CRADLE Fellowships
Applications for CRADLE’s Fellowship scheme for 2026 are now closed. Please subscribe to our blog to hear further announcements about our Fellowship scheme.
Objectives
The objectives of the CRADLE Fellowship Scheme are to attract Deakin academics to:
- foster the development of relevant research expertise,
- enhance CRADLE’s research capacity and performance, and
- support excellent practice in assessment and digital learning at Deakin.
Fellows are given access to our facilities and researchers, and are financially supported to develop both their individual and faculty’s research profile. CRADLE Fellowships offer funding of $15,000 to support each Fellow’s collaborative research program for research activities, and in some instances, to buy out teaching time. For example, the funding can be utilised for:
- direct costs associated with research, such as salaries of research assistants,
- research dissemination at national or international conferences, or
- professional development, such as methodological training.
Potential Topics
CRADLE’s research focuses on a few key areas. The table below indicates some of these areas to illustrate the potential scope of work for a Fellowship. See our Fellowship research topics page for more details and associated examples of CRADLE publications.
| Effective feedback for learning – including feedback literacy |
| The implications of generative Artificial Intelligence for assessment and feedback in higher education |
| Assessment validity, security and integrity |
| Developing evaluative judgement |
| The role of the social world in feedback and assessment (e.g. culture, relationships, emotions, and power) |
| New knowledge practices in a time of artificial intelligence |
| Diversity and inclusion in assessment and feedback design and practice |
| The longer-term effects of assessment and feedback: student identities, being and becoming |
| Representation in and beyond assessment |
Benefits
- Gaining worldwide recognition as being part of an international research centre in assessment in higher education,
- interacting with eminent researchers from overseas, with opportunities for collective research partnerships, and
- mentoring and financial support for research.
Apply
Applications are currently closed for 2026. Please subscribe to our blog to hear further announcements about our Fellowship scheme.
CRADLE welcomes applications from postdoctoral researchers at every career stage, from early career to senior scholars. Applicants must be a current Deakin staff member and be on a continuing or fixed-term position at Deakin as an academic staff member with more than two years remaining on their contract. All applicants must be able to demonstrate the relevance of their proposed research to CRADLE’s current research activities and our current programs of research.
To apply your submission will need to include the following:
- The nature of your research to date and an 18-month research plan.
- Identification of potential grant opportunities.
- Proposed collaboration with CRADLE researchers.
- Indicative budget.
- Endorsement of your application by your Head of School or equivalent.
Note that there is no template to the application. Please read our Fellowship guidelines for more details.
