FY23 Investment for Growth projects announced
September 23, 2022 9:24 AM

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has selected 10 proposed projects to receive $14.2 million over the next three years in the fourth round of funding for the Investment for Growth program. This is the first group of funded projects since the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are excited to resume investing in proposals and ideas that promise to enhance the visibility and impact of our institution.

Since the Investment for Growth program was created in 2018, our university has invested more than $78 million to provide seed funding for projects that generate revenue, advance our missions and address areas of high and emerging student demand. A few examples of successful funded projects include the creation of the Campus Instructional Facility, rapid growth of innovative online programs such as iMBA and iMSA, cross-college programs such as CS+X and, in this latest cohort, several new online programs for non-traditional students that promise to expand access and equity to an Illinois education.

We are proud to provide central support to encourage Colleges to dream big, think differently and take risks. If you have an idea for an Investment for Growth proposal, we encourage you to talk to your department head and dean. We expect the next call for proposals will take place later this academic year and will encourage even more multi-disciplinary and multi-unit collaborations across campus.

The FY23 funded projects are:

1. Online Bachelor of Liberal Studies Degree Completion Program
   College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS)
2. Online Master of Science Degree in Information Management
   School of Information Sciences (iSchool)
3. Coursera Master's in Education in Instructional and Learning System Design and Technology
   College of Education
4. Online Programs and Hy-Flex Classrooms
   Grainger College of Engineering
5. Illinois Center for Immersive Computing
   Grainger College of Engineering
6. Expanding Online Undergraduate Business Offerings
   Gies College of Business
7. Joint Initiative on Veterans Health
   College of Applied Health Sciences & School of Social Work
8. Master in Data Science
   College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS), Grainger College of Engineering & School of Information Sciences (iSchool)
9. ACES Learning Innovation Lab & Online Learning Innovation Grant Program
   College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences (ACES)
10. Science & Technology Communication Curricula
    College of Media & Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB)

View full descriptions of this year’s funded projects here. You can also learn more about the Investment for Growth program here.

Thank you to everyone who worked on a proposal or participated in the review process. As we look to our future, we need to continue to be proactive and innovative. The Investment for Growth program provides a transparent and strategic opportunity to invest in our future.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor

William Bernhard
Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Designate