NOTE: We are not currently accepting applications for this grant.

Professional Development Grants (up to $5,000) are intended to equip faculty and staff to become educators of character or lead efforts to educate character at their institutions. 

Grant support could include, but are not limited to, funding for the following: 

The Program for Leadership and Character will provide multiple opportunities for individuals to convene in person and virtually to discuss topics of common interest. Since the Educating Character Initiative will be organizing major conferences and convenings for the entire network, funding to host conferences may not be included in these requests, unless plans are coordinated in advance with the staff of the Educating Character Initiative. Staff from the Educating Character Initiative will also be available to provide individualized coaching and support for faculty, staff, and student development and/or assessment, so those costs need not be included within the grant.

Application Instructions

The full application will be available in the ECI Grant Portal. You must provide:

The submission deadline for the application is January 29, 2024 at 5:00 PM ET through the ECI Grant Portal. The portal will accept completed applications beginning December 29. Award decisions will be issued by March 15. We will hold optional, one-hour online Q&A sessions regarding Professional Development Grants at 10:00 AM ET on November 30 and December 11, 2023, as well as January 10, 2024.

All inquiries should be directed toward ECI@wfu.edu.

Grant Eligibility and Expectations for Funded Proposals

The project leader(s) must be in a faculty or staff position at an accredited college or university in the United States, or alternatively, must hold a relevant position in a registered non-profit organization. All applicants must register as a member of the Educating Character Initiative community.

Individuals may apply for either a Teacher-Scholar or Professional Development Grant, but not both. Individuals may not be awarded a Teacher-Scholar or Professional Development Grant if they are part of a team which is awarded a Capacity-Building Grant or if they are part of team that makes it to the final round of Institutional-Impact Grant consideration.  

Funded projects and project leaders will commit to the following:

Dates to Remember

Professional Development Grant
Info Sessions (optional)November 30, December 11, 2023 &
January 10, 2024
10 – 11 AM ET on Zoom
Register here
Grant Due January 29, 2024
Grant Decisions March 15, 2024
Grant Start DateMay 1, 2024 or as decided by grant agreement
ECI Grant Portal OpensDecember 29, 2023