The Williams Council is inviting all University of Oregon faculty, department heads and deans to submit proposals for the 2015 -16 Williams Instructional Grants by the Feb. 6 deadline.

Grant recipients receive financial support to develop or restructure classes to more actively engage students. The council is particularly interested in ideas that use student writing to enhance learning and encourage independent exploration of course material.

Also, proposals that include capstone experiences or seminars that allow students to show the skills and knowledge they develop from their work are encouraged.

The Tom and Carol Williams Fund for Undergraduate Education was established to provide financial support for innovative ideas that contribute to the quality of the educational experience for undergraduate students at the University of Oregon.

The Williams Fund website includes instructions for submitting proposals, as well as descriptions of past recipients. For other questions, contact Dave Hubin at hubin@uoregon.edu or 541-346-3036.

Past proposals include an oral history project on the Iraq and Afghan wars, an exploration of tropical coastal biology in Panama, a virtual design studio in landscape architecture and projects on the frontiers of physics research.

The Williams Council is a presidential advisory council that includes some of the university's top teaching faculty. Its fellows program recognizes faculty who have made outstanding contributions to undergraduate learning at the UO.