Nexus Awards – Teaching

A complex, modern world dealing with a multiplicity of intersecting challenges requires its future leaders to emerge from educational institutions like Johns Hopkins University with an interdisciplinary mindset for pursuing solutions. None of the critical issues facing the United States and the international community transpire in isolation. These awards seek to educate individuals dedicated to attaining holistic understandings of complicated problems in need of multi-pronged answers.

Eligibility

Applications from all academic and professional disciplines within Johns Hopkins University are invited. Applicants may propose new undergraduate and/or graduate courses to be taught entirely at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center building at 555 Pennsylvania Ave.; new undergraduate and/or graduate courses to be taught in Baltimore that will make significant use of the building; or the addition of new components to existing undergraduate and/or graduate courses currently taught in Baltimore. Applicants may also propose co-curricular opportunities based at the building that span multiple departments or schools/divisions.

Applications must be led by a faculty member representing at least one school/division or affiliate of the university from the following list:

While applications from a single faculty member are welcome, the Nexus Awards–Teaching are especially interested in proposals from multiple faculty members that span more than one school/division of the university.

Only one Nexus Award–Teaching proposal per lead instructor will be accepted.

Students and postdoctoral fellows are not eligible to serve as lead or co-instructors on Nexus Award–Teaching applications.

Funding

Applicants may request up to $25,000, with an award term of up to one year with the option to renew for a second year. The award period must include the development and teaching of a course or development and implementation of a co-curricular opportunity. All Nexus Award–Teaching proposals must explain how their proposed course – or components of their course or co-curricular opportunity – will make significant use of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center building at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. Support may be used for salary related to course development, graduate student research or teaching assistants, equipment, and travel, as well as course-related convenings and other engagements held at the building. Fringe should be included in all salary requests. We strongly recommend that a departmental administrator reviews proposed budgets for accuracy. Applications must describe a credible plan that ensures they will make substantial progress during the funding period.

Applications for the 2025 cycle are now open. Proposals will be accepted through 2/14/2025.

Guidelines

Applications will consist of five elements:

  1. Title of the submission
  2. A proposal, which should include seven sections that succinctly describe the: (A) course name; (B) course type (e.g., lecture, seminar) or co-curricular opportunity; (C) estimated number of undergraduate and/or graduate student participants; (D) semester during which the course or co-curricular opportunity will be offered (i.e., fall 2024; winter intersession 2025; spring 2026); (E) description of the course or co-curricular opportunity; (F) department(s) and/or division(s) through which the course or co-curricular opportunity will be offered; (G) plan for making significant use of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center building at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. The proposal section can be no more than two pages, not including references. Please use 12-point font and margins no smaller than 1⁄2 inch.
  3. A budget breakdown that describes how funding will be allocated to each member of the team and how it will be apportioned for any personnel, supplies, equipment, travel, or other project expenses. Any budget amount up to the cap may be proposed. Faculty salary, equipment, and travel costs may be included. Indirect costs should not be included in the budget.
  4. A current CV or biosketch for all applicants.
  5. Up to five key words to aid in reviewer assignment.

Review Criteria

The review process will evaluate the innovativeness of the course or co-curricular opportunity, the planned uses of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center building at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., and the project’s potential to enhance the undergraduate and/or graduate educational experience. Faculty who have previously worked and/or taught together are not excluded from applying. Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of faculty.

Post-Award Requirements

Recipients will submit a final progress report, including any interactions with Washington, D.C.-based stakeholders, and plans for future iterations of the course or co-curricular opportunity. Recipients may also be asked to present at a Provost’s Symposium.