Grants for Learning and Teaching

Learning and teaching grants provide opportunities for UNSW staff to undertake collaborative research and development projects that are focused on current institutional priorities, as well as issues of importance in learning and teaching in higher education.

These grants support a wide range of activities, for example:

• innovations in learning and teaching
• development of resources and frameworks for practice
• building leadership capacity, and
• advancing the scholarship in teaching and learning.

See below on this page:

• Grants available
• Grant application, management and support

Grants Available

OLT Grants

The Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) provide grant funding for Innovation and Development, Seed Projects, Leadership for Excellence in L&T and Enhancing the Training of Mathematics and Science Teachers Program. Funding to support the continued dissemination and embedding of completed learning and teaching projects is provided through Extension Grants.

Internal deadlines

UNSW deadlines and processes for grant proposals apply when UNSW is the lead institution, a collaborator or a project team member:

1. Innovation and Development Grant and Leadership in Excellence Round 2
   
   (NOTE: this is only open to applicants who have submitted an EOI in round 1.)
   1. Draft submission to LTU: 24/06/2013
   2. OLT deadline: 02/08/2013
2. Seed Projects
   1. Draft submission to LTU: 24/06/2013
   2. OLT deadline: 02/08/2013
3. Extension Grants
   1. Draft submission to LTU:
      Round 1 — 15/03/2013
      Round 2 — 01/07/2013
   2. OLT deadline:  
      Round 1 — 02/04/2013
      Round 2 — 02/09/2013

Further information

• Please direct any inquires to Katja Benninghaus or Sarah Toohey — phone 9385 2926 or email LandTgrants@unsw.edu.au
• For detailed information on OLT grants please visit http://www.olt.gov.au/grants-and-projects/programs-and-applications

ARC Grants

The Australian Research Council (ARC) funds research and researchers under the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) as part of its commitment to nurturing the creative abilities and skills of Australia's most promising researchers.

• Details of this program can be found on the ARC website.
• To identify funding opportunities and for assistance in applying contact UNSW: Grants Management Office

NHMRC Grants

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) administers funding for health and medical research on behalf of the Australian Government. NHMRC invites all researchers in Australia to apply for funding through schemes ranging from scholarships to research programs.

• Details of funding opportunities can be found on the NHMRC website.
• To identify funding opportunities and for assistance in applying contact UNSW: Grants Management Office

Grant Application, Management and Support

Key elements of a successful grant include how outcomes are disseminated, promoted and supported. Outcomes may include resources and processes for facilitating strategic change of the individual educator to broadly across the higher education sector.

Below is some useful advice, information and resources to help you develop a strong learning and teaching grant application.

Some of the resources are specific to the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) grants scheme, but you may also find them useful for internal funding opportunities. Use these resources  in conjunction with the related grant or funding guidelines.

Application deadlines and support

The Learning and Teaching Unit will be able to offer you institutional peer review and feedback, and guide your final proposal and documentation, including the required DVC Academic endorsement. 

The Institutional Contact Officer is Katja Benninghaus and Sarah Toohey

LTU contacts for application advice include:

• Ann Wilson,
• Adele Flood,
• Giedre Kligyte
• and William Ashraf

Advice from UNSW colleagues

A number of your UNSW colleagues have successfully applied for external learning and teaching grants and can share their experiences. Talk to a UNSW colleague who has experience of applying for and securing learning and teaching funding. Previous UNSW recipients of  the former Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) grants are listed on the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) website.

Advice on application

In these videos Will Rifkin talks about the process of successfully applying for an ALTC Grant and Gary Velan ( Medicine) talking about being an ALTC Grant assessor and what it takes to develop a good application.

 

The following resources may assist you:

• 12 Steps Toward a Successful Proposal
  sets out 12 steps to help you develop a successful proposal. Will Rifkin led a project funded through the ALTC Competitive Grant program.
• McDonald, E. (2008) Application Writing, ALTC, October 2008
  ALTC Hints and Tips document.
• OLT Good Practice Reports provide a summative evaluation of good practices and key outcomes from grants and fellowships related to particular topics
• Gathering evidence of your teaching practice provides a list of possible sources of evidence to support your application.

Learning and teaching literature

In your learning and teaching grant application, you must show evidence of engagement with learning and teaching literature, journals, conferences and also identify the contribution your project will make. The following resources may assist you:

• Researching L&T for UNSW Library and external resources
• Connections Seminars for a collegial way to share ideas and learn about good practice.

Project management and budgeting

In your project application outline a clear and comprehensive project plan and budget justification.

• Project management process, tools, plans, templates and tips