An update from the Office for Learning and Teaching in relation to the Innovation and Development Grants Programme in 2015.
As you are aware, the Information and Application Instructions for OLT’s Programmes are reviewed annually. This process provides an opportunity to ensure programme design continues to support the OLT’s objective of excellence in learning and teaching in higher education.
In considering its programmes in 2015, the OLT is particularly keen to:
- Raise the impact of OLT grants and fellowships
- Reduce red-tape for higher education institutions
As such the 2015 instructions are being improved across three main areas:
- Project impact: will be a focus for all grants projects from 2015 onwards. Applications for new grants will need to address project impact in a more explicit and structured way.
- Reporting: has been streamlined and reduced with new formats that will support project impact.
- Priority areas: have been updated to reflect current and emerging priorities. As a result, some issues previously considered priority have now been removed, and new priorities have been identified and included.
In addition, you will notice that the instruction document is more streamlined, with related information, previously included across different sections, now consolidated. Please also note that applications for Seed projects will be accepted in round 2 2015 only, not in round 1.
Further information about the changes will be provided when the 2015 Innovation and Development Grants Programme Information and Application Instructions go on our website. They are planned to be released at the end of August. The due date for applications for round 1 2015 will be towards the end of November 2014.
Please feel free to forward this notification to colleagues, and please be in touch with the OLT with questions or concerns.
VTAS Promoting Excellence Network 