

Unallowable Costs

  • Faculty salary support
  • Course buyout
  • Facility and Administrative (Indirect) costs

Allowable Costs

  • Graduate and undergraduate student hourly wage support
  • Travel essential to the project
  • Equipment purchases
  • Materials and supplies
  • Professional services and other costs

Costs to outside entities exceeding 50% of the total budget must be thoroughly justified.

Budget Justification

Budget justifications are limited to two pages and must justify all project expenses in narrative format.

Formatting Requirements

All proposal documents, except budget requests and biographical sketches, should adhere to the following:

  • 8.5” × 11” page size
  • One-inch margins
  • Single-spaced
  • 12-point Times New Roman font
  • Single merged PDF submission

Proposal Review Process

Proposals will be reviewed by a qualified review panel and should be written for an informed general academic audience.

Avoid field-specific jargon, acronyms, and highly technical terminology.

Proposal Evaluative Criteria

Review Criteria
  1. Potential for the project to improve CEHD student learning outcomes through innovative, high-impact teaching methods
  2. Potential to elevate CEHD faculty instructional practice
  3. Ability of the team to complete work on time and on budget
  4. Experience and expertise of the project team
  5. Educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students
  6. Overall quality of proposal writing and construction

Scholarly Expectations

New knowledge created through TEGP funding should be disseminated through CEHD presentations and, when possible, through disciplinary journals and conferences.

Upon Selection

Awardees will receive notification via email with instructions on compliance requirements and fund disbursement.

Failure to fulfill compliance requirements and activate the grant by the stated deadline will result in forfeiture of the award.

Compliance

Proof of compliance approval is not required at submission. However, projects involving research compliance review must submit documentation before funds can be disbursed.

Reporting

Awardees must submit a Final Project Report through the InfoReady portal.

Reports must detail:

  • Use of grant funds
  • Innovative methods and technologies developed
  • Project outcomes and dissemination activities

Failure to submit the report by the stated deadline will make investigators ineligible for future CEHD research funding programs.

Open Office Hours with REO

Faculty are welcome to visit the CEHD Research Enterprise & Outreach office during open office hours to discuss proposal development and research planning.

Office Hours & Locations

REO open office hours are held from 1:00–3:00 p.m. each Wednesday.

  • Harrington Tower, Suite 428
  • Gilchrist Building, Room 108