Teaching and Learning Enhancement Projects (TLEP) scheme

The Teaching and Learning Enhancement Projects (TLEP) scheme is open to all staff who are involved in teaching and/or supporting teaching and learning.

The scheme offers 'start-up' funding between £500 and £2,500 to encourage and enable staff to experiment and/or develop practice. Funding is based on the belief that small projects can be significant catalysts for enhancement and improvement, both in the short term and further into the future.

Guidance:

TLEP projects can address any aspect of teaching and learning or support for teaching and learning, either through direct contact with students (e.g. developing an aspect of your teaching practice) or through indirect interaction (e.g. developing new ways of working that support student learning or improve efficiency and effectiveness of existing ways of working).

Projects can focus on experimentation (trying something new and gaining insight) or developing existing practice (meeting an identified need through a specific intervention).

Examples of how funding might be used could include:

Employing a student/students to develop a resource, gather feedback or conduct background research;
Purchasing additional equipment (i.e. equipment that would not normally be funded by the Department/School/Service) in order to try a new approach to teaching and learning;
Fees for an external expert to help redevelop or reshape an aspect of teaching.

Projects can either come from a single department/school/unit and be relevant to local practice only, or involve multiple departments.

Applicants should ensure that any other schools/departments/services referred to in their application, who will be involved in project implementation, have been consulted as appropriate prior to submitting an application.

Where the proposed project involves collaboration with others, applicants are encouraged to embed the Principles of Partnership in their work.

Please note that the same (or a very similar) initiative would not normally receive T&L funding on multiple occasions. For example, a project funded through the T&L Initiatives Fund would not normally be eligible to receive further funding through the TLEP or Partnerships in Learning and Teaching (PLanT) scheme. There is an expectation that any longer-term initiatives will become self-sustaining.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their application with a member of the CQSD team prior to submitting it. Please contact cqsd-tandl@reading.ac.uk.

If you are interested in applying for TLEP funding, you may wish to access a recording of the ‘Applying for TLEP Funding’ webinar which took place on Monday 11 March 2024. In this session, we discussed the application process and criteria, and some previous funding recipients shared their tips on what makes for a successful project and application. The recording is in two parts and captures most of the session:

Applying for TLEP Funding - Part 1: https://reading.yuja.com/V/Video?v=699481&node=3371299&a=56795775

Applying for TLEP Funding - Part 2: https://reading.yuja.com/V/Video?v=699482&a=134215729

Scheme criteria:

All proposals must:

Articulate what will be gained from undertaking the project and who will benefit (This could be the impact on student learning and working, or insight that informs future developments in teaching or teaching support);
Identify how the impact/outcomes of the project will be evaluated (how success is measured) and how project outcomes will be disseminated*
Demonstrate how the project aligns with local strategic School/Department priorities (this can apply to multiple Schools/Departments as appropriate) and with the University Strategic Plan 2020-2026 **
Identify plans for project-related activities to continue beyond the project and/or for project outcomes to be realised in a sustainable way;
Be supported by the Head of School/Department/Service.

*Please see the section below on Dissemination.

** When considering alignment with the University Strategic Plan 2020-2026, applicants may wish to focus on the four strategic principles of Community (including equality, diversity and inclusion), Excellence, Sustainability (including environmental sustainability) and an Engaged University.

Funding Requirements and Guidance:

The purpose of the guidance below is to support colleagues who are planning to submit an application for, or have already been allocated a Teaching & Learning funding award with the overall planning and managing of their budget.

Guidance for the Financial Administration of a Teaching and Learning Funding Award CQSD

Some important notes to be aware of on the financial management of the TLEP Project for the financial year 2024-2025 is below:

The funding is only available during the financial year following the award being made. Therefore, if you are successful in your application during the 2023-2024 academic year, the award will only be available during the 2024-2025 financial year and your project can commence any date from 1^st August 2024 but must be completed by 31^st July 2025.
Gift vouchers or Campus Card top-ups cannot be used as an incentive to encourage student attendance at focus groups or as a payment for the completion of work/tasks. Payments via gift vouchers or Campus Card could be considered a 'benefit in kind' and therefore be subject to tax. Payment for focus group attendance or work can only be made by Campus Jobs or Human Resources. Applicants should take this into account when drafting their proposed budget.
For guidance on completing payments contact Campus Job on 0118 378 4499 or campusjobs@reading.ac.uk

For further information or guidance please contact CQSD: cqsd-tandl@reading.ac.uk

Dissemination:

Successful applicants are required to disseminate the outcomes and impact of their project as a condition of receiving TLEP funding. You could do this in a variety of ways, as appropriate to the nature of your project. For example, you could share the outcomes of your project through a blog post, by participating in an internal event such as a School away day or a University-wide T&L showcase or conference, by presenting at an external conference, or by publishing your findings in a pedagogic journal. In the first instance, once your project has been completed, we strongly encourage you to submit an entry for the T&L Exchange.

Some examples of TLEP project reports published on the T&L Exchange are available here:

If you would like to discuss opportunities for dissemination, please contact CQSD:

Application process:

The University is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion through its Teaching & Learning funding and award schemes, and to ensuring that these schemes are accessible to all colleagues. We welcome applications from individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including ethnic minority, LGBTQIA+, disabled and neurodivergent applicants. We also welcome applications from the wide range of disciplines and areas across the University, including colleagues in professional services roles and those on part-time contracts.

Staff are invited to submit an application to the TLEP Selection Panel using the application form (see below).

Applicants are asked to provide details of:

The Project Outline and Rationale (max 700 words)

The overall aim(s) of the project.
What you plan to do, including a brief outline of what the funding would be used for.
The expected or intended impact or insight that will come from undertaking the project and who will benefit (including student numbers, where applicable).
How the project will be evaluated and how project outcomes will be disseminated.
How the project aligns with the local strategic School/Department priorities and with the University Strategic Plan 2020-2026.
Plans for project-related activities to continue beyond the project and/or for project outcomes to be realised in a sustainable way.

Applicants should refer closely to the scheme criteria when completing this section.

Applicants are strongly advised to adhere to the maximum word limit. The Selection Panel will not take into account any words exceeding this limit. Hyperlinks and video clips will not be taken into consideration by the Panel and should therefore be avoided. The judicious use of images, diagrams and tables is permitted (any text should be included in the word count).

Project Budget

Itemised list of funding that is being requested, including VAT.

Applicants are required to provide justification for the inclusion of any funding for buy-out of staff time within their proposed budget and to explain how any staff buy-out would be implemented e.g. by increasing the hours of part-time staff.

Applicants are expected to discuss their application with their Head of School/Service, who should be asked to sign the application form prior to submission

Selection process:

Applications will be considered by the TLEP Selection Panel and will be selected according to the extent to which they meet the scheme criteria.

Applicants should bear in mind that this is a competitive process as a limited amount of funding is available each year.

The TLEP Selection Panel comprises:

Two Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellors (Education and Student Experience), one of whom will act as Chair
A Reading University Teaching Fellow
A CQSD representative
The Reading Students' Union Education Officer

Application dates:

Scheme opens: 9.00am, Monday 17th February 2025.
Closing date for applications: 17:00pm, Monday14th April 2025.

Applicants will normally receive the Selection Panel's decision and feedback within four working weeks of the closing date

Application form:

If you experience any difficulties completing or submitting the application form please contact Martin Wise m.wise@reading.ac.uk

This scheme is currently closed (see dates above).

Completed applications must be converted into a .PDF file and then submitted to Martin Wise (m.wise@reading.ac.uk) before the closing date/time.

Sample applications:

Applicants may wish to refer to the following successful applications from previous years.