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LITE Fellowships

Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE) Fellowships provide the opportunity for colleagues across the University to carry out a project based on innovative teaching, scholarship or pedagogy.

LITE offers a range of fellowships which will differ according to timescale of delivery, scope of project and focus of research.

  • Accelerator fellowships provide funding in the form of a secondment of up to 0.8 full time equivalent (FTE) in total, which can be allocated to projects to be carried out between one to three years. These projects are targeted at supporting the delivery of the University's student education strategy demonstrating transformation and innovation in the curriculum and wider learning experience. They may be carried out by teams of up to three.
  • Commissioned fellowships are tailored towards a specified research area with clearly defined outcomes. The FTE and duration of the project will be specific to the project.
  • Professional services fellowship offer an opportunity for colleagues within the professional services to explore a project over 12 months at 0.2 FTE (equivalent to 1 day a week). Colleagues who are successful will be provided with a comprehensive range of support to help them carry out their research project including dissemination activity and generation of impact.

Fellows will also be expected to contribute to LITE’s scholarly community, provide content for digital and external-facing profiles and act as an ambassador at internal and external events.

Fellows will evaluate and disseminate their project outputs internally and externally to develop the practice, pedagogy and reputation of student education at the university.

Additional funding to support the delivery of the project is available.

Full details about the fellowships can be found in the candidate brief, this will be shared towards the end of April for 2024 applications. If you require any further information please sign up to a fellowship briefing session or see the FAQ's we have compiled below.

LITE Fellowships: Frequently Asked Questions

About LITE Fellowships

What is a LITE fellowship? 

A LITE fellowship is an opportunity for colleagues at the University of Leeds to undertake a self-directed research project related to student education or the student experience. Those who are awarded a LITE fellowship have some of their working time paid for by LITE.  

Why should I consider a LITE fellowship? 

If you’ve identified a problem/question about student education and would like to better understand its causes and complexities – and generate impact through your findings and solutions – a LITE fellowship may be for you. 

Will there be opportunities for Professional Service staff to apply? 

Yes, all fellowship opportunities are open to professional service members of staff. In addition, the Professional Services Fellowship scheme is open only to professional services staff and provides additional support for those new to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 

If I work part-time, can I apply? 

Yes, with agreement from your current manager you can either have time bought out of your current role or work fellowship time in addition to your current role. 

How many fellowships will be awarded? 

We have a set budget for fellowships and will award as many as we can within this envelope. 

Applications

What types of fellowship can I apply for?

There are three kinds of fellowship: accelerator, commissioned and professional services. To find out which might be the right fit for you, take a look at the descriptions at the top of this page, we have fellowship briefing sessions on Wednesday 24th April that you can sign up to via this MS form, the details of the session are below:

  • Accelerator fellowship briefing session - 11:00-12:30 (in person and online)
  • Professional services fellowship briefing session - 14:00-15:00 (in person and online)

How do I apply for an accelerator or professional services fellowship?

You will submit a research proposal to support your application covering the following points:

  • What is your project about?
  • What is the theoretical pedagogy underpinning this proposal? (Accelerator fellowship applications only)
  • Why is the research important?
  • What change would you like to see?
  • How does this relate to wider Student Education strategy?
  • How will you carry out your research?
  • An approximate timeline for your project.
  • How will you involve students in the project? (Designs involving students as more than participants, e.g., as co-creators, research partners or co-producers are likely to be reviewed more favourably).

How do I apply for a commissioned fellowship?

A commissioned fellowship is offered when a service within the university invites applications from people interested in researching a pre-defined topic. To apply for a commissioned fellowship, you need to outline how you meet the essential criteria set out by the commissioner. Commissioned fellowships are not supervised but are self-directed projects with a pre-defined focus set by the commissioner. While you do not need to submit a project proposal, if you are selected for interview, you will be asked how you would design and undertake the research to fulfil the commissioner's brief.

Do I need to have approval for my fellowship?

Yes, applications will only be considered if they are submitted with approval from relevant stakeholders, e.g. Head of School, Head of Service and Line Manager.

When will applications open for LITE Fellowships in 2024?

Applications open in Spring 2024, with a closing date of the end of June 2024. Successful applicants will start their fellowships in September 2024. We will share the candidate brief after the fellowship briefing session on Wednesday 24th April, you can sign up for a briefing session via out MS form.

When will successful fellowships be announced?

We will aim to inform all successful applicants by the end of July 2024.

Can I start at a different time of year than September?

No, we have found starting at a different time of the year makes fellowships out of sync with the academic calendar and can have a negative impact on the success of the fellowship.

Support

What kind of support can I expect from LITE?

As a LITE fellow you will become part of a supportive community with opportunities to engage with other fellows throughout the year. Within LITE, we have a small team who support over 50 fellows by, for example, acting as a sounding board for advice or feedback on research design, methods, outputs and dissemination, and getting involved in the research process. The support the team provides is not administrative, however. LITE organises regular progress meetings to hear updates from fellows and facilitates workshops on areas of the research process, e.g. research design and ethics. Research support provided by the LITE team should be acknowledged in accordance with the university Fair Attribution Guidelines.

Can I have a meeting to discuss my proposal idea?

LITE are providing a briefing sessions about the application process followed by the opportunity to discuss your proposal if required. We recommend you attend the briefing session first and then seek a follow up meeting after if required, you can sign up to the fellowship briefing session on via our MS from.

Can I speak to previous fellows about their experience?

You can listen to fellows talk about their experience in the LITE Bites podcast. You are also welcome to reach out to fellows directly either through their fellowship pages or by posting in the LITE Community MS Team.