The Honors College Challenge Grant program provides competitive awards of $1,000–$6,000 to support faculty and staff in creating or enhancing experiential learning activities for Honors students. Funding will support faculty and staff projects that directly address high-impact learning and transformative learning opportunities for Honors College students.

Qualifying Proposals

Project the grants may support:

• Professional development (institutes, workshops, or conferences)
• Curriculum development at the program or department level
• Course or assignment design
• Curricular or co-curricular experience/project
• Strategic planning for external partnerships and the Honors College
• Opportunities for Honors students to engage with external partners in education, business, industry, government, or nonprofits

Eligibility

• All full-time faculty and staff engaged in Honors educational programming.
• Individual and team applications welcome.
• Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Please submit your application using the following link: https://tamuc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_afycESzZcfnnzDM

• A brief narrative (up to 1,000 words) describing goals, deliverables, and connections to Honors outcomes
• A proposed budget and timeline using this worksheet
• Letter of support from the Department Head, Dean, and/or Supervisor
• Proposed Student Learning Outcomes (if the proposal supports curriculum and or course development, curricular, or co-curricular experience development).
• Other supporting documents as needed

Proposal Selection

East Texas A&M University Honors College Vision Statement. The Honors experience at East Texas A&M University provides students with opportunities to connect, create, and contribute. Students will connect to the big questions of the human experience, create new knowledge of the world around them, and contribute their unique skills and experiences as a changemaker in a dynamic world.

East Texas A&M University Honors College student learning outcomes focus on developing graduates who are effective communicators, analytical, and capable of addressing complex problems by applying high-impact experiential learning that connects classroom knowledge to real-world contexts. Students will gain competency in critical thinking and leadership, prepare for post-graduation success, and become changemakers with skills to contribute to their communities, both professionally and civilly.

Preference will be given to proposals that:

• Align with the Honors College’s core goals: Connect, Create, and Contribute
• Use high-impact practices. Please see a list of AAC&U’s high impact practices at https://www.aacu.org/trending-topics/high-impact
• Use transformative pedagogy that challenges students to critically examine their own beliefs, values, and assumptions while deepening their understanding of the world and their place in it.
• Expand student access to Honors programming
• Demonstrate sustainability and measurable outcomes

The Challenge Grant Rubric will be used to score proposals.

Timeline

The Honors College Challenge Grant application process timeline includes:

• October 13, 2025 – Applications open
• October 27, 2025, 11:30 AM – Informational Session
• November 17, 2025 – Priority deadline
• November 25, 2025 3PM – Informational Session
• December 15, 2025 – Final deadline. No late proposals will be accepted
• January 12, 2026 – Awardees announced
• January 19, 2026 – Onboarding meeting

Contact

Questions? Please contact Vanessa Quinn at Vanessa.Quinn@etamu.edu