The Taylor Institute conducting teaching and learning initiatives for 2022
By Luis Armando Sanchez Diaz, November 13 2021—
The Taylor Institute of Teaching and Learning has opened the application process for the University of Calgary’s Teaching Scholars program and for the Teaching and Learning Grants for 2022.
In the launch message, Dr. Teri Balser, provost and vice-president academic of the U of C stressed that the initiatives, “highlight the Taylor Institute’s commitment to enhancing student learning by generating and supporting research that informs scholarly and culturally relevant teaching practices.”
The Teaching Scholars program is managed by the Taylor Institute and funded by the Office of the Provost and is an initiative that supports the development of educational and leadership skills of faculty members.
“[It] is designed to support academic staff as they work to strengthen skills […] by providing resources, support and a community in which to develop their own educational leadership identity,” states the program’s website.
Recipients are eligible to receive up to $40,000 over the course of four years.
As noted on the official webpage, the Teaching and Learning Grants are an initiative funded in conjunction with the Students’ Union Quality Money and are “designed to enhance students’ learning experiences through the integration of teaching, learning and research,” as well as to “support the development, implementation, critical examination, and dissemination of innovative, evidence-based approaches to student learning.”
Applicants can submit their application to one of two streams available — the Development and Innovation (D&I) Grants with a duration of two years and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Grants with a duration of three years. The former grant has a funding amount of up to $10,000 while the latter goes up to $20,000 or $40,000, respectively, if applied individually or as a group.
Both teaching and learning initiatives consist of eight different areas such as Sustainability, Open Educational Resources, Mental health and well-being, Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking, Indigenous Perspectives and Ways of Knowing, Experiential Learning and Undergraduate Research, Online Blended Learning and Accessibility, Equity, Inclusivity and Diversity.
The application process for each program is open to teaching assistants, postdoctoral scholars, administrative and academic staff and other members of the U of C community. Applications are due Jan. 17 and the results will be announced on Feb. 14. For further reading on the Teaching Scholars program online. Visit the Taylor Institute’s website to learn more about Teaching and Learning Grants.