{"id":903,"date":"2026-10-13T12:52:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T19:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/nwxr\/?p=903"},"modified":"2026-10-13T14:38:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T21:38:13","slug":"cycle-4-of-mini-grants-applications-are-now-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/nwxr\/2026\/10\/13\/cycle-4-of-mini-grants-applications-are-now-open\/","title":{"rendered":"Cycle 4 of Mini-Grants, applications are now open!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"block-wrapper alignstandard\">\n\n<div style=\"max-width:1050px;margin:0 auto;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#263746;font-size:16px;line-height:1.65\">\n\n  <!-- HERO -->\n  <div style=\"background:#173b57;color:#ffffff;padding:36px 30px;border-radius:12px;margin-bottom:30px\">\n    <p style=\"font-size:13px;letter-spacing:1.5px;text-transform:uppercase;font-weight:bold;color:#c7e8f6;margin:0 0 10px\">\n      NW XR EDU NETWORK | CYCLE 4\n    <\/p>\n    <h2 style=\"font-size:30px;line-height:1.25;color:#ffffff;margin:0 0 16px;font-weight:bold\">\n      Project Grants for Faculty and Staff\n    <\/h2>\n    <p style=\"font-size:18px;color:#ffffff;margin:0 0 22px\">\n      Have an idea for an interactive learning experience, 360\u00b0 video, virtual tour, or 3D educational resource? Explore the possibilities with us!\n    <\/p>\n    <div style=\"display:inline-block;background:#ffffff;color:#173b57;padding:12px 20px;border-radius:6px;font-size:20px;font-weight:bold\">\n      $500 per project\n    <\/div>\n    <p style=\"color:#ffffff;margin:18px 0 20px;font-size:15px\">\n      Application deadline: November 30, 2026\n    <\/p>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSezQYAE92XBgS6cYUanuOmhhLve-BnkBerBuRq5ytcHLwQ-GA\/viewform?usp=header\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#d7eef9;color:#173b57;padding:11px 22px;border-radius:6px;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none\">\n      Apply Now &rarr;\n    <\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- OVERVIEW -->\n  <div style=\"margin-bottom:30px\">\n    <h2 style=\"color:#173b57;font-size:24px;margin:0 0 14px\">Overview<\/h2>\n    <p style=\"margin:0 0 16px\">\n      The NW XR EDU Network is offering <strong>$500 project stipends<\/strong> to higher education faculty and academic professionals to explore how Extended Reality (XR) technologies can enhance teaching and learning.\n    <\/p>\n\n    <div style=\"background:#eaf4fa;border:1px solid #c9e0ed;border-left:6px solid #176b91;border-radius:8px;padding:24px 26px;margin:22px 0\">\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:23px;color:#173b57;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:bold\">How Does It Work?<\/h3>\n      <p style=\"font-size:17px;margin:0 0 15px;color:#263746\">\n        You bring the educational idea and expertise! You can develop your project independently or <strong>collaborate with Bellevue College&#8217;s XR Lab team<\/strong> for technical development support.\n      <\/p>\n      <p style=\"font-size:17px;font-weight:bold;color:#176b91;margin:0\">\n        No previous XR development experience is required.\n      <\/p>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <p style=\"margin:0 0 12px\">\n      Completed projects will be shared as Open Educational Resources (OER), making them available for other educators to use and adapt.\n    <\/p>\n    <p style=\"margin:0\">\n      As part of Cycle 4, participants will also <strong>implement their completed resources with students and collect feedback<\/strong> to evaluate their effectiveness in teaching and learning.\n    <\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- KEY DATES -->\n  <div style=\"margin-bottom:32px\">\n    <h2 style=\"color:#173b57;font-size:24px;margin:0 0 15px\">Key Dates<\/h2>\n    <div style=\"border:1px solid #d9e4ea;border-radius:8px;overflow:hidden\">\n      <div style=\"padding:13px 18px;border-bottom:1px solid #d9e4ea\">\n        <strong style=\"color:#173b57\">Application Deadline:<\/strong> November 30, 2026\n      <\/div>\n      <div style=\"padding:13px 18px;border-bottom:1px solid #d9e4ea;background:#f7fafc\">\n        <strong style=\"color:#173b57\">Recipients Announced:<\/strong> By December 31, 2026\n      <\/div>\n      <div style=\"padding:13px 18px;border-bottom:1px solid #d9e4ea\">\n        <strong style=\"color:#173b57\">Project Development:<\/strong> January\u2013June 2027\n      <\/div>\n      <div style=\"padding:13px 18px;background:#f7fafc\">\n        <strong style=\"color:#173b57\">Final Project Deadline:<\/strong> June 14, 2027\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- ELIGIBILITY -->\n  <div style=\"margin-bottom:32px\">\n    <h2 style=\"color:#173b57;font-size:24px;margin:0 0 15px\">Who Can Apply?<\/h2>\n    <ul style=\"padding-left:24px;margin:0 0 18px\">\n      <li style=\"margin-bottom:10px\">\n        <strong>Higher education faculty<\/strong>, including full-time and adjunct instructors.\n      <\/li>\n      <li style=\"margin-bottom:10px\">\n        <strong>Other academic professionals<\/strong>, including librarians, counselors, and staff, may also apply as long as they are eligible to receive a stipend for their work.\n      <\/li>\n      <li style=\"margin-bottom:10px\">\n        Applicants from higher education institutions across the U.S., particularly in the Pacific Northwest.\n      <\/li>\n      <li style=\"margin-bottom:10px\">\n        Individuals or teams, including previous applicants and recipients.\n      <\/li>\n    <\/ul>\n\n    <!-- STIPEND INFORMATION -->\n    <div style=\"background:#f5f7f8;border:1px solid #d9e4ea;border-radius:7px;padding:18px 20px\">\n      <p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:15px\">\n        <strong>Stipend Eligibility:<\/strong> Applicants are responsible for <strong>confirming with their institution or employer<\/strong> that they are eligible to receive a stipend before applying.\n      <\/p>\n      <p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:15px\">\n        Stipends are generally <strong>paid directly to individuals<\/strong>, rather than institutions or companies. Alternative payment arrangements may be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to approval.\n      <\/p>\n      <p style=\"margin:0;font-size:15px\">\n        The <strong>$500 stipend is awarded per project<\/strong>, including team submissions. Payment is made upon successful completion of the project and submission of all agreed deliverables, not during project development.\n      <\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- PROJECTS AND EXPECTATIONS -->\n  <div style=\"margin-bottom:32px\">\n    <div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:20px;align-items:stretch\">\n\n      <!-- PROJECT IDEAS -->\n      <div style=\"flex:1 1 300px;min-width:0;background:#ffffff;border:1px solid #d9e4ea;border-radius:10px;padding:24px\">\n        <h2 style=\"color:#173b57;font-size:23px;line-height:1.3;margin:0 0 14px\">\n          What Kind of Projects Are We Looking For?\n        <\/h2>\n        <p style=\"margin:0 0 14px\">\n          We welcome creative ideas from any discipline! Projects could include:\n        <\/p>\n        <ul style=\"padding-left:22px;margin:0 0 14px\">\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            <strong>Interactive 3D models:<\/strong> Explore anatomy, scientific structures, or historical artifacts.\n          <\/li>\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            <strong>360\u00b0 videos and virtual tours:<\/strong> Bring real-world environments into the classroom.\n          <\/li>\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            <strong>Virtual and augmented reality:<\/strong> Create immersive learning experiences.\n          <\/li>\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            <strong>Interactive simulations:<\/strong> Help students practice skills and explore real-world scenarios.\n          <\/li>\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            <strong>Web-based interactive experiences:<\/strong> Develop educational games, visualizations, or browser-based activities.\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n        <p style=\"margin:0\">\n          Other ideas are welcome, too! We&#8217;re looking for projects with clear educational goals that can be completed within six months.\n        <\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <!-- PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITIES -->\n      <div style=\"flex:1 1 300px;min-width:0;background:#f3f8fb;border:1px solid #d9e4ea;border-radius:10px;padding:24px\">\n        <h2 style=\"color:#173b57;font-size:23px;line-height:1.3;margin:0 0 14px\">\n          What Is Expected of Participants?\n        <\/h2>\n        <p style=\"margin:0 0 14px\">Selected participants will:<\/p>\n        <ul style=\"padding-left:22px;margin:0 0 18px\">\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            Provide educational content and expertise, and develop the project independently or with XR Lab support.\n          <\/li>\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            Participate in regular project check-ins and provide progress updates.\n          <\/li>\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            <strong>Implement the completed resource with students<\/strong> in a course or other educational setting.\n          <\/li>\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            <strong>Collect student feedback through a short survey<\/strong> to evaluate the learning experience.\n          <\/li>\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            Share progress at a Winter Quarter showcase and final results, including implementation feedback, at a Spring Quarter showcase.\n          <\/li>\n          <li style=\"margin-bottom:12px\">\n            Create instructional documentation, including learning objectives, activities, and guidance for educators, to accompany the completed resource in our OER repository.\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n        <p style=\"margin:0\">\n          The XR Lab can provide technical development support depending on project needs and available resources.\n        <\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- OER REPOSITORY -->\n  <div style=\"background:#eaf4fa;border-radius:10px;padding:26px;margin-bottom:34px;text-align:center\">\n    <h2 style=\"color:#173b57;font-size:23px;margin:0 0 10px\">Explore Previous Projects<\/h2>\n    <p style=\"margin:0 0 20px\">\n      See educational resources developed through the Northwest Open XR Initiative.\n    <\/p>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/oercommons.org\/groups\/northwest-open-xr-initiative\/15041\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#176b91;color:#ffffff;padding:14px 25px;border-radius:7px;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;text-align:center\">\n      Explore Our OER Repository &rarr;\n    <\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- HOW TO APPLY -->\n  <div id=\"nwxr-cycle4-apply\" style=\"background:#173b57;color:#ffffff;padding:30px 27px;border-radius:11px;margin-bottom:32px\">\n    <h2 style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:26px;margin:0 0 17px\">How to Apply<\/h2>\n\n    <ol style=\"padding-left:24px;margin:0 0 22px;color:#ffffff\">\n      <li style=\"margin-bottom:14px\">\n        Review the\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1HcfltzaS1Sgeu4Hvw6ZvGZjXEs6vXYNJx7TvzhnOc1U\/edit?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#b9e7ff;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline\">\n          Cycle 4 Project Grant Guidelines\n        <\/a>\n        for full eligibility, project requirements, and selection criteria.\n      <\/li>\n      <li style=\"margin-bottom:14px\">\n        Complete the\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSezQYAE92XBgS6cYUanuOmhhLve-BnkBerBuRq5ytcHLwQ-GA\/viewform?usp=header\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#b9e7ff;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline\">\n          NW XR EDU Project Grant Application Form\n        <\/a>.\n      <\/li>\n      <li style=\"margin-bottom:14px\">\n        Submit your application by <strong>November 30, 2026<\/strong>.\n      <\/li>\n    <\/ol>\n\n    <p style=\"color:#ffffff;margin:0 0 22px\">\n      You don&#8217;t need to have the technical details figured out before applying. We&#8217;re interested in your educational ideas and how they could benefit students!\n    <\/p>\n\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSezQYAE92XBgS6cYUanuOmhhLve-BnkBerBuRq5ytcHLwQ-GA\/viewform?usp=header\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#ffffff;color:#173b57;padding:14px 26px;border-radius:7px;font-size:17px;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;text-align:center\">\n      Apply for a Cycle 4 Mini-Grant &rarr;\n    <\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- ABOUT -->\n  <div style=\"margin-bottom:28px\">\n    <h2 style=\"color:#173b57;font-size:24px;margin:0 0 12px\">About the NW XR EDU Network<\/h2>\n    <p style=\"margin:0\">\n      The\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/nwxr\/\" style=\"color:#176b91;text-decoration:underline\">\n        NW XR EDU Network\n      <\/a>\n      brings together educators and professionals interested in exploring XR in teaching and learning through workshops, collaborative projects, and shared resources.\n    <\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- CONTACT -->\n  <div style=\"border-top:1px solid #d9e4ea;padding-top:22px\">\n    <h2 style=\"color:#173b57;font-size:22px;margin:0 0 10px\">Questions?<\/h2>\n    <p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">\n      Contact Bellevue College&#8217;s XR Lab at\n      <a href=\"mailto:xrlab@bellevuecollege.edu\" style=\"color:#176b91;text-decoration:underline\">\n        xrlab@bellevuecollege.edu\n      <\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n    <p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#586b79;margin:0\">\n      <em>\n        This initiative is funded by the National Science Foundation and hosted by Bellevue College&#8217;s NW XR EDU Network and XR Lab.\n      <\/em>\n    <\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NW XR EDU NETWORK | CYCLE 4 Project Grants for Faculty and Staff Have an idea for an interactive learning experience, 360\u00b0 video, virtual tour, or 3D educational resource? Explore&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3313,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":{"summary":"The NW XR EDU Network is offering $500 mini-grants to higher education faculty and staff to create interactive educational resources, such as 3D models, 360\u00b0 videos, virtual tours, and immersive learning experiences. 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