Funding Requirements & Details
Categories of Funding
MSBDL will consider applications that fit in one of the following categories. If you feel your project fits in multiple categories, select the category that fits best and use the narrative section of the application to provide additional information. These funding categories aim to work projects through the design process encouraging strong research and prototyping before implementation. Implementation projects will only be considered if design-based research and prototyping have been successfully completed and clearly communicated in the application.
Design-based Research: Exploring or investigating new questions or topics related to or utilizing design-thinking. This may be initial research or the extension of prior research. Research projects are eligible for up to three rounds of funding.
Prototyping: Developing prototypes to test research findings or as an extension of a research phase. Prototypes may come in many forms including physical objects, organizational models, events, applications/programs, digital models, performances, exhibitions, and more.
Implementation: Implementation of projects or ideas beyond the research and prototyping phases. In order for a project to be eligible for implementation funding, it must have been worked through at least one round of both research and prototyping.
About the Matthew S. Browning Design Lab
As Weber State University’s hub for multidisciplinary design, The Matthew S. Browning Design Lab (MSBDL) provides funding, space, technical expertise, connections, and collaborations to leverage design thinking across disciplines for innovation, exploration, research, and problem solving.
MSBDL’s Definition of Design Thinking
Design thinking is a collaborative approach to understanding complex challenges and creating better outcomes across disciplines. It emphasizes deeply understanding people and context, reframing problems before solving them, exploring possibilities through experimentation, and learning quickly from real-world feedback. Design thinking helps create solutions that are: rooted in real need, embrace complexity, serve stakeholders (human and non-human) well, respect broader systems, and endure over time.
A key facet of our work is to provide funding and support to design-based projects led by faculty, staff, and students often in collaboration with external partners.
Funding requests will be accepted each spring and fall with an opportunity for mini projects (under $2,500) on a rolling basis.
Requirements
Projects/research must utilize design thinking as the central component, process, methodology, or discipline. We recognized design thinking as a dynamic framework that is often interwoven with and applied to other disciplines within and beyond the design ecosystem. Eligible projects do not need to originate from or align with any particular design field as long as they clearly apply design thinking methodologies.
In keeping with design thinking, projects should demonstrate all (or most) of the following:
- Evidence of deep understanding of people and context
- A clearly defined area of opportunity or problem
- Willingness to reframe the problem
- Use of experimentation or prototyping
- Plans to gather real-world feedback
- Attention to stakeholders and systems
- Openness to learning and iteration
Projects must have a clearly defined intended impact that is responsive to an area of opportunity or problem/challenge. Outcomes must be measured and communicated. Impact measures may be quantitative and/or qualitative and must be reported as part of the final reporting process.
Projects must include a minimum of 3 of the following:
- Faculty or staff from at least two different departments or colleges
- Opportunities for student involvement or research
- An external partner, including but not limited to community or industry partners
- Alignment with the Weber State University Strategic Plan
The following do NOT qualify:
- Research with no experimentation or iteration (or intention to do so in future phases)
- Implementing a predetermined solution
- Projects that skip stakeholder engagement
- Technology-first or solution-first proposals
- Projects seeking implementation funding without clear communication of design-based research and prototyping
- Public art, art/design exhibitions, performances, or publications unless they are a clear extension or outcome of a design thinking process/project.
Eligible Expenses
- Research stipends for any members of the project including: faculty, staff, students, fellows, partners, and research participants
- Materials and supplies necessary to carry out the project
- Marketing and documentation expenses necessary to carry out and document the project
- Venue or facility rental expenses
- Funded projects receive free access to use our project lab space located within the former James Madison Elementary School building located at 2563 Monroe Blvd (directly North of the Weber State University Community Education Center). Access and reservations will be coordinated on an as needed basis.
- Rental or purchase of equipment necessary for the project
- Terms of ongoing ownership and use will need to be negotiated and agreed upon for any purchased equipment prior to the project being funded and the equipment being acquired.
- Meals or refreshments that are necessary for the successful completion of the project and are of modest cost
- Mini projects cannot exceed a budget of $2,500
Final Reporting Requirements
All funded projects must submit a final report within 30 days of completing the project. Reports must address all of the following:
- A synopsis of the project/research and the results
- What quantitative or qualitative data did you collect and what insights did you gain from it?
- An overview of the design phases, principles, methodologies, or frameworks used in your project and how they were applied.
- A description of the challenges and successes you experienced throughout the project.
- An accounting of whether the project/research accomplished the intended impact/outcome (including details about what measures or data demonstrate the impact).
- A final budget along with explanation of any changes.
- An explanation of what is next for this project, including future phases or processes. If the project is complete and will not continue forward please explain.
- Share photos, videos, or other forms of documentation via Google Drive.
The Matthew S. Browning Design Lab may request your project be presented to relevant partners and/or stakeholders within or outside of Weber State University.