Is an Express Grant Right for You? A Guide to DELTA’s Flexible Funding Opportunities for Faculty

Every year, NC State instructors come to DELTA with fresh ideas to enhance their teaching – but not every project fits into the same box. If you’re wondering whether a DELTA Grant or a DELTA Express Grant is the best fit for your instructional goals, you’re not alone.

The short answer? It depends on the scope, timing and type of support you’re looking for.

Here’s a quick guide to help you navigate your options and choose the right grant pathway for your project.

DELTA Grants vs. Express Grants: What’s the Difference?

DELTA Grants are highly collaborative projects designed to support major course redesigns, new online or hybrid course development, and emerging instructional innovation. These competitive grants are awarded once a year, require a proposal and span one year. Recipients will work with a dedicated DELTA team including instructional designers, media specialists and technologists to bring their course to life.

Express Grants, on the other hand, are smaller in scope, more flexible in timeline, and tailored to specific instructional needs. These semester-long projects are ideal for faculty looking to solve a specific pedagogical challenge and want to make targeted improvements to a course. If your project doesn’t need intensive media production or a full course redesign, an Express Grant might be the perfect fit.

Which Express Grant Category Fits Your Needs?

Express Grants are available in three focused areas: Course Accessibility, Course Mapping and Instructional Tools. Let’s break down what each one offers and who they’re best suited for.

Course Accessibility

• Ideal for: Instructors looking to make their course content more accessible to all learners.

Do you have documents, multimedia or course pages that may not meet accessibility standards? This grant helps you identify and remove barriers to improve the learning experience for all students – including those with disabilities.

This Express Grant is especially valuable if you’re teaching an online course or have a unique accessibility challenge not addressed through existing accessibility guides or resources. Starting this year, Course Accessibility Express Grant proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis – allowing you to submit applications and receive expert guidance to solve accessibility challenges when you most need it.

Course Mapping

• Ideal for: Faculty who want to align course content, learning objectives and assessments in a more intentional way.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Do my assessments really measure the outcomes I’m teaching?” – this grant is for you.

You’ll work with an instructional designer to map out your course structure, clarify learning outcomes and ensure that students can follow a clear and cohesive learning path. Many instructors find this grant particularly helpful when preparing a course for Quality Matters (QM) review.

Instructional Tools

• Ideal for: Faculty interested in adopting a new educational technology tool to improve engagement or efficiency.

Maybe you want to integrate a polling app for in-class feedback, explore peer review tools in Moodle, or create interactive video quizzes. This grant gives you one-on-one support to research and implement instructional tools that align with your course goals.

Not Sure Which to Choose? We Can Help.

If you’re still deciding whether an Express Grant is the right fit – or which type to apply for – DELTA is here to help. Faculty are welcome to reach out for a quick consultation to talk through their ideas and determine which grant pathway best matches their goals.

• Reminder: Submissions for DELTA Express Grants open August 11, 2025. Visit grants.delta.ncsu.edu to learn more, explore past projects and submit your application.

Whether you’re removing accessibility barriers, rethinking your course structure, or exploring new tech tools, DELTA Express Grants are designed to help you make meaningful improvements in the classroom.