Innovation Accelerator: Grants to Advance the HMC Strategic Plan and Comprehensive Campaign

Implementation and Request for Proposals

September 28 – plenary session with Board of Trustees 
October 1 – community-wide information session

Realizing Our Vision

Throughout its history, Harvey Mudd College has developed and delivered innovative approaches to address pressing societal challenges as part of our renowned educational program and scholarly work. To realize our shared vision of delivering “STEM for A Better World,” we recognize the need to seamlessly integrate exceptional curriculum development, teaching, research and hands-on learning with top-tier residential and co-curricular programming. We must engage the HMC community in creating bold, forward-thinking initiatives that drive excellence under our strategic plan, while also fostering philanthropic partnerships to propel us into the future. The Innovation Accelerator is the engine that powers this effort. Faculty and staff are encouraged to submit proposals that align with the four long-term goals of the Strategic Plan. In this first round, up to $1,080,000 in grants is available.

Timeline for Submission and Review

Proposals will be reviewed and chosen for funding in a multi-round process. The timeline for submissions and reviews is described below.

Two-page Proposals

By Friday, October 25, 2024, proposals of no more than two pages should be submitted using the online form Please include:

  • Team – the name(s) and affiliation(s) each faculty or staff member serving as leads on the proposal. 
  • Title – a descriptive title of the big idea(s).
  • Significance – Explain how the proposal supports the strategic plan.
  • Innovation – How does the proposal challenge or shift existing paradigms? How will it help realize our vision?
  • Budget – How the team would allocate up to $20,000 in funding. Up to three faculty or staff may charge up to $2,500 in salary to the grant, with the balance towards support travel, supplies, student stipends, etc.

Seed Grants–$120,000 Available

The two-page proposals will be shared with the trustees and participants in this year’s Saddle Rock retreat (November 1-3, 2024). By mid-November 2024, up to six proposals will be selected to advance to a “seed stage.” During this stage, the President’s Office will provide up to $20,000 per team. The Cabinet will determine the awards and amounts based on the projected impact of each proposal in advancing the strategic plan. 

Full proposals. November-March: proposals should be expanded and detailed based on the feedback and guidance provided. By Friday, March 14, 2025, full proposals of no more than 10 pages should be submitted using the online form. These expanded proposals should include:

  • Narrative – Define the future state, explain your methods and strategies. Assume the target audience includes both academic and foundation leaders.
  • Demonstration  – Share any preliminary results or capability. 
  • Plan – Create a specific, actionable plan for what you want to do and why. Define success for the proposed work. Explain how your plan will achieve positive results. 
  • Budget – Explain how the team would allocate up to $80,000/year in direct costs for up to three years (i.e., $240,000 max total). Up to three faculty or staff leads may charge up to $10,000/year in salary to the grant. Explain and justify all proposed expenditures so that it is clear why they are essential for the success of the project. 
  • Fundraising needs – Outline the resources needed to ensure the long-term success of the proposed effort. Additionally, provide an overview of any fundraising needs, including a brief explanation of how these resources will support the project’s sustainability. 

Innovation Accelerator Summit–$960,000 in Development Grants

In April, we will hold our first summit during which each team will present their proposal to the community. An evaluation team, potentially consisting of internal and external stakeholders, will make recommendations on up to four initiatives that should receive development grants of up to $240,000 each. Award allocation will be determined by the Cabinet based on the projected impact to advance the strategic plan and set the stage for campaign fundraising. 

Office Hours and Available Resources

  • Cabinet members will hold a series of office hours during the weeks of October 7, 14, and 21 to answer questions teams may have in building their two-page proposals.
  • Teams building full proposals should expect to access support from the Cabinet and Advancement leadership. The aim is to foster collaborative work with the administration to build a strong proposal and prepare for the Innovation Accelerator summit.

Future Work

In 2025–2026 the selected teams will begin the work described in their proposal, with progress reports to be submitted to the Cabinet at the end of each semester (details forthcoming). We also expect to repeat this request for proposals process next year, and ultimately aspire to realize the Innovation Accelerator as a long-term center of excellence to cultivate forward thinking possibilities for Harvey Mudd.