Call for Proposals: Pedagogical Research & Development Center Design Thinking Workshop

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Photo by onÌý

The °µÍø½ûÇø (CU) seeks an experienced outside facilitator to lead a group of 20-25 faculty, staff, administrators, and students from CU through a one-day (8 hours) Design Thinking challenge to generate insights to inform near future development of a Pedagogical Research & Development (R&D) Center on our campus. The early-stage organizing team aims to gather a diversity of thoughts and perspectives from campus stakeholders as they develop a vision for the R&D Center.ÌýÌý

After the design challenge, it is expected that workshop participants will generate an expanded vision of the R&D center (beyond the current iteration conceptualized by the planning team) that can serve as a blueprint for a pedagogical R&D Center. The results from this event will inform the organizing team by providing practical action items for strategic decisions and implications for designing and launching the Pedagogical R&D Center at CU.

We are accepting brief, 2-page proposals for the facilitation of the design thinking challenge on the CU campus. Ideal candidates will bring a collaborative, equitable, and/or decolonial lens to their Design Thinking framework and facilitation methodology. Please include an overview of your experience, approach, references to previous work, and a budget with your proposal.

Proposals will be accepted until midnight on July 27, 2025.ÌýPlease submit your proposal by email to Blair Young (byoung@colorado.edu) with “Design Thinking Challenge†in the subject line.

TheÌýOffice of Academic Learning InnovationÌý(ALI) and the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) have partnered to conceptualize and develop an R&D center at CU Boulder, characterized by collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and innovation. By leveraging ALI’s resources and CTL’s pedagogical leadership, this initiative aims to support students, faculty, and staff in developing sustainable, creative, and inclusive educational innovations that are relevant, emergent, interdisciplinary, boundary-breaking, and scalable across the campus. The R&D center will be built on each unit’s previous successes in academic innovation. An aspirational model for the center isÌý — a hub for educational research and design.Ìý

Subject to change based on facilitator & participant availability

July 7, 2025

Call for proposals released

July 27, 2025

Proposal acceptance closes

August 8, 2025

Proposal evaluation closes. We may reach out to you with questions and/or a chance to dialogue during the proposal evaluation period.

August 11, 2025

Proposal winner announced, Contracting process begins.

August 18, 2025

Collaborative design thinking workshop design period begins

September 10, 2025

Workshop design finalized

September 19, 2025

Workshop delivered (Tentative)

October 3, 2025

Design Thinking outcomes and recommendations report, artifacts delivered

Capacity & Experience

i) Proposal provides evidence of experience in designing and facilitating design thinking challenges, ii) Proposal provides evidence of experience in or understanding of higher education environments, iii) Proposal provides a timeline and associated tasks that align with the CFP project timeline

Proposed Approach

i) Facilitator is equipped to work collaboratively with the organizing team to develop a one-day design thinking challenge, ii) Facilitator centers equity and inclusion in their design and facilitation approach, iii) Facilitator is capable of executing a design thinking challenge that supports risk taking and elicits innovative and unexpected ideas from participants

Proposed Deliverables

The proposal clearly outlines benchmarked deliverables (e.g. design thinking challenge plan, participant pre-materials, archived artifacts produced by participants, post-event report & recommendations)

Cost

The proposal provides a transparent budget outlining all costs incurred by CU for contracted services and an expected pay schedule by the facilitator

Proposals will be accepted until midnight on July 27, 2025.ÌýPlease submit your proposal by email to Blair Young (byoung@colorado.edu) with “Design Thinking Challenge†in the subject line.