Curriculum & Instruction Renewal Program Grants

The Curriculum and Instruction Renewal Program (CIRP) supports academic unit/program-level curriculum development, revision, and innovation projects that enrich undergraduate instruction and prepare instructors to teach in the revised curriculum. Course-level projects are not eligible for funding.

CIRP Goals

CIRP projects must align with the mission of the Schreyer Institute and with one or more of the following project goals.

• Revise curriculum and instruction to address significant changes or challenges to teaching and learning (e.g., artificial intelligence literacy, demographic shifts, instructional capacity, professional or industry standards).
• Align curriculum and instruction with current, evidence-based instructional practices to meet student needs (e.g., alternative grading, experiential learning, integration of student support resources).
• Redesign curriculum and instruction to reduce barriers to learning, enable all students to achieve their educational goals, and improve progression toward degree attainment (e.g., redeveloping high-enrollment courses with high DFW rates, resequencing of required or pre-requisite courses, developing learning pathways).

CIRP Funds

CIRP grants provide supplemental compensation for a faculty member who serves as CIRP Project Lead. Project leads may request additional funds for activities that support the project and prepare faculty to teach in the revised curriculum, including student wages for data collection and analysis, focus groups meeting expenses, professional development materials or guest speakers, or meeting and travel expenses to affected Penn State campuses. Please review our grants overview for additional details about what we can and cannot fund.  

CIRP Program Expectations

Project leads attend four CIRP community meetings (two per semester) with their cohort, faculty consultants from previous cohorts, and Schreyer Institute consultants to discover effective consensus-building strategies, learn about similar or related projects across the university, gain insights about curriculum processes and policies, and share progress reports. Other experts on instruction, assessment, and curriculum development may be invited to present. Project leads are encouraged to schedule consultations with faculty or Schreyer Institute consultants outside of community meetings.

CIRP Proposal Process and Timeline

Please note the following timeline contains estimated dates. Actual dates will be announced each year through various Penn State communications.

• By mid-April - discussion of initial idea with a Schreyer Institute consultant
• May 1 - invitations for full proposals issued
• June 30 - full proposals due
• July 31 - awardees notified

Contact Us about CIRP

Send an email with CIRP in the subject to SITE@psu.edu.