President’s Innovation Seed Fund

An Overview

www.wlu.ca/innovationfund

Purpose

• To financially support ideas that:– Generate new revenue or reduce costs– Leverage relationships and partnerships across the

institution to generate new and creative opportunities for revenue generation

• To help faculties/departments off-set budget reductions

Common questions answered• $200,000 allocated to the Innovation Fund• Projects are asked to pay back seed money to

Innovation Fund once financial gain is realized

• Successful projects to receive ongoing operating funds• Bulk of financial benefit stays with faculty/dept.– Some allocation needed to pay for centralized support

• Simple application process• Resources available to assist

Application Process: Two Stage Process

• Two-phase application process:– Concept Proposal– Business Plan

• The Innovation Fund Committee reviews the Concept Proposal and applicants whose proposals fit with the fund guidelines are invited to develop a business plan. There is support available for development of the business plan.

• Application forms are available through: www.wlu.ca/innovationfund

Application Deadlines

• Application deadlines for the Spring 2010 term will be announced shortly.

Approved projects:• Brantford Advanced Summer Acceleration Program

(Holly Cox, Manager: Recruitment Services, Laurier Brantford& Dr. Len Friesen, Associate Professor: History)

– Academic program designed with needs of college transfer students and international students in mind

– Addresses these students’ special timing requirements– Financially, will greatly assist Laurier in recruiting these

students to Laurier Brantford

Starts: Spring 2010

Approved projects:

• University 102 (Dr. Sybil Geldart, Assist. Dean: Program Development, Laurier Brantford)

– Preparatory program for incoming undergraduate students– Focus on reading, writing, researching at the university level– Builds on existing U101 course (focuses on learning

strategies)– Collaborating with Learning Services– To be delivered in Waterloo and Brantford

Starts: Summer 2010

Approved projects:

• BOOST (Julie Pong, Academic Advisor: Faculty of Arts)

– Pilot program to assist first year undergraduate students who are struggling academically

– Aims to significantly improve students’ academic performance

– Aims to reduces tuition revenue losses– Program to be launched in all faculties, if pilot is successful

Starts: Winter 2010

Approved projects:

• ESL Program (David McGuire, Manager: International Student Recruitment)

– Laurier to offer its own ESL program rather than sending students to other institutions

– Simplifies the process of getting started at Laurier for these students

– New revenues from fees charged– Strengthens Laurier’s ability to recruit international students– Pilot to occur in BrantfordStarts: Fall 2010

Apply now!

• wlu.ca/innovationfund• innovationfund@wlu.ca• Steve Farlow, Chair – x2841, sfarlow@wlu.ca