Innovation Fund for Teaching
Source: https://www.fau.eu/university/strategy-and-structural-development/field-of-action-education/teaching-awards-and-funding-programs/innovation-fund-for-teaching/ Parent: https://www.fau.eu/
The Innovation Fund for Teaching is a funding instrument aimed at supporting special measures and innovative activities relating to teaching and studying that was established at FAU in 2016. Anyone who teaches at FAU can apply for the Innovation Fund. In 2025, there will be separate calls for applications for the faculties and for the central institutions for funds allocated towards teaching.
Please address any questions about the Innovation Fund for Teaching to: zuv-foerderprogramme-lehre@fau.de
Important information
The application period for the Innovation Fund for Teaching 2025/26 has passed.
Innovation Fund for Teaching 2025 for teaching staff at faculties
Click on the tabs to receive further information.
Documents for calls for applications
Call for applications:
Application form:
Aim of the fund
The Innovation Fund for Teaching is an internal FAU funding program aimed at improving the quality of teaching and therefore boosting academic success. For 2025, funding equivalent to one E13 position (50 % for 6 months) is available for each faculty. Funding is available specifically for developing degree programs, modules and teaching units with potential, providing them with financial support over a 6 month period. The aim is to boost the academic success of FAU students.
Availability of funding
Funding is available for degree programs, modules or teaching units that make a specific proposal as to how academic success could be increased in line with FAU’s student success strategy. In particular, funding is available for projects that are breaking new ground in one or more of the following areas
- Concepts for university-level teaching
- New interdisciplinary collaboration concerning content
- Educational purpose and learning outcome of teaching unit
- New teaching formats.
Criteria for funding
Funding is available for projects that identify deficits in how the student success strategy is being implemented in their specific degree program, module or teaching unit and that provide a convincing argument for how the proposed measures will contribute to increasing student success.
The following criteria are decisive:
- As a rule, projects that encourage students to complete their degree within the standard duration of study are preferred.
- Projects for teaching AI skills are favored.
- The proposed measures ought to benefit as many students as possible.
- Projects that involve students in developing the measures are preferred. We welcome measures that have been developed in light of dialog with external experts.
- The measures should increase student satisfaction.
Eligible applicants
All teaching staff at FAU can apply. In the application, you must confirm that you have checked the proposal with the degree program coordinators or those responsible for the module or teaching unit.
Duration and scope of measures
The maximum amount of funding available is equivalent to 50% of one E13 position for six months. Project managers are free to use the funds in another timeframe (for example, they may decide to use the funds over 12 months at the equivalent to 25% of a position). Material expenses (including expenses for assistants) are not eligible for funding.
Application procedure
Deadline for applications: Applications must be submitted electronically on or before May 30, 2025 to Franziska Kreuzer at zuv-foerderprogramme-lehre@fau.de. Please find the application form above.
Scope and content: Applicants should describe the planned concept for increasing student success on max. 4 pages, explicitly taking the following points into consideration:
- Brief description (max. 1000 characters with spaces)
- Description of the situation as it stands at present and an outline of requirements
- Description of project idea and goals, with reference to the target group and the intended measures for increasing student success and student satisfaction.
- Statement of criteria for success/evaluation
- Details and quantification of target group
- Long-term concept
- Schedule for the project
- Confirmation from the person responsible for the degree program, module or comparable teaching unit
Selection procedure and selection criteria
The applications are submitted centrally and follow a two-tiered evaluation process: In the first stage, the Deans of Studies evaluate the applications from their own faculty according to previously determined, common criteria and recommend the order in which they believe the applications should be considered. These prioritized lists are then forwarded to the Vice President Education who takes the final decision after consulting students’ representatives. The results are announced during the final meeting of the Deans of Studies in July, and the applicants informed accordingly.
The following selection criteria apply:
- Requirements and feasibility of measures
- Actual, foreseeable impact of the project on student success
- Integration into existing structures, synergy effects
- Incorporation into curriculum
- Realistic timescale and feasibility
- Potential to become established in regular teaching (sustainability)
- Transferability to other subjects (or groups of subjects)
Reporting
After the funding period has ended, a short project report must be submitted (2-3 pages in length, case report and financial section). This report should cover how the project went, a comparison of the situation before and after the project, any problems that arose, how well the new idea was received (with reference to the criteria for success from the application) and how funds were used. Two forms are provided for this purpose together with the confirmation of funding. Funds that are not spent are withdrawn after the end of the project and re-assigned to the budget for the Innovation Fund for Teaching.
In addition, you may be asked to present the project in an FAU event (Commission for Teaching and Studying (LuSt) or Tag der Lehre).
Innovation Fund for Teaching 2025 for central institutions
Click on the tabs to receive further information.
Documents for calls for applications
Call for applications:
- Ausschreibung Innovationsfonds Lehre 2025 für zentrale Einrichtungen der Lehre
- Call for Applications Innovation Fund Teaching 2025 for central institutions for teaching
Application form:
- Antragsformular Innovationsfonds Lehre 2025 für zentrale Einrichtungen der Lehre
- Application form Innovation Fund Teaching 2025 for central institutions for teaching
Aim of the fund
The Innovation Fund for Teaching is an internal FAU funding program aimed at improving the quality of teaching and therefore boosting academic success. Awarding funding on a competitive basis is intended to act as an incentive to try out innovative teaching methods. The aim is to boost the academic success of FAU students. For 2025, a maximum of 30,000 euros is available in funding for central institutions.
Availability of funding
Funding is available for teaching projects with a potential for innovation, although innovation is to be understood in a broad sense. Funding is available for projects that are breaking new ground in one or more of the following areas
- Concepts for university-level teaching
- New interdisciplinary collaboration concerning content
- Educational purpose and learning outcome of teaching unit
- Improving advice, supervision and general services
- Optimizing existing studying and teaching processes
- Making it easier for students to come to grips with content
- New teaching formats.
Criteria for funding
Funding is available for projects that identify deficits in how the student success strategy is being implemented and that provide a convincing argument for how the proposed measures will contribute to increasing student success.
The following criteria are decisive:
- As a rule, projects that encourage students to complete their degree within the standard duration of study are preferred.
- Projects for teaching AI skills are favored.
- The proposed measures ought to benefit as many students as possible.
- Projects that involve students in developing the measures are preferred. We welcome measures that have been developed in light of dialog with external experts.
- The measures should increase student satisfaction.
Eligible applicants
Applications are accepted from staff at central institutions. The application must confirm that the idea has been checked with those responsible for the organizational unit.
Duration and scope of measures
A maximum of 10,000 euros is available for each project. The project duration must be no more than one year. The amount of funding applied for must be appropriate, justified and feasible in view of the planned measure. We favor projects that can be incorporated into the teaching of the organizational unit over the long term.
Funding can be provided for staff to ease the burden on research associates for a defined period in order to allow the concept to be implemented. This funding may be used, for example, to employ assistants to help with correcting work, to provide extra hours to colleagues to cover teaching duties or to pay for general assistants. Equipment is only eligible for funding if there is a good reason for it, if it is crucial for the project and if it is not already covered by the initial budget for basic requirements.
Application procedure
Deadline for applications: Applications must be submitted electronically on or before May 30, 2025 to Franziska Kreuzer at zuv-foerderprogramme-lehre@fau.de. Please find the application form above.
Scope and content: Applicants should describe the planned concept for increasing student success on max. 4 pages, explicitly taking the following points into consideration:
- Brief description (max. 1000 characters with spaces)
- Description of the situation as it stands at present and an outline of requirements
- Description of project idea and goals, with reference to the target group and the intended measures for increasing student success and student satisfaction.
- Statement of criteria for success/evaluation
- Details and quantification of target group
- Long-term concept
- Schedule for the project
- Confirmation from the person responsible for the degree program, module or comparable teaching unit
Selection procedure and selection criteria
The applications are submitted centrally and follow a two-tiered evaluation process: In the first stage, the Deans of Studies evaluate the applications from their own faculty according to previously determined, common criteria and recommend the order in which they believe the applications should be considered. These prioritized lists are then forwarded to the Vice President Education who takes the final decision after consulting students’ representatives. The results are announced during the final meeting of the Deans of Studies in July, and the applicants informed accordingly.
The following selection criteria apply:
- Requirements and feasibility of measures
- Actual, foreseeable impact of the project on student success
- Integration into existing structures, synergy effects
- Integration incorporation into curriculum and possibly transferability
- Realistic timescale and feasibility
- Potential to become established in regular teaching (sustainability)
Reporting
After the funding period has ended, a short project report must be submitted (2-3 pages in length, case report and financial section). This report should cover how the project went, a comparison of the situation before and after the project, any problems that arose, how well the new idea was received (with reference to the criteria for success from the application) and how funds were used. Two forms are provided for this purpose together with the confirmation of funding. Funds that are not spent are withdrawn after the end of the project and re-assigned to the budget for the Innovation Fund for Teaching.
In addition, you may be asked to present the project in an FAU event (Commission for Teaching and Studying (LuSt) or Tag der Lehre).