Writing Carrick Institute Learning and Teaching Grants Tips for success Judith Lyons Learning and Teaching Development

Overview: Address Criteria Choose the right grant scheme Note RMIT Closing Dates – Competitive Grant – 28th February 2008 Research and Development Student diversity Emerging technology – Leadership Grant - 13th March 2008 Institutional leadership Discipline, cross discipline leadership Leadership projects building on past projects – Priority Grant – 26th March 2008 Assessment Peer Review Teaching and learning spaces

Overview: Address Criteria Choose the right grant scheme - This is focussed on discipline Discipline-Based Initiatives –2008 Guidelines NOT out YET –2007 priorities: Investigative initiatives Common curriculum initiatives Higher Education Enterprise initiatives Usually due in May and August

Applying and process Carrick Institute –2 stage process EoI and Full proposals –Registration on Carrick Management System RMIT internal process –Endorsement DVCA Prof Jim Barber –Review/ Critical friends –Feedback –Final submission by RMIT –(See last slide for details)

Project Aims (Goals) Overall aim –Conceptualise the idea – Needs to have broad impact to HE sector / discipline –Identify the need for improvement of student learning –Identify educational issues and problems that needs addressing to improve student learning and experiences

Specific Aims (objectives) Be specific –Clear objectives –Make it achievable –Align it with your project design/ approach, outcomes and budget –Know the literature and what is happening in your area of the project –Avoid jargon

Rationale and Background Rationale –Significance – how and what it will impact? –impact for other institutions –Use evidence, literature to support –Align it with RMIT Academic Plan, Strategy 2010… Background –Why? –Use evidence, literature to support –What is out there and how your project differs from it or will add to it –Work already done, building on, trialling etc

Project Approach Use appropriate methodology Align it with your objectives, outcomes and budget Make it doable –(phases/stages over the year) Address all the criteria See approaches being used in current projects Build in evaluation –Self/team/expert evaluation

Project Budget (p15) Appropriate budget and justification No infrastructure, and recurrent funding Teaching release ~35,000/year Salaries and 28% oncost Project manager/ assistant 10% administration costs and overheads Collaboration costs Dissemination costs Technical and expert support Travel

Project Management & team Choose teams carefully Build teams into project design Ensure teams have the ability and the time to do the project Buy in technical expertise ie project manager/ educational/ evaluation expertise Gain sponsorship of those who can promote resources/ change/ findings and provide evidence for this

Collaboration and dissemination Collaboration – a must –Use existing networks –Types of collaboration (loose, collaboration and partnership) –Resource it Dissemination –Awareness (seminars, conference, websites, publications etc) –Understanding -they are part of it (silent or active collaboration) –For embedding and use (how others may take up your work to use or build on it

RMIT Processes-Applying for a Carrick Grant Step 1: Download both the individual program guidelines and the Grants Scheme Supporting Information Guidelines. Step 2: Discuss your ideas and intensions to submit with Carrick Grant co-ordinator, Learning and Teaching Development, Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic. Step 3: Get Carrick Grant ID and password – by expressing interest to submit a proposal or EoI from Carrick Management System Step 4: Get Carrick Grant Certification pro forma (This is endorsement from project leader and Head of School) Step 5: Review and feedback - Submit Full proposal or Expression of Interest to Judith Lyons, by the stated RMIT internal Step 6: Submit FINAL application to Judith Lyons, by the stated RMIT deadline for endorsement by Professor Jim Barber Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic