Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to share the following three funding opportunities now available to the COEHD research community. A new internal seed grant has been launched to support AI-driven research initiatives. UTSA & TEC SEED Grant Program + Virtual Teaming Workshop UTSA faculty are invited to apply for the 2025�C2026 UTSA & TEC SEED Grant Program, which supports innovative, early-stage collaborative research between UTSA and Tecnol��gico de Monterrey (TEC). With up to $40,000 in joint funding, this initiative targets real-world AI-driven solutions in six critical areas: aging, food security, Industry 5.0, mobility, water supply, and sustainable energy. A required virtual teaming and networking session will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., to help faculty form research partnerships across institutions. This opportunity is especially well-suited to COEHD faculty whose work addresses social and educational dimensions of these global challenges��from mental health and lifelong learning in aging populations to AI-enhanced food literacy, equitable access to smart mobility, and STEM education tied to sustainable energy and water. This is a chance to contribute your expertise while building cross-disciplinary, international collaborations with strong potential for external funding. Find further information attached to this email. Register by April 8, 2025: https://tinyurl.com/FDREGAPR11 Two Limited Submission grants have been announced: Texas Student Success Collaboration (TSSC) with NISS Faculty interested in applying for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board��s Texas Student Success Collaboration (TSSC) with the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) must complete UTSA��s internal Limited Submission Declaration of Intent (DOI) process by Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Only one proposal may be submitted per institution, and if more than one DOI is received by that date, a competitive internal review will be triggered with pre-proposals due April 4, 2025. This initiative offers up to $130,000 in funding to support systemic, institution-wide student success improvements in partnership with NISS at Georgia State University. Projects must demonstrate campus readiness and leadership engagement. Interested applicants must submit a DOI that includes a working project title, 3�C5 sentence abstract, and a list of key personnel and their affiliations. Further information on applying for this limited submission is available here: https://utsaresearch.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1969812 William T. Grant Scholars Program Early-career faculty interested in applying for the prestigious William T. Grant Scholars Program must complete UTSA��s internal Limited Submission Declaration of Intent (DOI) by Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Only one applicant per college may be nominated, and if multiple DOIs are received, a pre-proposal competition will be triggered with submissions due by April 23, 2025. This highly competitive award provides a five-year research and mentoring plan to support scholars seeking to expand their expertise into new disciplines, content areas, or methods, with a focus on impactful research relevant to policy and practice. Each Scholar receives exactly $425,000 over five years, The internal DOI must include a proposed project title, a 3�C5 sentence abstract, and a list of key personnel and affiliated institutions. Strong mentoring plans and clear potential to become an influential researcher are critical for this opportunity. Further information on applying for this limited submission is available here: https://utsaresearch.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1969832 The application guide from WT Grant Foundation is here: https://wtgrantfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-Application... Deadlines if your request for application is accepted are as follows: Mentor and Reference Letter Deadline: June 11, 2025, 3 PM EST Application Deadline: July 1, 2025, 3 PM EST Further Limited Submissions opportunities are here: https://research.utsa.edu/fund-dev/find-funding/limited-submissions.html Please contact me for any information or support in applying for these grants. --Iwan For this e-blast, I��m introducing a five-part series on applying Eastern philosophical principles as an unorthodox way of thinking to improve grant writing and proposal development. The first installment starts with the concept of shoshin, or ��beginner��s mind,�� as a strategic mindset for approaching research design and narrative development with clarity and openness. Beginner��s Mind �C The Key to Unlocking Innovation in Educational Research and Grant Development How Openness and Curiosity Lead to Stronger Research Ideas and More Competitive Proposals Introduction: The Problem with the Expert��s Mind Think about the last time you approached a new research project��how exciting and full of possibilities it felt. Now, contrast that with how institutional norms and funding guidelines can sometimes make research feel formulaic. Over time, familiarity breeds habit, and habit can lead to stagnation. This is the challenge of the expert��s mind��i.e., assuming you already know the best way and shutting out new possibilities. But what if I told you that the best educational researchers, grant writers, and project developers never stop thinking like a beginner? This concept, known as Beginner��s Mind (Shoshin, ����) in Zen Buddhism, is the secret to continuous innovation, fresh perspectives, and stronger proposals. What Is Beginner��s Mind? Beginner��s Mind is the practice of approaching any research or grant development task with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to learn, regardless of expertise level. Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki famously said: ��In the beginner��s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert��s mind there are few.�� This mindset allows educational researchers and grant writers to stay fresh, flexible, and innovative rather than becoming locked into rigid formulas. How Beginner��s Mind Unlocks Creativity & Innovation in Research and Grants 1. Educational Research: Rethinking Assumptions in a Changing Landscape The most impactful research projects are not those that simply extend existing frameworks, but those that ask new, fundamental questions. Researchers who assume they already understand a problem may overlook transformative approaches. A beginner��s mindset means questioning why certain methodologies are used, exploring cross-disciplinary insights, and staying open to unexpected findings. As funding priorities shift and research areas evolve, maintaining a fresh perspective is essential for relevance and impact. Deliberate Approach: * Conduct a reverse brainstorm: Instead of asking what research questions fit a funding call, explore what urgent, real-world problems need addressing. * Deconstruct dominant narratives: Identify commonly accepted assumptions in your field and consider alternative perspectives. * Look for interdisciplinary connections: Engage with colleagues from unrelated fields to challenge your frameworks. Try this: When developing your next research project, challenge yourself to frame a research question without relying on jargon or assumed paradigms. How can your work broaden access to opportunity, enhance workforce readiness, or promote community engagement without using terms that may not align with current funding trends? 2. Grant Development: Aligning with Evolving Priorities Many researchers approach grants with the assumption that they need to fit within narrowly defined expectations. But funding agencies evolve, and a fresh, open perspective can reveal untapped funding streams or unexpected collaborations. A Beginner��s Mind approach allows for strategic alignment with emerging workforce and economic development priorities, student success initiatives, and innovative instructional methodologies that resonate with funders�� goals. Deliberate Approach: * Analyze grant award trends: Map out where the funding focus is shifting over the last three years. * Conduct funder research with a fresh lens: Instead of assuming you know a grant��s intent, break down language shifts in their priorities. * Develop parallel proposal strategies: Have a primary research focus and a secondary way to frame the same project under different language priorities. Try this: Instead of searching for a grant to match an existing idea, explore how your research can address practical applications and long-term systemic improvements that align with what funders are currently emphasizing. 3. Proposal Writing: Crafting Engaging and Forward-Thinking Narratives A common mistake in grant writing is treating proposals like rigid templates��filling in the same predictable sections year after year. Funders, however, are drawn to bold, clear, and engaging narratives that demonstrate fresh thinking. Beginner��s Mind in proposal writing means crafting a proposal as if you were telling the story of your idea for the first time��compelling, engaging, and framed within a broad lens of student and workforce success, technological advancements, or institutional transformation. Deliberate Approach: * Develop an ��outsider��s pitch��: If you had 60 seconds to explain your research idea to someone outside your field, how would you frame its value? * Write an elevator pitch without key terms: Strip your proposal of discipline-specific jargon and focus on its core problem-solving value. * Engage in competitor analysis: Look at previous winners and deconstruct what language and structure they used. Try this: Before drafting a proposal, explain your research idea to a non-expert (like a colleague from another field or a friend outside academia). Their questions will help you refine clarity and bring fresh insight into your framing while ensuring broad relevance. 4. Institutional Collaboration: Expanding Networks Beyond Traditional Silos Researchers and grant writers often seek collaboration within familiar networks, but new insights and funding opportunities come from unexpected places. Expanding collaboration beyond traditional academic silos��partnering with industry, workforce development groups, government agencies, and community-based organizations��creates stronger, more impactful proposals while addressing funders�� shifting expectations. Deliberate Approach: * Apply ��opposite lens networking��: Identify key players outside of academia that have a stake in your research focus. * Use policy-driven framing: Understand how government, corporate, and nonprofit groups talk about your research area and align language accordingly. * Design multi-tiered partnerships: Instead of a single academic collaboration, develop a structure that integrates multiple sectors. Try this: When brainstorming partnerships for your next project, ask: Who is working on this problem from a completely different angle? What insights could they bring? Framing research through the lens of economic resilience, student advancement, and institutional adaptability can increase funding competitiveness. Practical Ways to Cultivate Beginner��s Mind in Research & Grant Writing 1. Forget your expertise �C Assume you know nothing and ask basic questions about your research focus. 2. Experiment with different methodologies �C Even if they seem unconventional or outside your primary field. 3. Seek feedback from unexpected sources �C Funders, community members, or students may notice insights researchers overlook. 4. Observe funding trends with fresh eyes �C Instead of assuming you ��know the system,�� study emerging priorities as if for the first time. 5. Embrace iteration �C Allow grant ideas to evolve rather than locking into a rigid structure too early. Conclusion: Never Stop Being a Beginner The most successful educational researchers and grant developers never lose their curiosity. Whether designing a new study, crafting a funding proposal, or developing institutional partnerships, true innovation comes from staying open-minded, adaptable, and always willing to learn. Beginner��s Mind isn��t about forgetting what you know��it��s about remaining humble enough to keep growing. So next time you sit down to write a grant or develop a research idea, ask yourself: What would I do if I were seeing this challenge for the first time? That��s the path to success. Stay curious. Stay open. Stay a beginner. [This article was developed with assistance by generative AI for research and editing] Mr. Iwan Notowidigdo Senior Grant Development Manager The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Education & Human Development (COEHD) iwan.notowidigdo(a)utsa.edu Mobile: 347-231-5931 [cid:f87cea82-8a42-4909-b2f2-019aa6b7522b]