FTLC Mini-Grant Program

The FTLC Mini-Grant Program was designed to pair two of the FTLC’s main objectives: supporting faculty and bringing faculty together to inspire and learn from each other. The mini-grants are meant to aid faculty in their endeavors related to teaching and learning, research or creative activities, and/or community or discipline-specific service. There are two types of awards: Faculty Professional Development Grants and Teaching Innovation Grants. The FTLC will accept grant proposals with budgets up to $500.

Now Accepting Applications!

  • Check out the current Fall 2026 Mini Grant Announcement (pdf) information, including the link to our application portal (Kuali) on page 2.
  • The Fall cycle is for activities occurring between September 2026 and February 2027.
  • Deadline for applications is October 16, 2026.

Note: Because we want to extend FTLC support to as many faculty as possible and have limited funding available, priority this term will be given to instructors who have not received a mini grant recently. Faculty who received funding in Spring 2026 are therefore less likely to receive an award this cycle.

Recent Awardees

Congratulations to our Spring 2026 recipients!

FTLC Mini-Grant FAQ's 

There are two types of awards: Faculty Professional Development Grants and Teaching Innovation Grants.

Faculty Professional Development Grant
This award assists faculty engaging in scholarly endeavors, such as
  • Participation at a conference where the faculty member will make a significant contribution (e.g., present a paper, serve as a discussant, or chair a panel).
  •  Research where travel is required (e.g., visiting historical archives or conducting interviews).
Proposals should explain how the activity will impact the applicant’s professional portfolio and/or impact students.

Teaching Innovation Grant
This award supports faculty seeking to expand their instructional talents by obtaining teaching-related
materials or training and then applying it to their practice. Funding will be considered for
  • Purchasing teaching-related books, journals or other instructional media to revolutionize your course(s).
  • Participating at a teaching conference where the instructor will make a significant contribution (e.g., present a paper, serve as a discussant, or chair a panel).
  • Providing an honorarium to a guest (non-CSUB) speaker for a presentation to students or for demonstrating innovative pedagogies to colleagues.
Proposals should explain why the new tool or training is “innovative.” Applicants are encouraged to explore inclusive pedagogies, methods that close equity gaps, or strategies that increase student engagement.
  • Funds awarded are for upcoming events and expenses.   
  • Fall mini-grants are for activities occurring between September and February.  
  • Spring mini-grants are for activities occurring between March and August.  
  • For Fall 2026, we are accepting applications from September 1 to October 16.
  • Any CSUB full-time lecturers, tenure-track, and tenured faculty may apply for a FTLC Mini-Grant. 

In the application platform, you will be asked to

  • Describe the activity. What do you propose to do? [Up to 250 words]
    • Attach supporting documents (e.g., conference presentation acceptance letter)
  • Select the grant for which you are applying
    • Professional Development
      • Explain the impact on your research or scholarship. [Up to 150 words]
    • Teaching Innovation
      • Explain the impact on your students. [Up to 150 words]
    • Specify what aspects of your proposal require funding as well as the total amount requested.
      • Example: $100 for books (4 x $25) and $400 for speakers (2 x $200) = $500

Proposals that are complete and meet eligibility requirements will be evaluated for merit by the FTLC Advisory Board within one month of receipt. Funding decisions will be based on recommendations made by the Board, available funds, and the FTLC’s strategic priorities.

  • Faculty stipends or release time are not allowable with the FTLC Mini-Grant Program.
  • Expenses normally covered by departments or schools will not be funded.
  • Student salary is not allowable with the FTLC Mini-Grant Program.
  • Ongoing annual costs that would require future funding, such as subscriptions, memberships, or recurring software licenses.

Grant recipients will be reimbursed for the cost of their materials, honoraria, registration fees, or travel expenses after the fact.  Contact the Faculty Teaching & Learning Center as soon as you return from your travel to discuss reimbursement.  Awardees who would like to have their funds directly deposited should complete an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Form and submit it to Accounts Payable.

All recipients will be required to submit a brief summary of the project’s outcomes to tlc@csub.edu. The Final Grant Report should include

  1. Project description
  2. Specific examples of changes in teaching strategies or assistance with scholarly activities
  3. Impact on students (examples of student learning, mentoring, or curriculum goals)

If travel is part of your grant request, complete the Travel Request in Concur before you travel. This form must be approved prior to travel. Additional information can be found on the CSUB Travel website.


  • For questions about the submission process, contact Chris Shiery, Administrative Support Coordinator cshiery@csub.edu.  
  • For questions about the program, contact Rebecca Weller, FTLC Director rweller@csub.edu.