Definitions
Please refer to the University’s Glossary of Terms for policies and procedures.
Contents
1. Purpose of procedures
2. Opportunities and support
Part A: Learning and Teaching awards and fellowships
3. Nominations and assessment for awards and fellowships
4. Disclosure and dissemination of outcomes
5. Award monies
Part B: Learning and Teaching grants
6. Application and assessment for grants
7. Grant contracts
8. Project establishment
9. Project management and administration
10. Completion of the project
11. Reporting and records management
1. Purpose of procedures
This document is to be read in conjunction with the Learning and Teaching Grants, Awards and Fellowships - Academic Policy. It outlines processes with which the University encourages, supports, and celebrates teaching scholarship.
Guidelines and other local documents to support these procedures are available on the Centre for Support and Advancement of Learning and Teaching (C-SALT) staff intranet site on MyUniSC (staff login required).
2. Opportunities and support
2.1 C-SALT will publish through the University website, intranet (MyUniSC – staff login required) and targeted emails, a bi-annual calendar of professional development and internal and external opportunities for application and/or nomination, including assessment and submission timelines to support staff in forward planning.
2.2 C-SALT will provide information, support and opportunities to engage in professional development activities for applicants and potential nominees.
2.3 C-SALT supports the development of applications for grants, awards and fellowships. Funds may be used for, but not limited to, the following:
- pilot study expenses
- research assistance, or
- buy out of teaching or marking time.
Part A: Learning and Teaching awards and fellowships
3. Nominations and assessment for awards and fellowships
3.1 Members of the University Executive and Deans of Schools will identify potential nominees and encourage and support staff who demonstrate excellence in an identified category to nominate for internal and external grants, awards and fellowships.
3.2 Internal nomination and assessment process
C-SALT will manage the internal nomination and assessment process as follows:
(a) C-SALT will call for nominations from all staff and students of the University. Self-nomination is not permitted for internal awards.
(b) Nominees must submit the appropriate application template to C-SALT outlining specific contributions for an award or fellowship and justify why they warrant the University or external funding body awarding this recognition and reward for exceptional achievement.
(c) The Dean (Academic) will make a final assessment of the nominee’s eligibility for the award or fellowship (except for Higher Education Academy Fellowships). Alternatively, the Dean (Academic) may constitute an Awards and Fellowships Selection Panel and delegate the chair to identify which internal nominees should be recommended for endorsement. The Panel will meet when necessary to consider nominations.
(d) The Panel will draw criteria from a number of sources including relevant external reference points, including, but not limited to current legislation and standards:
(i) Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000
(ii) Higher Education Standards Framework (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency)
(iii) Higher Education Support Act 2003
(iv) Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
The weight attached to each criterion will be a matter of judgement by the Panel and associated with the category applied for.
(e) The Panel may seek any additional information as necessary.
(f) The Panel will deliberate on applications of nominees for awards or fellowships for particular categories each year and will recommend to the Dean (Academic) the names and number of recipients. The Panel may recommend that awards or fellowships should be withheld in a particular category in any year.
(g) All the information, including the names of those nominated, must be regarded with the strictest confidence and only the Chair will be allowed to speak publicly on behalf of the Panel. The Awards and Fellowships Selection Panel will regard individual award nominations as highly confidential and will not publicly disclose Panel discussions, outcomes and individual nominations.
(h) The Dean (Academic) will make a final assessment of the nominee(s) eligibility for the award.
3.3 External nomination and assessment process
C-SALT will manage the external nomination and assessment process as follows:
(a) C-SALT will support the nominee with preparing the award and fellowship nominations, gain necessary executive approvals and submit nominations when required.
(b) The Dean (Academic) will make a final assessment of the nominee’s eligibility for the award or fellowship. Alternatively, the Dean (Academic) may constitute an Awards and Fellowships Selection Panel to engage in clear and transparent processes to identify which nominations to endorse for submission to external bodies.
(c) Nominations submitted to external bodies are subject to the external organisation's Privacy Information policy.
4. Disclosure and dissemination of outcomes
4.1 After confirmation by the successful nominees of their acceptance, a judgement will be made by the Dean (Academic), on advice from the Panel where appropriate, about the timing of the disclosure of the outcomes.
4.2 The University will acknowledge and celebrate successful Award and Fellowships winners through ceremonies and celebrations and when appropriate support applicants to attend external award and fellowship ceremonies.
4.3 C-SALT will ensure that:
(a) the University community is aware of the success of their colleagues both locally and at national levels through liaising with Marketing and reporting success to the Learning and Teaching Committee
(b) the University award and fellowships winners are listed on the web and publicly displayed where possible
(c) the University award and fellowship winners and University representatives are invited to attend award ceremonies, and
(d) award and fellowship winners are invited to participate in learning and teaching activities and programs delivered by C-SALT as valued learning and teaching models of excellence.
5. Award monies
5.1 C-SALT and the recipients will manage the disbursement of internal award monies as follows:
(a) Award monies must be allocated to a project account in the school or department and not paid directly to the recipient.
(b) The award monies must be used for the professional development of the recipient and/or the further development or dissemination of good practice teaching or activities related to the award or their service/program.
(c) The recipients will provide a budget and expected expenditure with justification within three months of receiving the award or fellowship.
(d) The disbursement of award monies will comply with financial delegations and the Financial Management Practices – Managerial Policy and protocols in the Financial Management Practices Manual relating to University expenditure.
(e) In the case of an award with partner institutions C-SALT will prepare a memorandum of understanding with regards the sharing of the award money.
(f) If a recipient leaves the service of the University before funds expend or does not expend the award monies within twelve months of receipt, the unexpended portion will revert to the issuing cost centre unless otherwise approved by the Dean (Academic).
An award monies expenditure report will be required at the end of the twelve-month period.
5.2 C-SALT and the recipients will manage the disbursement of external award monies as per the funding body’s requirements as outlined in authoritative documents.
Part B: Learning and Teaching grants
6. Application and assessment for grants
6.1 Staff intending to prepare grant applications for major grant rounds will notify C-SALT after consultation with their line manager, using the appropriate form, in accordance with the published internal timeline.
6.2 C-SALT will acknowledge receipt of the intention to submit within 3 working days.
6.3 The applicant will prepare the draft grant application, gain the compulsory peer feedback, and complete the relevant Learning and Teaching Grant Application forms, and then forward the grant application to the Dean of School.
6.4 The Dean of School and/or Cost Centre Manager will check the application and cover sheet, endorse them when satisfied that they are complete and accurate, and return the application to the applicant.
6.5 The applicant will forward the endorsed application and cover sheet to C-SALT according to the published internal timelines.
6.6 C-SALT will acknowledge receipt of the application within 3 working days, open an electronic C-SALT file for the application, and enter key information into the Research Information Management System (RIMS). C-SALT will check the application and cover sheet and will endorse them when satisfied that they are complete and accurate.
6.7 In the case of an internal grant scheme, C-SALT will:
(a) forward the application and cover sheet to the Dean (Academic) recommending endorsement, or the application may be assessed by a selection panel at the discretion of the Dean (Academic), and
(b) upon endorsement by the Dean (Academic), C-SALT will inform the applicant of the outcome.
6.8 In the case of an external grant scheme, C-SALT will:
(a) forward the application and cover sheet to the Dean (Academic) recommending endorsement, or the application may be assessed by a selection panel at the discretion of the Dean (Academic), and
(b) upon endorsement by the Dean (Academic), submit the application to the granting body by the due date, providing details of the institutional contact for the application.
6.9 C-SALT will notify the applicant, the Dean (Academic), Dean, Academic, Dean of School, and/or Cost Centre Manager of the outcome of the application as soon as it is notified.
7. Grant contracts
7.1 In the case of an internal grant, C-SALT will issue the conditions of grant: acceptance of award and associated conditions form for acceptance by the project leader.
7.2 In the case of an external grant C-SALT will liaise between the project leader and the granting body to reach agreement on the final form of the contract to be signed by the University and the granting body. C-SALT will follow the usual practices as required in the Management of Contracts and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) Procedures.
(a) obtain legal advice for contract negotiations as required, including clarification of ownership of any intellectual property of grant outcomes
(b) when the terms of the contract have been settled, prepare copies of the contract for signing by the Vice-Chancellor and President and the authorised officer of the granting body
(c) forward the contract to the Vice-Chancellor and President with a memorandum recommending that the contract be signed, and
(d) when the Vice-Chancellor and President has signed the contract, submit a copy of the contract to the granting body for signature.
7.3 When the internal or external contract has been signed and returned, C-SALT will place a scanned copy of the signed contract in to RIMS within 3 working days of receipt of the signed contract.
7.4 The Project Leader must request approval for variations during the life of the project through C-SALT. The chair of the selection panel must endorse variations for internal grants, and in the case of an external grant the authorised officer of the granting body. C-SALT will adjust the cover sheet accordingly.
7.5 In the case of a project leader leaving the service of the University, project leadership can be transferred to a team member with the approval of the selection panel chair.
8. Project establishment
8.1 C-SALT will open a file in the University’s record management system for the project and place the contract onto the file, and adjust RIMS data as necessary.
8.2 The project leader will seek research ethics approval for the project.
8.3 C-SALT will open an account for the project and advise that the funds are credited to the project account and provide a copy of the account name and number to the project leader and school administrator within 3 working days of the agreement being executed.
8.4 In the case of an external grant, C-SALT will invoice the funding body according to the funding schedule in the contract and notify the project leader and the school administrator when the funds are credited to the project account.
8.5 Financial Services will provide access to the project account for the project leader and the school administrator.
8.6 The project leader and the school administrator will distribute funds from the project account according to the terms of the cover sheet.
8.7 The project leader and the school administrator will manage project funds so that project expenditure matches the project budget.
9. Project management and administration
9.1 The project leader and the school administrator will manage the project according to the contract, particularly in relation to the specified project milestones, progress reporting, project budget and cover sheet arrangements.
9.2 The project leader and school administrator will authorise the project expenditure strictly according to the project budget.
9.3 Financial Services will provide regular project account activity reports to the school administrator who then provides them to the project leader.
9.4 C-SALT will monitor the project management to ensure project leaders receive timely reminders about project reporting, manage any contract variations, and maintain the project file and RIMS.
9.5 The project leader will forward progress reports and final reports to C-SALT according to the agreed schedule, and C-SALT will submit them to the Dean (Academic) for internally funded projects or to the funding body for externally funded projects.
9.6 In the case of a project leader leaving the service of the University and the project closes or a project closes before the funds expend, the unexpended portion will revert to the issuing cost centre unless otherwise approved by the Dean (Academic).
10. Completion of the project
10.1 The project leader will notify C-SALT when the project has been completed, and in the case of an external project the project leader will also notify the relevant external body.
10.2 C-SALT will manage the financial acquittal of the project according to the terms of the cover sheet and agreement, including any auditing requirements, and will close the project account.
10.3 C-SALT will complete the records of the project in an approved Information Management System, close the project file, and inform the project leader, school administrator, and Financial Services.
11. Reporting and records management
11.1 C-SALT will provide regular reports on grants, awards and fellowships to the Dean (Academic) and to the Learning and Teaching Committee.
11.2 All records must be captured by all staff, at every stage of this activity, and should provide reliable and accurate evidence of business decisions and actions. All records must be captured in approved records management systems, in accordance with the University’s Information and Records Management – Procedures.
END