UniSA Teaching & Learning Grants

Up to $150,000 will be made available across the two grant categories to support a range of teaching and learning innovation projects across the University in 2022. Projects that successfully demonstrate significant impact and value to the University may, upon application, be eligible for a further round of internal funding to assist with mainstreaming the project outcomes.

There are two grant categories: Teaching and Learning Development Grants (each up to $20,000) and Early Career Academic Innovation Grants (each up to $5,000). Both are designed to promote innovation and develop leading practice in teaching and learning. 

• Teaching and Learning Development Grants
• Early Career Academic Innovation Grants
• Priority areas
• Eligibility
• Application requirements and deadlines
• Resources
• Contacts

Teaching and Learning Development Grants

• Projects may run for up to two calendar years each. Maximum funding per grant is $20,000. 
• Applications are limited to one only from each Dean of Programs (or equivalent) area, so there will be up to 13 applications from across UniSA in any one calendar year.
• Academic staff are advised to contact their Dean of Programs to discuss their project ideas. Deans of Programs will work with staff in their programs to narrow down interest and support the development of the most suitable / competitive application for submission in November for the Panel's consideration.
• While applications must be endorsed by the respective Deans of Programs, multidisciplinary teams are welcome as long as the participation of individuals is consented by the Deans of Programs of their discipline areas. Permissions will be sought as part of the application process.
• Each project must be led by one staff member. There is no co-leadership option.
• These grants are for teams, not individuals, and have more of a program / University level focus.
• Mid-career and more experienced academics are well-positioned to apply for grants in this category.

Early Career Academic Innovation Grants

• Projects may run for no more than one calendar year. Maximum funding per grant is $5,000. 
• An 'Early Career Academic’ is defined as a staff member with no more than eight years of teaching in higher education. The eight years can be non-sequential and must be counted on a semester basis. This includes all tutoring and part-time teaching.
• Applications are limited to two only from each Dean of Programs (or equivalent) area, so there will be up to 26 applications from across UniSA in any one calendar year.
• Academic staff are advised to contact their Dean of Programs (or equivalent) to discuss their project ideas. Deans of Programs will work with staff in their programs to narrow down interest and support the development of the most suitable / competitive applications for submission in November for the Panel's consideration. 
• The Innovation projects are for individuals, not teams, and have more of a course(s) / program level focus.
• Grant recipients will be mentored by UniSA HEA Fellows and/or TIU Academic Developers and/or previous T&L grant recipients.

Priority areas

Applications for UniSA teaching and learning grants must focus on one of the priority areas, with opportunities to address specific needs and/or objectives within and between them. For project work in 2022, the priority areas are:

• Programmatic approaches to curriculum and assessment
• Interdisciplinary and work-integrated learning
• Innovations in blended and online education
• Academic integrity
• Student retention

Note that basic video production will not be funded by either grant category given that the University's Digital Learning Strategy 2015-2020  established the practice as a core business activity, resourced across UniSA and by the Technical & Multimedia team in the Teaching Innovation Unit.

Funded project work must generally be distinct from the core business normally associated with the initial or further development of course offerings by UniSA academic areas.

Eligibility

Teaching and Learning Development Grants are awarded only to teams, which must have at least three members, including one project leader. At least two on the team must be either current continuing academic and/or professional staff and/or fixed term contract academic and/or professional staff members at UniSA, whose contracts extend to the end of the project period. The team leader must hold an academic position. Adjunct and industry-based staff can be team members but cannot lead projects.

Early Career Academic Innovation Grants are for individuals (not excluding, e.g. funded assistance from a Project Officer), not teams. Applicants must be Early Career Academics,  either in a continuing academic position or on a fixed term contract which extends to the end of the proposed project period. Sessional, adjunct and industry-based academics are not eligible for this grant category.

Application requirements and deadlines

Applications must be submitted using the application guidelines and templates provided. It  is the responsibility of applicants to read and follow the instructions when preparing their proposal for submission. Incomplete applications or those that do not conform with requirements will not be accepted.

For project work to be undertaken in 2022, applications are due on Fri 26 November 2021 by 5pm. All required materials must be emailed as attachments to teaching.awards.grants@unisa.edu.au

Resources

• Key concepts and definitions

Contacts

Writing applications for grants is a scholarly activity that takes careful planning and development. All applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their Deans of Programs (or equivalent), as well as an Academic Developer from the TIU, to discuss ideas for topics and plans before developing applications.

For further information about the UniSA Teaching and Learning Grants contact Dr Ruth Fazakerley, Academic Developer, TIU.