Chancellor Jones announced in a Massmail that through the Investment for Growth program, $14.2 million will be split among 10 approved projects in this year’s cohort. 

Since the program began in 2018, the University has invested over $78 million in various projects, and this is the first year since the pandemic that new projects will receive funding. 

“The idea behind the program is for central campus to provide some funds to colleges and departments and other campus units, so the colleges can develop new programming and invest in different initiatives that will enhance the mission of the University,” said William Bernhard, University provost and interim vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. 

The funding comes from within the University, and the revenue that each project makes indirectly supports the next round of projects.

One of the projects selected is the ACES Learning Innovation Lab & Online Learning Innovation Grant Program. 

The Investment for Growth program has supported the College of ACES every year, allowing ACES to experience first-hand the cycle of revenue and further funding. 

Debra Korte, assistant dean of learning and innovation in ACES, said the grant has been “extremely instrumental in designing some very innovative initiatives and projects in the College of ACES through the years, which have really helped ACES be cutting edge of the digital agriculture space, technology and innovative research practices.”

Seven of the 10 projects are directed toward STEM disciplines, a notable trend continuing since 2018. Bernhard noted that this was unplanned — projects are chosen based on the proposal, which might ask for something different each year. 

Bernhard noted that since the program began five to six years ago, each of the colleges have received Investment for Growth funding.

“So again, there are a variety of things that do get funded, and it really is, I think, partly matching and thinking about the overall goals of the program … and also thinking about making sure that our resources are being used across campus in a variety of disciplines,” Bernhard said.

Some projects will receive more funding than others, including Online Programs and Hy-Flex Classrooms and Illinois Center for Immersive Computing.

The two projects from the Grainger College of Engineering will receive $2,417,500 and $3,000,000 respectively — almost 38% of the total budget.  

“I think this is an exciting program for us,” Bernhard said. “We are fortunate to have it, and we are fortunate to have the support of the colleges in this program.”

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