Support for Strategic Initiatives

The Provost’s Academic Council (PAC) will make decisions about which ideas to pursue and prioritize, consulting regularly with other offices regarding the feasibility of new ideas and projects.  The PAC has articulated the following criteria for evaluating proposals:  

• The degree to which the project aligns with Middlebury’s strategic framework
• The intended impact of the project
• The innovative potential of the project
• The degree to which the project integrates or connects existing efforts across Middlebury
• The longer-term financial and administrative sustainability of the project, if applicable

In addition, each year specific areas of focus are identified by Middlebury’s leadership.        

• Expand and enhance offerings connected to Middlebury’s global network, including, but not limited to, short-term study abroad options (winter, summer, spring break) and domestic off-site learning experiences.
• Advance curricular and co-curricular programs that integrate language learning, translation, global ethics, and intercultural communication. Strengthen collaboration among language departments, the Language Schools, and the Schools Abroad to deepen language learning pathways.
• Advance innovations in digital initiatives that help broaden the exploration and adoption of AI and other technology (when appropriate) across disciplines to harness artificial intelligence to support innovative teaching, learning, and research.

In the past, projects receiving awards through this process have been funded through a variety of sources including The Ron and Jessica Liebowitz Fund for Innovation.

Deadlines

The deadline to apply for this funding is January 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern. Notification of approval, denial, or “needs revision” will be sent by February 6. Successful proposals will receive funding for fiscal year 2026 and 2027 (March 1, 2026-June 30, 2027).

Guidelines

• To get started, please review the guidelines to ensure your initiative is eligible.  Please review the guidelines before submitting your proposal.