Search Penn State College of Education

Research and Practice Focused on The Power of Story
to Advance Leadership, Pedagogy, and Social Justice 

Funding Supported by the David H. and Pamela A. Monk Endowment

Preamble: Importance of Narrative in Human Affairs

Narrative has played an important role in human affairs since antiquity, beginning with oral narrative and continuing more recently with print and electronic communication. Narrative gives rise to stories that take many forms (personal accounts, folk tales, histories, parables, reflections, and non-fiction or journalistic accounts) that have been ubiquitous in human affairs. The rise of digital storytelling platforms (such as YouTube) highlights the attraction and the power of narrative as a way of organizing and understanding the world.

The power to advance leadership, pedagogy, and social justice through narrative is only partially understood and appreciated. Great leaders throughout history have been masters of “getting the story right” and communicating it effectively to share meaning and to build support. Great teachers also have understood and harnessed the power of narrative as a means of helping learners understand both themselves and the larger world. Indeed, strides in the human condition, such as those around civil rights in the U.S., have been driven by the effective use of narrative that moves people to action.

The College of Education invites proposals for one-year projects aimed at advancing research and practice around the development and use of narrative to improve lives, learning environments, and social conditions around the world. Projects may focus on how leaders, teachers, advocates, and social entrepreneurs develop or utilize narrative to understand and transform education. The premise of the grant program is that the effective use of narrative lies at the heart of effective leadership, pedagogy, and socio-cultural advancement.

Projects Supported by David H. and Pamela A. Monk Endowment

The College of Education invites proposals for one-year projects aimed at advancing research and practice of education that use the power of story to improve lives, learning environments, communities, and the world. Projects may focus on how leaders, teachers, advocates, and social entrepreneurs use narrative and story to understand and transform education. 

Proposals will be accepted for the following three categories. 

  1. Seminar series: Proposals may support the development of narrative and story to advance education. Expenses may include travel and support for guest speakers: Funding up to $8,000.
  2. Workshops: Proposals may include the preparation and delivery of workshops around uses of narrative to advance educational research and dissemination. Funding up to $4,000.
  3. Seed Grants Supporting Educational Research: Proposals should advance research and practice of educational programs using narrative and story. Funding up to $20,000. The proposal should be designed to secure sustainable funding for the continuation of the line of research developed in the seed grant phase. 
ELIGIBILITY

All full-time faculty members in the College of Education are invited to apply. Interdisciplinary teams are required to have leadership from at least one full-time faculty member in the College of Education. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants are welcome to contact Associate Dean, Karen Murphy ([email protected]), for proposal consultation. 

PROPOSAL COMPONENTS 

Seminar Series

I.  Title & Project Summary Page (1 page)

The following information should be included in the project summary:

  • Name of individual (or unit) and academic rank
  • ORCID
  • Date of submission
  • Department
  • Title of project/request
  • Amount requested
  • Date range for proposed project
  • Summary/Abstract (limited to 200 words)

II.  Proposal Plan  (1000 words max., including tables and figures) 

The plan should identify the following components of the seminar series: 

  1. Rationale for the choice of topic and its relationship to the uses of narrative and story to support education.
  2. Brief description of the expected audience.
  3. Expected outcomes.
  4. References (if any) for the plan (not included in the word count). 

III.  Project Plan

Include proposed dates for the project (1 page maximum). 

IV.  Budget

Projects should be one year or less in duration, and the project budget may not exceed a total cost of $8,000. A detailed budget with a written justification should be developed through the Grants and Contracts Office ([email protected]). Expected expenditures may include travel expenses and stipends for guest speakers. Because this is internal funding, the budget does not include indirect costs. Standard fringe rates do apply. 

V.  Proposer(s) Bio Sketch

Include at maximum a three-page SciENcv for each investigator.

 

Workshops

I.  Title & Project Summary Page (1 page)

The following information should be included in the project summary:

  • Name of individual (or unit), and academic rank
  • ORCID
  • Date of submission
  • Department
  • Title of project/request
  • Amount requested
  • Date range for proposed project
  • Summary/Abstract (limited to 200 words)

II.  Proposal Plan  (1000 words max., including tables and figures) 

The plan should identify the following components of the workshop(s): 

  1. Purpose and goal of the workshop(s) and connection to uses of narrative and story to support education.
  2. Brief description of the expected audience.
  3. Expected outcomes and next steps
  4. References (if any) for plan (not included in the word count). 

III.  Project Plan

Include proposed dates for project (1 page maximum). 

IV.  Budget

Projects should be one year or less in duration, and the project budget may not exceed a total cost of $4,000. A detailed budget with a written justification should be developed through the Grants and Contracts Office ([email protected]). Expected expenditures may include travel expenses and stipends for guest speakers and materials related to the workshops. Because this is internal funding, the budget does not include indirect costs. Standard fringe rates do apply. 

V.  Proposer(s) Bio Sketch

Include at maximum a three-page SciENcv for each investigator.

 

Seed Grants Supporting Educational Research

I.  Title & Project Summary Page (1 page)

The following information should be included in the project summary:

  • Name of individual (or unit), and academic rank
  • ORCID
  • Date of submission
  • Department
  • Title of project/request
  • Amount requested
  • Date range for the proposed project
  • Abstract (limited to 200 words)

II.  Proposal Narrative (2500 words, including tables and figures) 

The narrative should be attentive to ways that leaders, teachers, advocates, and social entrepreneurs use narrative and story to understand and transform education. 

The narrative must include: 

  1. Objectives of the project.
  2. Review of relevant literature and description of the conceptual framework.
  3. Brief description of the research design, methodology, and data analysis procedures.
  4. Summary of the expected outcomes.
  5. Expected next steps and avenues for external funding.
  6. References for proposal narrative (not included in the narrative word count). 

III.  Project Plan

Include proposed dates for project plans and research (1 page maximum). 

IV.  Budget

Projects should be one year or less in duration, and the project budget may not exceed a total cost of $20,000. A detailed budget with a written justification should be developed through the Grants and Contracts Office ([email protected]). Because this is internal funding, the budget does not include indirect costs. Standard fringe rates do apply. 

V.  Investigator(s) Bio Sketch

Include a maximum three-page SciENcv for each investigator.

EVALUATION

Proposals will be evaluated based on intellectual merit and potential to make lasting impacts in education. Funding decisions will be made by the Research Advisory Committee under the direction of the Associate Dean for Research.

DEADLINES AND FUNDING DATES

Proposals must be submitted electronically as a single PDF file through the InfoReady system. This can be done by logging on to InfoReady (https://psu.infoready4.com) and filtering the funding opportunities as “Penn State Seed Grants.” Proposals are due April 22. Award notices will be made by May 15 and projects may begin on July 1. 

REPORTING
  1. A three-page written report summarizing the project is due 30 days after the funding cycle ends (e.g., by July 31).
  2. If the Investigator(s) seek renewed funding, the three-page written report should be submitted as an update along with the proposal requesting an additional year of funding.
  3. All awardees must attend and present the findings of this research at the College of Education Research Conference.