Bond Teaching and Learning Research Grants

Teaching and Learning Research Grants are aimed at encouraging, promoting and rewarding innovative approaches to teaching and learning across the University through funding of research proposals that identify evidence-based approaches to enhancement of student learning.

Research grants should take no more than 12 months to develop, implement and evaluate and adhere to a rigorous research method and data analysis protocol. Individual faculty, as well as interdisciplinary and school-based teaching teams, are encouraged to submit applications.

A Teaching & Learning Research Grants Panel will assess each application and make selection and budget recommendations to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Quality, Teaching, and Learning. The maximum amount for any one grant will be $10,000. Initiatives normally covered by other budgets in the applicant’s faculty/school such as exchange programs, conference/exhibitions attendance, travel and associated travel expenses are not eligible for funding under this initiative. Appropriate expenditures include employment of a research assistant; purchase of software or hardware and consumables.

Note: Monies that have been awarded to a recipient/s which are not expended within the approved period will be returned to the Teaching and Learning Research Grant account for use in the following year.  

Quality,Teaching, & Learning (QTL) manages the funding of these grants and is responsible for the dissemination of the outcomes of the research grants across the University. Research Grant recipients are required to submit a progress report to QTL at the end of three and six months of the grant, followed by a final report on the outcomes of each research grant at the end of the grant period. Once the Research Grants for 2011 are confirmed, QTL will meet with Research Grant leaders to discuss timelines and reporting requirements.

The funded Teaching and Learning Research Grants will identify a gap in higher education literature. Proposals will pose a research question and identify a method of empirically measuring through qualitative and/or quantitative data, and a means of analysing the data. Through this process, teaching academics will collect evidence that their teaching practices are enhancing student learning.

The outcome will be an empirical contribution to higher education knowledge. As such, all Teaching and Learning Research Grant recipients are required to select an appropriate peer-reviewed scholarly journal and write a ready-to-submit journal article within 12 months of commencing the initiative. Grant recipients will also be supported to use this initiative to catalyse other teaching and learning scholarship. For example, a workshop will be offered to use the Teaching and Learning Research Grant project as the basis for an award and/or grant.
 

Value of the grant

The maximum amount for any one grant will be $10,000.

Eligibility

The Office of Quality, Teaching, and Learning acknowledges that Bond Academics have a diverse range of experience with teaching and learning research.  We encourage all teaching academics to participate.  A group workshop on framing the teaching and learning research and writing the proposal will be facilitated and individual one-on-one or small-group sessions are also invited.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be reviewed on the following criteria:

• Quality of application.
  Are all of the questions addressed in a complete and clear manner?
  Is the application professional in presentation?
  
   
• Rationale for teaching and learning research.
  Does the application make a compelling rationale for conducting the specified teaching and learning research?
  
   
• Contribution and context.
  Does the proposed research address a clearly identified knowledge and/or practice gap?
  Does the application present research that has already been conducted in this area and address how the proposed research makes a new contribution?
  
   
• Realistic and doable.
  Does the application include a clear timeline, goals, and a plan that are realistic within the term of the grant?
  
   
• Ethical.
  All Teaching and Learning Research Grant research is subject to ethical approval through BUHREC. No Teaching and Learning Research Grant research may be commenced prior to receiving full BUHREC approval. This includes research participant recruitment.
  The panel will assess whether the research will be deemed ethically appropriate. However, the final decision rests with BUHREC.
  
   
• Publishable.
  The panel will assess whether the research will be deemed publishable within appropriate journals. Meeting the requirements of the Teaching and Learning Research Grant means that a full and complete journal article submission is written, but not that the article is accepted for publication.
  
   
• Budget.
  The panel will assess whether the proposed budget is appropriate and realistic.