Course Development Grants

The Office of Peace and Justice at Loyola University Maryland is currently awarding grants for the development of undergraduate courses to be included in the interdisciplinary minor in Peace and Justice Studies.  One or more grants will be awarded for the revision of an existing course ($1,000) or development of a new course ($2,000). Applications are welcome from all academic disciplines. 

Learning Aims

Courses in the minor in Peace and Justice Studies advance two or more of the following learning aims:

• Understand the causes and consequences of violence, the systematic sources of injustice, and the inter-relationship of justice and peace
• Analyze concrete cases of conflict from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including political, sociological, theological, philosophical, and literary
• Identify and analyze mechanisms for resolving violent conflict as well as norms, practices, and institutions for building and sustaining peace
• Demonstrate proficiency in a number of conflict resolution, peace-building, and/or justice advocacy skills and apply these in interpersonal, institutional, societal, and global contexts
• Make meaningful connections across courses and develop a coherent framework for thinking about peace and justice issues
• Communicate proficiency in these aims in oral and written form

Application Requirements

Deadline for submission: November 1, 2024 (Fall); April 11, 2025 (Spring)

Applications should include the following:

1. A course prospectus, not to exceed 750 words, that includes a brief course description, the course objectives, the way the course advances the relevant minor learning aims, and potential texts/readings.
2. List of all previous Peace and Justice Grants received (if any). 
3. Additional information, if applicable (see below). 
4. A brief statement from the faculty member’s department chair indicating the academic department has approved the course for inclusion in its future offering.
5. A syllabus is not required for the proposal, but a preliminary version may be appended if planning has reached this level of development.

A final syllabus and course number is required of all grant recipients within one year of grant approval. Final reports must have been submitted for previous Peace and Justice grants to receive additional funding. 

Additional Information

For course revision grants, it is expected that changes will be significant and at least 30% of the course will be new material. 

If a faculty member has received a Peace and Justice course creation grant, and would like to apply for a course revision grant for that same course, the following additional guidelines apply:

• It has been 5 years between the initial course creation grant received and the course revision request is made
• The course has been taught at least 2 times

A brief statement affirming these points is required, when applicable. 

Evaluation of Applications

Applications will be evaluated in terms of the clarity and quality of the course description; how well the proposed course fulfills the minor learning aims; potential for forging connections between existing courses and disciplines; and prospects of successful implementation (including potential student interest). 

Those who have not received a previous course development grant may be prioritized over previous recipients. 

While courses are typically offered one full academic year after the grant has been awarded, courses already scheduled for an upcoming semester will also be considered for the grant.

Submissions

Applications should be submitted electronically to the director of the Office of Peace and Justice, Dr. Heidi Shaker.  Proposals will be reviewed by the Peace and Justice Steering Committee and decisions are usually announced within a few weeks of the deadlines.