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Teaching Development Fund (TDF)

Find out how to apply for funding to support your innovative ideas to enhance learning and teaching, and attend external events to share best practice.

We held an TDF Launch and Networking Event in November 2023, take a look at the recording for more information and a chance to hear about one of last years funded projects.

Supporting innovation

The University offers funding to staff and students who have innovative ideas to enhance learning and teaching.

Find out about funded projects that have received support to develop initiatives to support learning and teaching and enhance the student experience. These may provide ideas to develop your own teaching.

The following funding is available to staff to develop projects to enhance learning and teaching, to share best practice, and to attend conferences and events that support best practice in teaching.

Share Teaching Development Fund

Share has replaced the TDF Travel Fund and aims to support the sharing of teaching innovation ideas and outcomes, both within the University and among national and international audiences and to support cross-disciplinary collaboration thus enabling members of staff who teach or support student learning to attend events that support best practice in learning and teaching.

Funding can be used to attend and contribute to a national or international network, meeting, event or conference with a view to at least one of the following aims:

  • disseminate best practice;
  • establish inter-institutional and discipline-specific collaborations;
  • benchmark the University's practice nationally or internationally.

Share Funding applications are considered throughout the year. This will be available on a first-come-first-served basis, but priority for funding will be given to TDF project fund-holders who are in a position to present the outcomes of their funded project. To ensure fair allocation, the maximum amount an individual may claim is (£500).

Find out how to apply for funding to attend a conference or event.

Seed Teaching Development Fund

Seed aims to support smaller-scale innovation projects and the initial development of larger-scale ideas, with no cross-departmental collaboration necessary (maximum £1000.00 funding per application).

Seed funding for 2023/24 is an a one-stage application form and funding will be considered by the panel three times a year to respond to needs as they arise.

This academic year (2023/24) preference will be given to applications that address:

  • Improvements to the experience of Assessment and Feedback
  • Data insights into Learning and Teaching
  • AI in Education
  • PGT Education and Experience
  • Sustainability Education
  • Novel approaches to student partnership working

However other excellent and innovative learning and teaching proposals can also be considered.

Find out how you can apply for Seed TDF funding for 2023/24

Shape Teaching Development Fund

Shape supports larger-scale departmental collaboration innovation projects.

Staff and Students (collaboration with an academic member of staff) can apply for Shape funding to develop, enhance and share teaching and learning practices to support the University's aim to deliver the highest quality student learning experience.

This academic year (2023/24) preference will be given to applications that address:

  • Improvements to the experience of Assessment and Feedback
  • Data insights into Learning and Teaching
  • AI in Education
  • PGT Education and Experience
  • Sustainability Education
  • Novel approaches to student partnership working

However other excellent and innovative learning and teaching proposals can also be considered.

Applications will require an initial Expression of Interest, followed by an invitation to submit a full application form if the project is deemed to be eligible for TDF funding. Shape Funding is up to £3000 and considered once a year by the panel.

Find out how you can apply for Shape TDF funding for 2023/24.

If you have an idea for a project to enhance learning and teaching, please read the TDF criteria, terms and conditions to find out if you could apply for funding.

Evaluating your project

In your application you will be asked to describe how you will evaluate the success of your project. Having an evaluation plan embedded from the start of your project will be critical to the consideration of any application.

Many applicants will already have a plan in place for this. If needed, further guidance is available from TASO. The TDF panel would like to draw applicants' attention especially to the Theories of Change exercise which is a sector-wide guide on how to set out the expectations of any initiative and determine what needs to be measured

Collaborate Ideas

Do you have an idea but would like some collaboration and or input from other interested members? Please contact the CLT

Further Funding Opportunities For further funding opportunities please visit our funding opportunities page

Enquiries

If you have any questions, please contact us.


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