Partnerships in Learning and Teaching (PLanT) Projects Funding Scheme
Every year funding of up to £500 is available for a small number of Partnerships in Learning and Teaching (PLanT) projects.
PLanT projects involve staff and students working as partners to identify problems, find solutions, and enhance teaching and learning at the University. Projects should demonstrate a clear impact on the student experience.
You can read about a number of previous PLanT projects on the T&L Exchange:
“Making it our year abroad”: A student-staff collaboration to support the year abroad experience for languages students
Embedding Employability Through Collaborative Curriculum Design.
Blended Learning - Exploring the experience of disabled Law students
Selection Process
The University is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion through its Teaching & Learning funding and award schemes, and to ensuring that these schemes are accessible to all colleagues. We welcome applications from individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including ethnic minority, LGBTQIA+, disabled and neurodivergent applicants. We also welcome applications from the wide range of disciplines and areas across the University, including colleagues in professional services roles and those on part-time contracts.
Proposals will be considered by the PLanT Projects Selection Panel and will be selected according to the extent to which they meet the scheme criteria.
The PLanT Projects Selection Panel comprises:
- An Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) who will act as Chair
- A University of Reading Teaching Fellow
- A representative from the Academic Development and Enhancement team in CQSD
- A representative from the Technology Enhanced Learning team in CQSD
- The Reading Students' Union Education Officer
Please note that a limited number of awards are made each year, so applicants should bear in mind that this is a competitive process.
Scheme Criteria
All proposals must:
1. Articulate the rationale behind, and aims/objectives of, the project, including how it aligns with local School/Department and institutional strategic priorities;
2. Demonstrate how students will work in partnership with staff during the lifecycle of the project;
3. Identify the anticipated impact on teaching and learning and/or the student learning experience and how this will be evaluated.
Additional funding for Decolonising the Curriculum
Additional funding from the Diversity & Inclusion budget is being allocated to fund up to five additional PLanT projects each year until 2027/28 with a specific focus on decolonising the curriculum. Acknowledging that we are all at different points on our decolonising journey, eligible projects could involve:
- an initial listening exercise with students about how teaching content and teaching methods in your discipline could be decolonised and which initial steps could be taken;
- an evaluation of the changes you have made to a module to decolonise content/methods and seeking student views via a focus group;
- collaboratively designing and creating with student partners a decolonised approach to assessment methods;
- an evaluation on using the University of Reading Decolonising the Curriculum materials to inform your T&L practice and the realised benefits for students.
The application process and scheme criteria will be as specified above/below, except that instead of demonstrating how the project aligns with local School/Department priorities and University Strategic Priorities (criterion 1), applicants will need to demonstrate how the project aligns specifically with the University’s strategic focus on equality, diversity and inclusion.
You can read about three Decolonising the Curriculum PLanT projects which were funded in 2022/23 in the Decolonising the Curriculum resource 2023 (pages 19-29).
Guidance for applicants:
Applicants should refer to the PLanT Projects Funding Scheme: Guidance for Applicants when completing their application: PLanT - Guidance for applicants
You may also wish to access a recording of the ‘Applying for PLanT Project Funding’ webinar which took place on Thursday 17 October 2024. In this session, we discussed the application process and criteria, and some previous PLanT project leads shared information about their projects and some tips on what makes for a successful project and application.
PLanT projects can be of any duration within an academic year but they must be completed (and the associated funding spent) by 31st July.
Proposals that involve collaboration across Departments/Schools/Services are particularly welcome. Applicants should ensure that any other Schools/Departments/Services referred to in their application, who will be involved in project implementation, have been consulted as appropriate prior to submitting an application.
PLanT projects can involve postgraduate research students but must also involve undergraduate and/or postgraduate taught students.
Please note that the same (or a very similar) initiative would not normally receive T&L funding on multiple occasions. For example, a project funded through the T&L Initiatives Fund would not normally be eligible to receive further funding through the PLanT or Teaching & Learning Enhancement Projects (TLEP) scheme. There is an expectation that any longer-term initiatives will become self-sustaining.Applicants are strongly advised to adhere to the maximum word limit (700 words total for the project description section). The Selection Panel will not take into account any words exceeding this limit. Hyperlinks and video clips will not be taken into consideration by the Panel and should therefore be avoided. The judicious use of images, diagrams and tables is permitted (any text should be included in the word count).
Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their application with a member of the CQSD team prior to submitting it. Please contact cqsd-tandl@reading.ac.uk.
Impact and dissemination:
Successful applicants are required to disseminate the outcomes and impact of their project as a condition of receiving PLanT funding. You could do this in a variety of ways, as appropriate to the nature of your project. For example, you could share the outcomes of your project through a blog post, by participating in an internal event such as a School away day or a University-wide T&L showcase or conference, by presenting at an external conference, or by publishing your findings in a pedagogic journal. In the first instance, once your project has been completed, we strongly encourage you to submit an entry for the T&L Exchange
If you would like to discuss further opportunities for dissemination please contact CQSD - see below for details.
Application dates and form:
Application dates:
Applications can be submitted from: This scheme is currently closed.
Closing date for applications: This scheme is currently closed.
Applicants will normally receive the Selection Panel's decision and feedback (usually via email) within four working weeks of the closing date.
The application form will be here while the scheme is open.
The application form is in a Word format but needs to be saved into a .pdf file and then submitted to Martin Wise m.wise@reading.ac.uk by 17:00pm on the day of the submission deadline.
If you experience any difficulties completing or submitting the application form please contact Martin Wise.
The PLanT application form can be submitted by students or staff members. A lead staff member and lead student should be identified on the application form.
Sample applications:
Applicants may wish to refer to successful applications from previous years. Please note that the scheme criteria and structure of the application form were revised for the 2023/24 academic year,
Example 1:
Building Confidence in Maths and Communication
Example 2:
Example 3:
Exploring and evaluating the decolonisation of mathematics and meteorology modules
Example 4:
Example 5:
First in family: Developing a podcast for First-Generation studentsFunding Requirements and Guidance
The purpose of the guidance below is to support colleagues who are planning to submit an application for, or have already been allocated a Teaching & Learning Development Funding award with the overall planning and managing of the budget.
- Guidance for the Financial Administration of a Teaching and Learning Funding Award (CQSD 28 02 2024)
Some general notes are below :
- Project proposals must provide a budget outline with approximate costs.
- Awarded funding can be used for a range of purchases including equipment, materials, travel expenses, as payment for time, or refreshments for focus groups.
- All project-related expenditure must be complete by 31st July.
- Please note that gift vouchers or Campus Card top-ups cannot be used as an incentive to encourage student attendance at focus groups or as a payment for the completion of work/tasks. Payments via gift vouchers or Campus Card could be considered a 'benefit in kind' and therefore be subject to tax. Applicants should bear this guidance in mind when drafting their proposed budget.
- Payments to students should be completed using the Campus Jobs Portal:- http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/humanresources/campusjobs/
- For guidance on completing these payments please contact Campus Jobs on 0118 378 4499 or campusjobs@reading.ac.uk
***This scheme counts towards the School of Literature and Language's Professional Track***
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