SUPPORTING SCHOLARSHIP AT NLU Internal Grant Programs NLU has two internal grant programs to support research: the Seed Grant Program and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Fellowships .
Seed Grants The seed grant program provides small grants to support faculty and staff in launching research agendas that hold the promise of external funding and are linked to NLU’s strategic priorities. The 2025-26 Grantees were:
leaf Balancing bilingualism in global classrooms: Building an international comparative bi/multilingual education research agenda Outcome: Building the foundation for an international comparative research agenda on multilingual education by bridging the historically siloed fields of bilingual, world language, and second language education. Project Lead: Colleen Hamilton, National College of Education
leaf Strengthening the Workforce: Evaluating a Competency-Based Approach to Address Infant and Toddler Teacher Shortages
Outcome: Researching the implementation of a competency-based education (CBE) model in preparing early childhood educators and offering policy implications for state and national expansion of the CBE program in the early childhood education field. Project Leads: Alicia Meno, Undergraduate College; Xiaoli Wen, McCormick Institute for Early Childhood Education.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Fellowships Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) fellowships are designed to activate and support the examination and study of NLU faculty teaching and learning practices intended to advance equity for NLU students. In the 2025-26 academic year, eight fellowships were awarded across two teams of scholars focused on studying the use of AI in NLU classrooms.
Book-Reader AI and Culturally Responsive Teaching Outcome: Enact and study how customized feedback GPTs impact student learning, self-reflection, and critical thinking in graduate and undergraduate teacher preparation courses. Fellows: Eun Kyung Ko and Vishodana Thamotharan, National College of Education; Neal Green, Online Learning Book-Reader Custom GPT in Maternal Health and Human Lactation Programs Outcome: Enact and study the implementation of a custom GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) allowing for simulated practice in the B.S. Maternal Child Health and M.A. Human Lactation Studies programs at NLU. Fellows: David San Filippo and Mary Miller, Graduate School of Business and Leadership; Ram Vokkarane, Learning Experience Design
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