VIP Program
Idaho NSF EPSCoR funding is available annually to facilitate the development of VIP (Vertically Integrated Project) courses related to the I-CREWS research areas. VIP is a program to increase student access to hands-on learning with faculty mentors and diverse teams. The VIP approach is at the center of the Idaho NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-1 I-CREWS Education, Workforce Development, and Diversity plans.
The VIP program unites undergraduate education and faculty scholarship in a team-based context. Within this context, undergraduate and graduate students in VIP teams earn academic credit for their participation in design/discovery efforts that assist faculty and their research teams with research and development issues in I-CREWS areas of interest and expertise.
Eligibility
Faculty at Boise State University, Idaho State University, and the University of Idaho are eligible to apply for VIP funding. Faculty from Idaho 2-4 year colleges are also encouraged to apply. Prior or current involvement in the NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 I-CREWS project is NOT a prerequisite for participation in this VIP Funding program; however, faculty members not yet involved in I-CREWS are strongly encouraged to contact I-CREWS leads and VIP Coordinators (see below) at the respective institutions to explore alignment and synergies. All proposers should discuss creation of a VIP course with their department leadership prior to submission.
VIP 2024 Request for Applications
Priority deadline:
December 5, 2024
12:00 PM, PST
(with additional Spring semester rolling deadlines)
- Completed application should not exceed 4 pages
- PI’s at Idaho State University are expected to route applications through their Office of Sponsored Programs and obtain approval to submit prior to submission to the Idaho EPSCoR Office.
Award and Budget
Up to two, $10,000 direct-cost awards will be granted under this request for applications (F&A will also be provided). Funding may be used as supplies and/or salary for the faculty member or their graduate student assistant to create a VIP course related to I-CREWS research areas. Please provide the name(s) of the one(s) receiving salary support and estimated amounts of salary/fringe to each, if split and/or the breakdown of supplies.
Review Process
VIP application funding will be selected by the I-CREWS Research and Education Convergence team representing the statewide RII Track-1 award based on external reviews and with input as needed from I-CREWS leadership teams. External reviewer comments will be shared with each lead of the VIP application.
Review may include content experts at any of Idaho’s research universities who are not significantly involved in the I-CREWS project. External experts will include but are not limited to I-CREWS Project Advisory Board (PAB) members.
Selection Criteria
VIP course applications will be considered by the I-CREWS leadership team based on the following criteria:
- Clearly related to relevant I-CREWS research topics;
- Likelihood of meeting basic standards of VIP courses: vertical, accessible, tied to a faculty member’s scholarship;
- The extent to which the course can provide multi-disciplinary/interdisciplinary training and experiences;
- The quality of a brief plan to recruit diverse students to the course;
- Degree to which the course holds promise of being sustainable over the long-term (5+ years);
- Instructor(s) qualifications and past record of success in mentoring and teaching;
- Geographic distribution of VIP courses at multiple institutions across the state
Contact Information
Please contact the VIP coordinator on your campus if you have any questions:
Boise State University
Jim Fredricksen
Idaho State University
Kitty Griswold
University of Idaho
Karla Eitel and Brian Smentkowski
Idaho 2-yr and 4-yr Colleges
Miranda Striluk and Bill Ebener