Funding Requests

The eTech Initiative is accepting funding requests for innovative technology services that support undergraduate teaching. Funding requests must be submitted by an assistant dean or school IT director; if you would like to submit an application, please coordinate with your local leadership accordingly. Students are welcome to submit their suggestions via the Share Your Ideas page.

Submit a funding request via this online form

To qualify for eTech funding, information technology materials and services must meet the following guidelines:

• The service must have instructional value and in general will be prioritized based on the level of impact to undergraduate students and/or undergraduate courses.
  • Grants for IT pilots are allowable, but they must have clear potential for broader adoption and impact if successful.
  • Services that only impact a single course, department, or major may be better suited to a Course Materials and Services Fee (CMSF) attached to the relevant course(s).
• Services will typically be software licensing, but may include:
  • hardware devices that don’t require permanent classroom installation (e.g. handheld devices and portable equipment)
  • staff, vendor, or consulting services as they relate to directly supporting a technology service
• eTech cannot fund:
  • faculty, lecturers, teaching assistants, or staff providing general instructional support
  • technology infrastructure (e.g. computer hardware, networking, servers)
  • classroom technology infrastructure (e.g. WiFi)
  • computer lab equipment, hardware, or staff

Available funding is limited and eTech may not be able to fund all qualified requests, in which case applications will be prioritized based on cost, number of undergraduate students who would benefit, and impact to: instructional innovation, diversity, equity, inclusion, & accessibility (DEIA), operational effectiveness / cost savings, and benefit to strategic objectives.

Services that will also be used by non-undergraduate students (e.g. grad students, faculty, staff) can be funded, but eTech will only pay for a prorated amount that aligns with the percentage of undergraduate usage.

Requests are accepted continuously and reviewed on a quarterly basis. Within one week of submitting your request, we will contact you to confirm receipt and to ask any questions.

The following are the submission deadlines for consideration in a given quarter’s round of reviews:

• Fall: November 15
• Winter: February 15
• Spring: May 15
• Summer: August 15

If you have any questions, please contact etech@uci.edu.