Learning & Teaching Grant Program (LTG)

Objective: To promote best practices in first-year course design and supports to facilitate successful student transition and promote student success and persistence.

Examples:

• Develop strategies that promote student belonging and connectedness within their academic sphere.
• Develop strategies to monitor first-year student engagement and/or to proactively identify and intervene with students at risk and honouring and recognizing their lived experiences, such as through restorative practices.
• Adapt course and/or curriculum design to explicitly mediate and support students’ transition to learning in higher education and/or in their discipline.
• Examine the impact of learning communities and/or other interactive opportunities for peer-to-peer collaboration within first-year courses.
• Explore the impact of multi- or interdisciplinary approaches to first-year pedagogy, such as through problem-based, project-based or experiential learning.

Objective: To embrace learner diversity and amplify student learning through the application of the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) and open, inclusive pedagogies.

Examples:

• Examine the affordances of educational technology to support effective implementation of intersectional/decolonial UDL, such as for personalized or differentiated instruction.
• Develop or enhance an OER-enabled or open pedagogical approach within course design, such as through the integration of “renewable assignments”.  
• Explore the potential for UDL praxis that is led by decolonization, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) and is shaped by critical disability justice and the anticipation of difference within the classroom.
• Compare inclusive learning and teaching practices across international contexts and their implications.
• Contribute empirical evidence towards equitable assessment and/or evaluation practices (e.g., specifications grading, upgrading).

Objective: To develop students’ international and intercultural competencies and dispositions required for positive global engagement through a range of global learning opportunities, including those on-campus, in Toronto, and those involving international travel.

Examples:

• Build reciprocal international and cross-cultural collaborations to enable virtual global classroom experiences.
• Explore the effect of integrating global decolonial pedagogies on students’ viewpoints (e.g., sense of global outlook, recognition of power and inequality in the world) and development of equity and global citizenship outcomes.
• Assess the impact of incorporating international, intercultural and/or global dimensions into assessment and/or learning and teaching activities (e.g., international case studies) on the students’ development of global competencies.
• Develop or enhance global challenge-based interdisciplinary and/or experiential learning curricular programming aligned with the UN Sustainability Goals (SDGs).

Objective: To facilitate the development, integration, evaluation, and enhancement of experiential learning opportunities that align with the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, access, and justice. This includes all academically relevant expressions of experiential learning, such as, though not limited to, community-engaged learning, work-integrated learning, land-based learning, simulation, field experiences, entrepreneurial or zone learning, research, or capstone projects.

Examples:

• Integrate EDIA-led praxis within experiential learning, such as through deepening, expanding, and experimenting with new pedagogical approaches that center on relational connections, processes, and protocols.
• Expand or scale the implementation of interdisciplinary and/or multiple expressions of experiential learning within/across the curriculum, which involves assessments that leverage participatory design and co-creation with students, partners, and the communities within which they live and work.
• Examine the integration of pedagogies of care to promote psychological safety and well-being (e.g., trauma-informed experiential learning practices).
• Experiment with innovative approaches to reflective practice, which embody both self- and relational reflection in/on action (e.g., digital storytelling/ narrative reflection).

Objective: To ethically and in a sustainability-minded manner explore the potential of digital pedagogies and educational technology to complement, enrich, and/or transform learning and teaching practice towards enhanced quality, relevance, equitable access, and inclusivity.

Examples:

• Examining the role and impacts of using digital tools (e.g., educational technology, AR/VR) in facilitating student outcomes (e.g., learning, engagement).
• Exploring the ethical use of generative AI (GAI) in delivering effective assessment.
• Exploring pedagogical approaches within different modalities (e.g., blended, online synchronous).
• Explore immersive technologies (e.g. VR, AR) as pedagogical tools to enhance experiential learning and/or expand access.

Objective: To amplify the voices and work of Indigenous scholars and students, build strong and reciprocal partnerships with Indigenous communities, and address the chronic gap of Indigenous and decolonial pedagogies within many fields and disciplines. This includes decentring dominant knowledge systems and embedding decolonial pedagogies and Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being within course design and foster relational learning and teaching through mutual respect, relevance, responsibility and reciprocity.

Examples:

• Supporting Indigenous scholars at TMU in learning and teaching initiatives.
• Developing, deepening, and expanding Indigenous curriculum and scholarship.
• Building reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities and students to create an educational environment that embraces Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and experiences.

Objective: To amplify the voices and work of Black scholars and students, build and deepen reciprocal relationships with Black communities, amplify and center the Black/Afrocentric experience and ways of knowing within learning and teaching to counter anti-Black racism, contribute to liberatory practices and foster change towards a more just society.

Examples:

• Supporting Black scholars at TMU in learning and teaching initiatives.
• Developing, deepening, and expanding Black Studies curriculum and scholarship.
• Integrating pedagogical strategies that address anti-Black racism and encourage allyship in the classroom.

Objective: To forefront pedagogical wellness through integrating evidence-informed wellness and instructional strategies that foster a culture of relational learning grounded in mutual care, compassion, and respect to support student well-being and success.

Examples:

• Developing pedagogical strategies and assessment methods that support student mental health and well-being.
• Supporting the whole student through identifying barriers and enablers to student mental health and well-being.
• Contributing empirical evidence towards the impacts of trauma-informed or compassionate pedagogy on student outcomes.
• Explore the nature of grief and loss within global learning and its implications, particularly within instances of crisis.

Budget Justification

Funding requests must conform to the rates and regulations of the University and must be fully justified in terms of the needs of the project. Principal Investigators (PI) must provide a detailed explanation in the budget justification form as to how the funds will be used to achieve the project objectives.

The adjudication committee may deem your application less competitive if they find that you are requesting non-essential funding or ineligible activities, and may require budget revisions. Committee members will take into account the quality of your overall financial planning and the justification of requested expenditures. Additional funding and in-kind contributions should be clearly stated and will be taken into account.

Applications requesting to develop new technologies, software, or databases are subject to the adjudication committee requesting a consultation with the University legal in addition to the standard application requirements.

Eligible Expenses

• Student and non-student salaries and benefits - Please review the University’s Hiring Guide (Research Staff & Part-Time Casual). Funds may not be used to hire TA/GAs, lab monitors, or invigilators.
• Professional/consulting services - Consulting fees and professional services (e.g., guest speakers, Indigenous elders, transcriptionists, etc.) are eligible expenditures. Please review the University’s purchasing thresholds and demonstrate in the Budget Justification that expert advice is needed. If you have planned to contract consultants, please include a quote in your application (along with HST if applicable). Please review the University's policies for Paying Vendors, Independent Contractors, and making Honoraria payments.
• Travel and dissemination costs - a maximum of 20% of requested funds can be allocated towards travel costs directly related to the funded project, including reasonable conference travel costs (e.g., registration fees, food, hotel, etc.) to present a project's findings. Please include a detailed description of the conference and strong rationales for the relevance to the project. The adjudication committee will prioritize requests for student travel. Please review the University’s Faculty & Staff Reimbursement Policy and Reimbursement of Business Meals, Travel, and Expenses Policy.
• Materials and Supplies cost - a maximum 30% of total budget can be allocated to equipment and software. Purchase or rental of computers and associated hardware, software, or equipment (e.g., audio or video equipment) is allowable only if it is not accessible through other University sources. Requests for equipment expenditures should include supporting documents and approval is subject to the discretion of the committee.
  If the budget requests funds for equipment and software, the proposal must clearly demonstrate sustainability in the absence of those funds in future years.
• Funds from other sources - Include all other contributors (e.g., AEC Curriculum Development Funds) that are providing in-kind or financial contributions for the proposal. Indicate whether or not these funds have been confirmed.
  

Additional Notes and Ineligible Expenses:

• All non-consumable items purchased with the awarded funds will remain the property of the University.
• Faculty course release cannot be funded by an LTG.
• Wages for faculty, regularly assigned teaching assistants, or staff members who would normally be employed by the university, are considered ineligible expenses.
• Principal Investigators or co-applicants may not pay themselves with funds.
• Funds may not be used for capital expenditures (e.g., renovations).

Each application must be accompanied by a clear  (google sheet) timeline (external link)  for monthly goals and activities to demonstrate proposal feasibility within the one-year timeframe.

Coming soon!

As recipients of LTG project funding, PIs must comply with the following requirements:

• Submit a mid-term report: due on or before November 1st, 2024.
• Submit a brief summary report or video interview to be published and archived on the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching website: due on or before May 30, 2025.
• Present findings at the Learning and Teaching Conference to be held in May 2025.
• Credit the LTG in any publications, conference proceedings, or media appearances resulting from the funded project.

At the University, we believe in the importance of Open Educational Resources (OER) - teaching, learning, and research materials that are published under an open license to permit their sharing and reuse by others. We require you to publish your grant output under an open license.

Learn more about open licenses (external link) .

As part of TMU’s commitment to accessibility and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), all projects must be accessible to persons with disabilities, including those who use assistive technology. This includes ensuring all project materials are designed with accessibility in mind. 

• All PDF, Google Docs, or Microsoft Word documents must follow best practices for document accessibility.
• Any web-based digital content or learning modules must adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 at Level AA. Learn more about web accessibility.
• Please ensure all videos have closed captioning, or any audio has a transcript. This is a mandatory requirement for any public-facing content as stipulated by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Accurate captioning of at least 99% accuracy is the only way to ensure that people who are D/deaf or hard of hearing can understand audio content. Automatic captions should never be used as a substitute for captions. It is recommended to budget around $1.75 CAD per minute for professional third-party captions. Learn how to caption videos, or contact accessibility@ryerson.ca for a list of recommended vendors.

A consultation with TMU’s IT Accessibility Specialist is strongly encouraged. Please email adam.chaboryk@torontomu.ca to arrange a virtual consultation or support.

Join us for an information session on the upcoming round of the Learning and Teaching Grants.

We will provide a short overview of the LTG focus areas, application and adjudication process with an opportunity for questions.