There are two collection dates for the DELTA Award: 20 June with decision by 1 November of the same year and 1 December with decision by 31 March of the following year. Teams wishing to apply for the Award need to notify the National Forum of their intention to submit approximately six months in advance of the collection date: for the 20 June collection date intention to submit must be lodged by 1 December; for the 1 December collection date intention to submit must be lodged by 1 June.

The National Forum DELTA Award is time limited for three years; achievement of the DELTA Award is represented in a digital badge.

No, but all teams will need to have the sign off of their host institution.

Yes. A programme team can apply provided they have the sign off of their host institution.

Yes – provided that the applicants from each institution involved have the appropriate sign off from their individual institutions.

Yes – ‘intentions to submit’ will undergo an initial review by National Forum colleagues and, where required, by an international panel member and a student representative.

No. It is important that the process leading to a submission is a committed activity, without reference to other levers.

All teams who are found by the panel to fulfil the criteria will be deemed eligible for the DELTA Award. There is no limit on the number of teams that can receive an Award in any given round.

Discipline groups recommended through the review process will be awarded a nationally recognised DELTA Award. Awardees will be able to cite this national recognition in all communication, quality reviews, programme reviews and accrediting body reviews. The DELTA Award is nationally endorsed, internationally reviewed evidence of a discipline group’s demonstrated achievements in and commitment to the enhancement of teaching and learning.

There is no limit on the number of people who can be involved in a team. It is up to the team to agree the numbers involved, so long as the institution recognises the grouping as a team.

Yes.

No. The team must produce the video. Teams should note that the National Forum and reviewers will not be concerned with the production values of the video, rather they will be interested in what the team has to say in the video, and the passion and conviction that they convey.

Yes. Teams will be given constructive feedback about how to improve their applications for resubmission if they intend to re-apply.

There is no difference between the application process for new applications and renewal applications. The review process for new and renewal application is slightly different. Specifically, Figure 2 in the DELTA handbook illustrates the process around the review of DELTA renewal applications.

Where teams are renewing a DELTA Award they submit their application following the renewal process outlined in the handbook. After the submission date, a selection of the renewal applications will be distributed to the international review panel for their consideration. Not all renewal applications will be reviewed by the international review panel. The only full and completed applications which are submitted according to the renewal process, which will not be awarded the DELTA, are those which are chosen to be reviewed by the international panel where the panel find that they do not meet the agreed criteria. All other completed applications which are submitted will be have their DELTA Award renewed.

Yes. You can be involved in a team which is renewing an award and applying for a new one but this would involve two separate applications which would be dealt with in line with the associated processes.

We recommend that colleagues only lead on one application at any submission date. Application for a DELTA Award is a comprehensive process which will involve a reasonable amount of time especially for the team lead, hence, colleagues should only lead on one application, new or for renewal, in any round.

Some teams will have experience of scholarship of T&L but this is not essential for all teams that may apply.

We understand that student partnership can take many shapes and we are open to the breadth of approaches that institutions/departments adopt. The student partnership in the application should be meaningful and authentic, should provide space for the inclusion of the student voice, should reflect a commitment to impact on student learning and student success, and should strenuously avoid tokenism. There are a range of ways that this can be achieved and teams should choose the ways that are most appropriate to them, their students and their context.

If you want to defer submission of your application you should contact the National Forum by email on deltaaward@teachingandlearning.ie

If a team lodges an ‘intention to submit’ for renewal after the DELTA Award has lapsed that intention will be considered under the ‘new’ applications, as opposed to under the renewal applications.

Yes. Renewal teams who are not selected to meet the international panel to discuss their application, but who would like to do so should contact the National Forum.

For this we recommend that you focus on the two specific sections in the feedback concerned with additional evidence to produce the team’s digest of evidence of not more than a page.

Our first preference is that student team members are present for the whole conversation. However, if this is not possible due to other commitments and student team members are only able to attend part of the meeting we ask that the students attend either the first 15 minutes or the last 15 minutes, and that you let us know in advance so that we can ensure that any questions involving student partnership are asked when students are present. As a last option it may be possible to provide an input from the students in audio or video form of not more than 2 minutes in length with advance permission from the National Forum. This would be played at the reviewers’ pre-meeting and would be an exceptional case, and not the norm.

Yes. It is fine to record the action under one component, ideally the most relevant one. You should also make reference to the fact that that action contributes to other components and you should name those other components.

Yes. Students who have contributed to the work of the team, but may have since graduated, are still welcome to partake in the next stages of the review process. If new students do join the team in the next academic year, they are equally welcome to be involved. A process around continuity for student partnership can support ongoing engagement across the work of the team and this is encouraged. Ultimately, it is important to demonstrate authentic and meaningful student partnership.

The requests for evidence that the panel makes is dependent on the application. The request for evidence occurs when the panel want to know more about an aspect of the application. Where requests for evidence occur, teams are generally asked to indicate where the evidence may be found or to provide a concise digest of the requested evidence.

The DELTA Award was designed as a developmental process. It is ideal when the process proves useful and results in a plan which teams want to pursue. The Award review process should contribute to team’s development and pursuit of their goals by providing useful guidance and feedback.

If the reviewers have not requested additional evidence, teams do not need to prepare and submit same.

Any additional evidence requested should be submitted to the National Forum as a one-page PDF document, in bullet points, short summary format, written in plain English and containing no weblinks. This 1 one-page PDF document will be shared with the review panel in advance of the conversation. The evidence may, or may not, be discussed in the conversation with the panel.

Yes. If new students join the team, they are welcome to be involved. A process around continuity for student partnership can support ongoing engagement across the work of the team and this is encouraged. Ultimately, it is important to demonstrate authentic and meaningful student partnership.

Yes. We strongly encourage student team members to participate in the conversation with the review panel. Our first preference is that student team members are present for the whole conversation. However, if this is not possible due to other commitments and student team members are only able to attend part of the meeting we ask that the students attend either the first 15 minutes or the last 15 minutes, and that you let us know in advance so that we can ensure that any questions involving student partnership are asked when students are present. As a last option it may be possible to provide an input from the students in audio or video form of not more than 2 minutes in length with advance permission from the National Forum. This would be played at the reviewers’ pre-meeting and would be an exceptional case, and not the norm.