2024 Students as Partners Microgrant Applications Now Open
All Deakin staff members are invited to apply now for a 2024 Students as Partners Microgrant project.
Applications for Round 1 of the 2024 Equity First Students as Partners (SaP) Microgrant program are closed.
All staff members at Deakin are invited to apply for funding to support a partnership project aimed to improve student learning, teaching, assessment, or curriculum design.
This year we’ve added up to $3000 of sessional marking support on top of the funding allocation to enable staff who receive a grant. Applications close 5pm Friday 17 November 2023.
The Students as Partners (SaP) Microgrants program
The Students as Partners microgrant program facilitates meaningful partnership projects between staff and students at Deakin university.
By collaborating with students, staff can reposition their work from ‘creating for’ students to ‘creating with’ students. SaP Microgrants empower Deakin staff to forge dynamic partnerships with students as they work in project groups aimed to enhance teaching, student learning, curriculum, assessment, and the student experience more broadly. Funding 13 projects in 2023, these grants are a vital component of our commitment to student engagement, retention and success, and inclusive education.
Projects can span across Deakin’s Students as Partners approaches including students as sounding boards, students as influencers with the primary focus on students as decision makers and students as co-creators.
In microgrant projects, students are given agency, voice, and are active project participants in shaping their learning, teaching, assessment, curriculum and policy at the University. Covering any aspect of the University experience, microgrants embody a collaborative and reciprocal process where everyone has an opportunity to contribute and improve teaching and learning experiences.
A HEPPP funded initiative
SaP Microgrants are generously funded through HEPPP (Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program) and supported by the Office of the Dean of Students. Projects must maintain a domestic, undergraduate, and equity-first focus. All academic and professional staff members at Deakin are encouraged to apply for grants ranging from $3,000 to $12,000, with the majority of funding allocated to equity cohort student partner salaries.
I’m busy – why would I be involved in a SaP Microgrant?
NEW THIS YEAR – In addition to benefits such as improved relationships with students, improved practice, professional networking, research opportunities, leadership opportunities, and contribution to equity and inclusion, teaching staff can request up to $3000 (maximum, including on costs) of sessional marking support. This allocation will enable your active involvement in teaching and learning-related partnership activities with students.
To Get the Wheels Turning
Sometimes the hardest part of project design is coming up with the initial idea. Here are some examples of SaP Microgrant Project topics that might inspire a project relevant to your context.
- Curriculum Enhancement: Co-develop or revise course materials and curriculum with students to ensure relevance, authenticity and alignment with student needs and expectations.
- Assessment redesign: Collaborate with students to co-create meaningful, worthwhile, and authentic assessments.
- Inclusive Teaching Practices: Partner with students to identify and implement more inclusive teaching strategies.
- Resource Improvement: Co-develop or enhance learning resources and platforms within specific/ discipline units or courses.
- Student Engagement Activities: Co-organise events or initiatives that encourage student involvement and foster a sense of community and belonging.
- Accessibility Improvements: Identify and address accessibility barriers, ensuring learning materials are accessible to all students.
- You might consider feedback you’ve received from students (e.g., eVALUate, student success and retention data, engagement data, etc) as a starting point to consider an element of your practice that would benefit from including student perspectives.
How to apply
Access the form below to begin your microgrant application.
We really encourage all applicants to reach out to us before submitting your application to ensure you’re putting forward a partnership- and equity-first project.
Applications must have endorsement from the Head of your Organisational Area and, for projects with a teaching and learning focus, your Faculty’s Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning).
Applications strictly close 5pm, Friday 17th November, 2023. Second intake applications will be made available in March 2024.
Please contact us for more information.
Learn more
If you are considering an application, learn more about the process via the information videos below.
- Basic eligibility and project qualifications
- What we mean by equity-first and partnership-first
- What is Students as Partners?
- Building your application, including design, budget, timeline and receiving endorsement
Introduction and eligibility
Equity-First & Partnership-First
What is Students as Partners?
The application