The Badging and Badge Systems Development Competition is now closed. Click here to view the winners.

Frequently Asked Question

Should I include the budget and budget narrative or public forum proposal in the proposal outline?

No. The public forum proposal (250 words) is in addition to the proposal outline (1500 words) and should be uploaded to your final application as a separate document. Support for both the public forum and activities resulting in publication are to be included in the grant budget. The public forum proposal should outline how you will disseminate the findings of your research.

Likewise, the budget and budget narrative should be uploaded as two separate attached documents. Only the proposal outline (1500 words) should be entered in the text box provided.

What are the educational/credentialing eligibility requirements for primary applicants to the Research Competition?

Primary applicants should hold the terminal degree in their field or must earn the terminal degree in their field during the course of the grant.

Is there an age restriction?

The primary applicant must be at least 18 years of age when the application is submitted; however, personnel working on the project may include students and others under the age of 18.

Will I be required to describe my project to the public?

Yes.

Can individuals apply?

Principal applicants are organizations or institutions. Individuals must apply through an organization or institution.

I am a former Digital Media and Learning Competition winner. Can I apply?

No, you cannot apply as a primary applicant. However, you may contribute as a team member to a research project seeking Competition funding.

I am already receiving funds from the Gates Foundation. Can I apply?

Yes, but only if you are not or have not been the primary applicant for a Digital Media and Learning Competition project.

I am already receiving funds from another source. Can I apply?

Yes, however, any award you receive from this Competition should be applied to the part of the project that is not being funded by other sources.

Can more than one individual from the same institution apply?

Yes, as long as the proposals are different.

What should be included in my budget?

Awardees whose projects involve any human subjects research or testing are required to set aside funds for the review of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to be approved by a commercial IRB. Awardees are also required to set aside funds for the winners' event to be held in conjunction with the 2013 Digital Media and Learning Conference. Participation at the event is a requirement of the award. Additionally, awardees are required to include costs associated with organizing a public forum to disseminate research findings. Institutional indirect cost is limited to no more than 15 percent of the requested budget.  Awarded funds may be used for salary replacement, for travel in support of data collection, for modest graduate research assistance in support of the project (no more than one-third of final budget), or for modest technological support for the project. Proposals should include in their budgets any incentives for research subjects, including Digital Media and Learning Badge Competition winners, to participate in the research design and/or research.

Will the public be able to comment on my proposal?

No. Each submitted proposal will be posted on the Competition website, but the general public will not be able to comment on the posted proposals.

What is the timeline?

Letter of Intent applications due: August 27, 2012

Applications due: October 1, 2012 at 5:00pm PDT

Badge Development Research Awardee Workshop: January 24-25, 2013 (UC-Irvine, California)

Digital Media and Learning Conference 2013: March 14-16, 2013 (Chicago, Illinois)

If my proposal is not successful, will I receive feedback?

Because of the volume of applications we receive, we are not able to provide feedback on proposals.

Can graduate students be primary investigators (PIs)?

No, students cannot act as the PI on a project, but are welcome to be collaborators.

Can grant funds be used to pay tuition costs?

No, grant funds cannot be allocated to pay for tuition costs.

How much of the grant funds can be allocated to graduate student participation?

Maximum 1/3 of the total awarded amount. Awarded funds may be used for salary replacement, for travel in support of data collection, for modest graduate research assistance in support of the project (no more than one-third of final budget), or for modest technological support for the project.

Can an individual be awarded?

No, the grant must go through an institution or organization.

How long is the grant term?

12 months