The Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) in the Department of Education offers one round of applications for seed grants in 2015 - Round 2: Monday 22 June.

Seed Grants support pilot projects, which test and evaluate an original idea, or stand-alone, small-scale project, or projects which build the capacity of early career academics.

Applications can address any of the priorities for Innovation and Development Grants, including academic standards, the contemporary PhD, and improving access.

The broad aim of the OLT Grants programme is to provide funding for academics and professional staff to investigate, discover, develop and implement innovations in learning and teaching.  Grants facilitate scholarship and research into learning and teaching, and promote systemic change in the sector. 

In keeping with the principles of diversity, collaboration and high impact, the circumstances for funding single institution projects are that proposed work will:

• Include case studies of an issue, idea or approach of importance to the higher education sector
• include a comprehensive and convincing strategy to ensure outcomes and project materials take into account different institutional contexts and can be applied in those different contexts
• include a comprehensive plan for dissemination to the relevant audiences: sharing has to be embedded in the conduct of the project.

Seed projects are expected to receive institutional support in addition to the OLT funding.

Applications are 10 A4 pages and need to address all the following criteria:

• Project rationale and need for the project
• Project outputs (or deliverables)
• Project impact
• Project approach
• Project team and governance
• Project budget

They also include:

• An internal form including Aim (55 words); Abstract (155 words); Keywords (20 words)
• An institutional letter of endorsement
• Additional letters of support eg. accrediting bodies/Councils of Deans
• Biographies for the project leader and team members
• Technological developments must submit design specifications (one A4 page)

Please notify your intention to apply to Murdoch’s ICO Linda Butcher l.butcher@murdoch.edu.au who will guide you through the process.