Author: Graeme Redshaw-Boxwell

The Advance HE National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) celebrates excellent practice and outstanding achievement in learning and teaching in higher education. The awards support individuals’ professional development in learning and teaching and provide a national focus for institutional teaching and learning excellence schemes.

LTDS support applications to the NTFS, and work with the National Teaching Fellows in the University to promote their work and teaching excellence. Each institution can nominate three colleagues to each round of the scheme. In 2019 and 2020 the University was very successful with all six candidates successful in achieving their NTF status.

More details about the scheme can be found on the Advance HE website.

Advance HE have created some guidance for participants and institutions for their 2021 scheme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir84mLWTWUA

2021 National Teaching Fellowship Scheme

Application to be an institutional nominee

Nominations are welcomed from all members of staff who feel their work has a major, positive impact on student teaching and learning. Staff who would like to be considered should provide a reflective submission, with a maximum of 1000 words, which addresses the following criteria:

• Your personal practice and why this should be recognised as outstanding,
• Your impact on colleagues, both internally and externally,
• Your commitment to your ongoing professional development.

All UK higher education providers are eligible to enter up to three members of staff that teach and/or support learning in higher education. Your submission should be sent to LTDS@newcastle.ac.uk by 12 noon on the 16th November 2020.

The Advance HE Criteria

Eligibility- Nominees need to be a Fellow of the HEA (any category)

1. Individual excellence: evidence of enhancing and transforming the student learning experience commensurate with the individual’s context and the opportunities afforded by it.

This may, for example, be demonstrated by providing evidence of: 

• stimulating students’ curiosity and interest in ways which inspire a commitment to learning;
• organising and presenting high quality resources in accessible, coherent and imaginative ways which in turn clearly enhance students’ learning;
• recognising and actively supporting the full diversity of student learning needs;
• drawing upon the results of relevant research, scholarship and professional practice in ways which add value to teaching and students’ learning;
• engaging with and contributing to the established literature or to the nominee’s own evidence base for teaching and learning.

2. Raising the profile of excellence: evidence of supporting colleagues and influencing support for student learning; demonstrating impact and engagement beyond the nominee’s immediate academic or professional role.

This may, for example, be demonstrated by providing evidence of:

• making outstanding contributions to colleagues’ professional development in relation to promoting and enhancing student learning;
• contributing to departmental/faculty/institutional/national initiatives to facilitate student learning;
• contributing to and/or supporting meaningful and positive change with respect to pedagogic practice, policy and/or procedure.

3. Developing excellence: evidence of the nominee’s commitment to her/his ongoing professional development with regard to teaching and learning and/or learning support.

This may, for example, be demonstrated by providing evidence of:

• on-going review and enhancement of individual professional practice;
• engaging in professional development activities which enhance the nominee’s expertise in teaching and learning support;
• engaging in the review and enhancement of one’s own professional and/or academic practice;
• specific contributions to significant improvements in the student learning experience.

How LTDS can help:

We can provide support and advice on the NTFS scheme and the application process. For all queries please contact LTDS@newcastle.ac.uk