Incubation grants
Incubation grants are funds to support education pedagogic innovation and are for our educators; academics and professional service staff, at the University of Exeter who want to test ideas, explore, and transform their teaching and learning practice, as well as improve student engagement and the learning experience.
These are awards of up to £5000 with the expectation of the project to be delivered over six-months starting September 2024.
Themes
Each year the Education Incubator identifies themes under which projects should align their application. The themes for 2024-2025 are:
This theme invites projects that seek to explore using data and Generative AI to positively support learning, teaching and assessment, and develop students’ skills and outcomes for a future that is AI and data orientated.
We invite applications that have the potential to enhance the student learning experience, improve critical reasoning skills, strengthen creativity and prepare students for real-world applications. This includes applications that address academic integrity, inherent biases and social and ethical issues. Projects should identify how to explore, foster and make an impact on academic rigor, inclusion and diversity.
Applicants are encouraged to consider how these tools might be applied appropriately for different student groups or those with specific learning needs. Projects should also demonstrate how they will share best practice within the university and create opportunities for collaboration and innovation across the UK HE sector as the use of data and technology and its application in education evolves.
Projects should involve meaningful opportunities for students to co-create and collaborate on innovative project activities at every stage.
Link to internal university resources:
We invite applications for projects that explore innovative assessment practices that address inclusive and adaptive assessment, authentic and creative assessment, and generative AI secure assessment. Innovations can include designing for accessibility and inclusion, building in a variety of, and creative ways to assess or provide feedback, and exploring programme level assessment.
Projects can focus on enhancing assessment methods using real-world challenges, experiential and problem-based learning, and consider assessment methods that provide students with portfolio-building learning. This theme's aim is to support educators to consider making assessments inclusive, authentic and engaging for our students.
Projects should also demonstrate how they will share best practice within the university and create opportunities for collaboration and innovation across the UK HE sector. Projects should involve meaningful opportunities for students to co-create and collaborate on innovative project activities at every stage.
Link to internal university resources:
We invite applications that explore teaching and learning activities and innovations that enable students to critically respond to the challenges facing our society, and projects that support our students to build educational, organisational, community and business connections outside of the context of the university, where students can extend and deepen their university learning.
Projects can focus on racial and social justice, sustainability and mapping to the UN SDGs, inclusivity and accessibility, and demonstrate how learners can map skills, attributes and educational gain, and support our learners’ agency to create change and contribute to the creation of a fairer, greener, and healthier world.
Project applications to this theme are to consider fostering learning and collaboration beyond the university, with community, organisations, business, education in our local area: Exeter, Devon and Cornwall.
Projects should involve meaningful opportunities for students to co-create and collaborate on innovative project activities at every stage.
Link to internal University resources:
Who can apply?
We are looking for educators across academic faculty and professional services who want to collaborate and work in small teams on an identified pedagogical challenge together.
What are we looking for?
To be successful in your application the project will have:
- Identified a clear educational pedagogic challenge or problem affecting academic teaching and learning, and student engagement that can be explored, tested and/or addressed through an;
- Actionable project plan which demonstrates how the project will contribute to solving the identified challenge or problem;
- Demonstrate clear and meaningful opportunities for students to engage, participate in and collaborate on innovative activities within the project;
- Robust and reflective budget that aligns with the project activities.
Read our Application Development Guidance to learn more on what to consider for a successful application, planning your project and what can be funded.
What will the project team receive?
- Project funding to pay for 0.2 backfill of academic or administration duties for you and your nominated team’s time to deliver the project, this will need to be approved by your Head of Department;
- Project funding to pay for identified costs to deliver activities within your project plan;
- Project funding to pay students to co-create or be employed as interns through our Student Campus Partners;
- Support and structured approach to developing your solution from the Education Incubator team;
- Access to Experimentation and Innovation Communities of Practice opportunities and networks.
- Access to institutional knowledge to make change through supportive networks;
- Support available to explore sustainable funding streams through the Experimentation and Innovation team.
Selection Criteria
The fund has a selection criterion that a panel review will use to judge an application. This information should be used to help support a written project bid for application.
- The project potential to improve student learning;
- There is an innovative pedagogic approach;
- The extent of meaningful student involvement within the project;
- Alignment with Incubation Grant themes and the University Education Strategy; Curriculum for Change Principles and Transformative Education Framework;
- Whether there is an identification of clear impacts and outcomes;
- Likelihood of being delivered to time and on budget;
- The potential to impact pedagogic practice across the University and develop connections with colleagues in the UK HE sector.
Important notes
- Your Head of Department must have signed off on your completed application to the Exeter Education Incubator, and we will need confirmation.
- We encourage you to talk with the Ethics Team at the University of Exeter to understand the ethical review process and engage in the Research Ethics, Governance & Compliance SharePoint.
How to apply
You can apply by completing the online application form: Experimentation and Innovation Project Proposals
These grants are now closed for the 24-25 academic year.
Please read:
- The selection criteria that the panel review will use to judge your application. This information will also help you focus your written project bid for the application.
- The Application Development Guidance to learn more about; what to consider for a successful application, planning your project and what can be funded.
- The ‘Do I need Ethical approval?’ document written by Dr Karen Kenny as a handy checklist to understand ethical considerations when designing a pedagogical project or research activity.
If you have any questions about this grant and your application or any other future funding opportunities, please email us at edcuationincubator@exeter.ac.uk.