HEFi Fellows and Scholars

HEFi leads and supports career-long professional development for all staff who are responsible for delivering research-intensive teaching and engaging students in research-intensive learning.

All academic and relevant support staff are able to access everything that HEFi offers. In addition, there are
two recognition awards for those staff who make a major and sustained contribution to excellence in leadership of research intensive teaching and learning across the University:

HEFi Scholars

HEFi Scholars are University of Birmingham members of staff who have demonstrated a commitment not only to their own teaching and continuing professional development but to the wider university and other academic communities. The award of HEFi Scholar is by application (further details are provided below).

HEFi Scholars will have demonstrated a sustained engagement with teaching leadership and excellence as exemplified in the Universitas 21 Framework for Conceptualising 21st Century Teaching and the UK Professional Standards Framework. Importantly, HEFi Scholars will also be able to demonstrate wider contribution to and impact on teaching and learning here at the University of Birmingham and/or beyond.

HEFi Scholars will initially be appointed for a term of three years which can be renewed on further application by providing evidence of sustained HEFi-related activity throughout the period.

Why become a HEFi Scholar?

The award of HEFi Scholar recognises a high level of commitment to teaching excellence and leadership at the University of Birmingham (and beyond in some cases). It provides peer-reviewed evidence of an individual’s contribution, and ensures that a Scholar’s potential for education leadership and impact are optimised. HEFi Scholars are offered support and development for the teaching leadership elements of their careers including (where appropriate) support for developing the evidence required for career progression. HEFi will hold a number of development events specifically for the benefit of HEFi Scholars.

Criteria for becoming a HEFi Scholar

Applicants must hold a teaching qualification for a minimum of 12 months and at the level of Senior Fellowship of the HEA, or QTS, before applying to become a HEFi Scholar. In addition, as part of their application, they must be able to evidence their continuing commitment to teaching excellence in higher education and contribution to the wider academic community.  This evidence can take a variety of forms but might include, for example:

  • Facilitating continuing professional development. This can be both within and outside the applicant’s school / department; for example through contributions to taught sessions or action learning set facilitation on University of Birmingham teaching and learning programmes (PGCHE, Beacon, ILT, IAP etc). This might also include facilitating HEFi events and workshops, presenting at learning and teaching conferences, etc.
  • Supporting early career staff. This might be through a mentoring role within a School or department, or mentoring and supporting staff on the PGCHE. It might also include undertaking teaching observations or mentoring Beacon Associate Fellowship / Fellowship applicants.
  • Developing more experienced staff. This might include mentoring Beacon Senior Fellowship applicants or assessing Beacon applications. It could include mentoring colleagues building a case for promotion or applying for Education Enhancement Funded projects.
  • Enhancing research and scholarship in relation to learning and teaching. This might include developing the applicant’s own scholarship, perhaps through leadership of an Educational Enhancement Fund project or writing for publication, or influencing and supporting the research/scholarship of others in order to support them to innovate or change their practice.

These examples are not exhaustive and HEFi encourages anyone who can evidence a sustained contribution to leading and developing teaching excellence at the University of Birmingham, and to impact, to apply.

How to apply to become a HEFi Scholar

Please complete the form and click submit.

Your application will be reviewed in consultation with your College Director of Education and you will be notified of the decision as soon as possible.

HEFi Fellows 

HEFi Fellows are senior education leaders within the University who will contribute to the development and direction of HEFi to ensure it continues to meet the needs of all staff.  HEFi Fellows may be invited to join the HEFi Steering Group and will be expected to play an active role in creating the organisational conditions necessary to enable and support learning and the development of teaching (in line with the Universitas 21 Framework for Conceptualising 21st Century Teaching).

HEFi Fellows will be expected to demonstrate that they remain in good standing. They will initially be appointed for a term of one year and will be invited to renew their appointment at the end of the first term, and each term thereafter, evidencing their ongoing commitment to promoting and enhancing research intensive teaching and student learning, and raising the profile of teaching excellence at the University of Birmingham.

Initial appointment as a HEFi Fellow is automatic on achieving one or more of the following:

  • National Teaching Fellowship
  • Principal Fellowship
  • Chair in an aspect of higher education learning and teaching

Colleges

Professional Services