Through VIT&L Events, there is now an opportunity for anyone invested in teaching and learning within the Irish higher education community to hold events to highlight the value of teaching and learning within their own institutional, project or disciplinary contexts and to consider how the value of teaching and learning can be strengthened into the future.
Applications are now invited from programme teams/discipline groups/schools/institutions/national groups across Irish higher education who wish to host a VIT&L Event during the period 08 November – 30 November 2021.
What Kind of Events Can Be Funded?
This call is extending the funding opportunities already available for conference sponsorship through the National Forum for this year. All funded events must align with the overarching theme of Valuing Ireland’s Teaching and Learning. However, the exact nature and focus of proposed events will depend on the needs of the given institution, unit or group. Events may focus on sharing and celebrating ongoing enhancement work, providing an opportunity to hold strategic discussions, or allowing the local or national higher education community (including both students and staff) to gather and reflect on key aspects of how teaching and learning is valued and how to bring collective knowledge and efforts forward in a positive way.
For example, events may focus on:
- Strategic institutional discussions about the place of teaching and learning within local policy and decision-making and how the value of teaching and learning can be strengthened
- Sharing and valuing ongoing teaching and learning enhancement work
- Considering how the relational, structural, practical or policy aspects of teaching and learning can be valued, supported and recognised
- Gathering views and experiences from those who learn, teach and/or lead on the shift to online/remote learning and considering what has been learned for the future about how teaching and learning can/should be valued
- Considering the place of teaching and learning in evolving institutional contexts, e.g., in the context of institutional mergers
- Leveraging partnerships between those who teach and their students, as well as the wider educational community, to foster collective advocacy in strengthening the value placed on teaching and learning
The above is by no means an exhaustive list – it is intended only to prompt ideas for event proposals and give a sense of the range of options available under the broad funding theme.
Events can be online or in person (if public health recommendations allow). Both intra- and inter-institutional VIT&L Event proposals are welcome.
What are the Eligibility Criteria?
The applicant must be a staff member at an institution associated with the National Forum. (Note: It is possible for teams from nationally-funded projects, such as those funded through the HEA Innovation and Transformation Fund, to apply to host a VIT&L Event.)
Applications must have the acknowledged support of their institution (or be submitted by the team lead in the case of nationally-funded projects).
The applicant must be in a position to host a seminar/event/conference between 08 November and 30 November 2021. (Note: Co-ordination of registration for the event is the responsibility of the organiser.)
The applicant must provide full details of the event to the National Forum, for inclusion on the VIT&L Week website. (Note: All events must include VIT&L branding using the resources available here.)
Detail of Funding to Support Events
Funding of up to €2500 is available to cover the costs of hosting each face-to-face or online event. Funding can cover payment for a guest speaker (if they are not from a publicly-funded institution in Ireland) and their associated travel/subsistence costs, catering costs, printing of resource packs for your event and costs relating to accessibility (see below) and/or recording and editing costs.
Funding cannot be used to purchase equipment or buy out time from lecturers/staff employed at the hosting institution or another publicly-funded institution in Ireland.
Event organisers are advised to consider the accessibility of their events and the use, for example, of captions and/or Irish sign language interpretation (additional funds may be made available on a case-by-case basis for support relating to making the event more accessible).
Where a VIT&L Event is collaboratively organised by more than one institution, one lead institution must be clearly identified. This institution will be responsible for managing the funding.
Where a VIT&L Event is collaboratively organised by a national project team, the team lead must submit the application.
Important Dates
01 June 2021
VIT&L Week Events submission interface opens
27 October 2021 (updated)
Deadline for events call
27 October 2021
Deadline for scholarship call (option 2)
27 October 2021
Deadline for scholarship call (option 1)
What if I Have a Question?
Please direct any queries to vital@teachingandlearning.ie with the subject line, Vital Events
