Investment for Growth Program

To enhance our scholarly excellence and to improve our financial viability, we believe it is important for our institution to invest discretionary resources to allow our university to address the changing demands of a premier land-grant institution.

Overview

The goal of the Investment for Growth Programs is to be responsive to high and emerging demand programs that lead to financial sustainability and additional sources of revenue.  In FY18 and certain subsequent years, activity-based colleges, schools, and campus-level research institutes (those units that generate a significant share of their revenues through their direct activities) contributed resources to an investment pool.  These units were then invited to submit proposals for funds for the following purposes:

  1. Seed net revenue-generating activities
  2. Provide bridge funds for the expansion of existing revenue-generating activities
  3. Encourage cross-disciplinary research and teaching collaborations
  4. Co-invest in instructional spaces and projects
  5. Invest in automating processes, improve efficiencies and operational excellence, and/or motivate reorganization

Eligibility

All activity-based colleges, schools, and campus-level research institutes are eligible to submit investment proposals.

Proposal Process

During years when the program is offered, a “call for proposal” announcement is sent to eligible units.  Proposals are submitted based on a set deadline during the academic year and are evaluated using a defined set of criteria.  Selected proposals receive funding during the next fiscal year.

Evaluation Criteria for Investment for Growth Proposals

  • Contribution toward the university goal of mitigating risk of reliance on state financial support,
  • Alignment with high and emerging demand,
  • Centrality to the scholarly mission (teaching, research, and outreach) of the unit or the university,
  • Development of online degree programs or online courses that benefit students including the potential to reduce time to degree,
  • Potential to impact societal needs through human-computer interactions,
  • Aids collaboration and build synergies within the unit or across the university including collaborations with the Siebel Center for Design and through the launching of cross-disciplinary degree programs or research partnerships, and/or to help build the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) research and education vision, agenda, and portfolio of activities, and
  • Potential to improve efficiency and enhance operational excellence.

Selection Process

The review and selection of proposals is managed by the Office of the Provost and includes members of the Council of Deans and Campus Budget Oversight Committee, as well as the Chancellor and Provost and their leadership teams.

Funding

Investment funds from the reallocation investment pool will be directed toward these projects, with the expectation that the dollars will act as seed money to generate additional net revenue.  Many of the proposals have multiple sources of investment, including other internal and external funding.

Assistance

For more information about Investment for Growth Programs, contact William Bernhard, Interim Associate Chancellor and Vice Provost for Budget and Resource Planning.