LEF Submission Guidelines

Your 2025 LEF Submission consists of the following three components that must be submitted electronically to avpa@uoguelph.ca. The application deadline is 5:00pm, March 28th, 2025.

1. The proposal (maximum 8 pages long using the downloadable proposal form)
2. Signed letters of support
3. The proposal budget (using the downloadable budget template)

Questions? Have a look at our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page, or contact the Office of Teaching and Learning.

1. PROPOSAL DETAILS

Your proposal must be completed using the fillable proposal template provided and fit within the 8 page limit. Proposals are considered complete when signed and accompanied by the budget and signed letters of support.

Proposals consist of the following sections:

i) A description of the purpose, impact and intended outcomes of the project

This section should include:

• The general purpose of the project, including a clear articulation of any guiding questions that the project seeks to answer;
• Clear outcomes and an indication of how they will be assessed in the project;
• A discussion about the potential for sustainability, or scalability of project outcomes;
• Anticipated impact of the project including a description of how the project may enhance teaching and learning within a course, curriculum, or program at U of G;
• A brief description of how the project aligns with UofG’s Strategic Plan, Indigenous Initiatives Strategy, the Anti-Racism Action Plan, or other institutional strategic documents.

ii) An overview of supporting evidence

LEF projects should be grounded in evidence, which may include peer-reviewed literature, evidence-based or promising practices, evidence-informed reports, or institutional data. Evidence may be used from one’s own disciplinary context, as well as from other disciplines or research in education, cognitive science, or learning science. Proposals should identify gaps in knowledge, scope, or context that the project intends to address. Proposals may explore the transferability of teaching approaches from one context to another.

This section should include:

• A brief review of the literature or other evidence that identifies the issue, knowledge gap or problem that the proposal will address;
• A clear and concise rationale for the project informed by the pertinent evidence, aligned with the intended outcomes.

iii) A detailed outline of the activities, process, or methodology

This section should clearly outline the activities, methods, processes, designs and analyses that will be utilized in the project, and give due consideration to ethical considerations and the appropriate use of data gathered.

This section should include:

• A clear description of how the project design is linked to the outcomes or questions, and how these will be assessed or analyzed;
• Descriptions of any existing resources to be utilized (technologies, spaces, people, equipment, etc.);
• How project findings will be disseminated.

iv) A timeline with project milestones

This section should clearly outline the anticipated project milestones and dates, aligned with the project methodology.  This timeline should address the complete lifecycle of the project, including all steps discussed in the methodology, project closure and dissemination.

LEF recipients are required to present findings at the University of Guelph’s annual Teaching and Learning Innovations Conference.

v) A description of the role of each co-investigator and their contribution to the project (as applicable)

vi) Signatures of the applicant, their Departmen Chair / Director, or Dean, and any co-investigators

vii) References for any citations provided in the body of the proposal

2. LETTERS OF SUPPORT DETAILS

Each project collaborator must write and sign a letter of support. Letters should outline what the collaborator will contribute to the project.

Applicants are advised to submit all letters of support along with the proposal and budget files. If collaborators submit support letters directly, the letters must include the Project Title and Principal Investigator’s name in order to be considered.

3. BUDGET DETAILS

Your proposal budget must be completed using the budget template provided and be as detailed as possible. Include a clear budget outline of how funds will be used, as well as all associated travel expenses and funds received from other sources. Your project budget should also include (if applicable) descriptions of any in-kind contributions, and other project funding such as donations, grants, etc.