New Funding Opportunity: Innovating to Support Student Mobility and Transfer Success

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Minnesota State Academic and Student Affairs is excited to announce a new round of funding, with a focus on student mobility and transfer success. This Request for Proposals (RFP) is aligned with the Minnesota State mission to achieve equity in student success and academic outcomes in support of Equity 2030.

Funding Opportunity Overview

This FY25-26 funding request focuses on Innovating to Support Student Mobility and Transfer Success, from July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028. College and university faculty, staff and administrators are invited to apply for funds to develop, adapt or expand innovative strategies towards supporting student mobility and transfer success across Minnesota State.

Funding will provide resources to support campus and regional teams that are ready to innovate, strengthen, or enhance work that fosters equity centered evidence-based strategies that:

1. Build and strengthen capacity among our institutions to meet our individual and collective goals towards supporting student mobility and transfer;
2. Support the development of innovative policies and/or strengthen proven practices that support successful student mobility, transfer, and completion for students;
3. Engage in applied research and/or action research at our colleges and universities connected to supporting student mobility and the transfer student experience.

Examples of recently funded initiatives that support student mobility and transfer include:

• Tackling Transfer projects
• 2024 Design Accelerator Program (see details in application)

These examples are not exhaustive – new, innovative approaches are encouraged.

Award Types

This RFP is intended to strengthen and incentivize innovation and collaboration among institutions. The following awards are available:

• One $250,000 Large Multi-campus Collaboration award (3 or more institutions).
• Two $125,000 Small Multi-campus Collaboration awards (2-3 institutions.)

Eligibility

Project teams that previously received Tackling Transfer funding awards, are eligible to apply for new projects.

Projects that are ineligible for Innovating to Support Student Mobility and Transfer Success funding include campus projects that:   

• Create new academic programs   
• Create new positions or support existing positions 
• Not to create or redesign a transfer pathway program
• Existing positions 
• Provide student scholarships   
• Provide tuition reimbursement, either direct or indirect   
• Purchase textbooks, classroom or laboratory materials (with some exceptions)

Minnesota State institutions that received funding through the 2024 Design Accelerator program (Metro State University, Bemidji State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead) will be ineligible to apply for this funding call.

Application Process

1. Submit a Letter of Intent

Submit a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Jonathan Hamilton no later than March 14, 2025. The LoI is an informative letter which outlines the primary activities of the project and summarizes your ultimate full proposal.

Find the Letter of Intent outline in the resources of the Innovation and Collaboration Funding Calls page in ASA Connect.

2. Review and fill out an application

Campuses interested in applying can learn more about the funding opportunity in the application, found in the resources of the Innovation and Collaboration Funding Calls page of ASA Connect. Applicants must answer all the application questions and save it as a Word or PDF document.

3. Upload the application to the online submission form

Upload the application document to Microsoft Forms by March 28, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.

Find Resources

Minnesota State faculty and staff can visit the resources of the Innovation and Collaboration Funding Calls page of ASA Connect to find:

• Equity-Minded Budgeting Questions
• Rubrics
• Letter of Intent Outline
• Application
• Form to submit applications
• Funding Information Session Zoom details

Funding Information Session

Those interested in learning more about innovation funding opportunities are invited to attend an online information/Q&A session. Register for the Funding Information Session on February 28, 2025 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

This session will be recorded and posted on ASA Connect.

Questions?

For questions regarding this funding program, contact

Jonathan Hamilton
Program Director for Collaboration
Minnesota State

To receive further updates regarding innovation funding, subscribe to the ASA Newsletter.