Strategic Education Grants are back!

Photo by Skye Studios on Unsplash

And this time they are bigger than ever.

Got a great idea for improving the learning and assessment in your unit? Need time and support to put your ideas into practice? Always wanted to connect, coordinate and work with the educators of other units of study taken by your students?

After being paused in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Strategic Education Grants (SEGs) are back with funding for projects in 2024 and 2025. The SEGs are a University-wide competitive scheme designed to support teaching staff in improving student engagement and outcomes. Designed to ensure the 2023-2025 Teaching and Learning Strategy comes to life, the grants will provide staff with funds for resources and time to partner with each other and with students to change learning experiences and assessments.

Since I arrived in 2022, I’ve seen some great examples of innovation in teaching and assessment across the institution. However, we’ve lots more to do and our students are telling us to listen to them carefully. The education grants are one way we can provide staff with the support they’ve been asking for. We can do great things together. It is our educators’ time – more power to them!

Joanne Wright, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education)

As highlighted in the recent Student Experience Survey results, our students are struggling to connect with us, each other and with their studies. Students’ outcomes, particularly for first year students and for those from non-traditional backgrounds, also need to be improved. Generative artificial intelligence tools offer ways to help educators teach and students learn but they also mean that we need to reimagine the ways in which we assess.

For the first time, we are introducing “Fellowships” as part of the grants program. These provide funding of up to $200k a year for two years for groups of educators, identified by the Education Portfolio and faculties, who share students and common issues to work together.

Applications for additional one year grants of up to $80k and up to $40k aimed at large enrolment units and groups of units will open on 25th September with applications due on 10th November. We will be running information sessions throughout semester with opportunities to meet other prospective applicants. An information page on the Intranet is now available with details of our themes and the evaluation criteria.

Educators need time, resources and people to help them change their assessments, change the way that they teach, and build on effective practices. The new strategic education grants will help us all achieve this.

Adam Bridgeman, Pro Vice-Chancellor Education Innovation

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