Frequently Asked Questions

A UBC Vancouver undergraduate or a graduate student may submit an application as a principal applicant for a Small TLEF Innovation proposal as long as there is a UBC Vancouver faculty member who is a co-applicant on the proposal.  Students cannot be principal applicants on Large TLEF Transformation proposals.

Yes, UBC Vancouver staff are eligible to be the principal applicant on a Large or Small TLEF proposal.

No, principal applicants cannot hold more than one TLEF grant concurrently.  A grant holder of an active TLEF project can be a co-applicant on more than one TLEF project at a time.

All project documentation (including final reports on previously funded and completed TLEF projects) must be submitted before an applicant can receive a new TLEF project grant.

Cross-Faculty proposals can be submitted to the TLEF.  Such proposals will be reviewed by the TLEF Committees in each of the partner Faculties, and the TLEF Adjudication Committee will look for indications of support from the Faculties involved in the proposal.

Proposals with a focus on professional programs (Extended Learning) are ineligible for TLEF funding. The TLEF primarily supports undergraduate program enhancement. Graduate programs may be eligible; however, cost-recovery programs that have elevated and non-standard fees to cover the full cost of instructional delivery are ineligible for TLEF funding.

For projects focused on enhancements to for-credit, cost-recovery programs, applicants should contact Andrea Han, Associate Director, Curriculum and Course Services at CTLT (andrea.han@ubc.ca) to discuss support outside the TLEF fund.

For projects focused on non-degree non-credit (e.g. microcredentials) or supplemental education areas, applicants should consider submitting a proposal to the Continuous Learning Advancement Fund, or contact Anne-Rae Vasquez, Director, Academic Services, Extended Learning (annerae.vasquez@ubc.ca) for more details.

Faculty or departments seeking support for new programs should contact the appropriate Dean's office as well as UBC's New Programs Hub (new.programs@ubc.ca).

The TLEF does not fund student co-curricular activities, events, teams and competitions without a demonstrable classroom (pedagogical) component and a faculty member as a co-applicant.

No. A UBC Okanagan faculty member can be a co-applicant on a TLEF project, but not the Principal Applicant. TLEF funding comes from UBC Vancouver student tuition and the funding call is directed primarily at the UBC Vancouver campus.  Applicants interested in system-wide, cross-campus proposals should contact Jeff Miller, Senior Associate Director, CTLT at jeff.miller@ubc.ca to discuss their project before submitting a TLEF proposal.

UBC Okanagan faculty should consider funding opportunities such as the Aspire-2040 Learning Transformations Fund.

Requirements for all TLEF projects

• The TLEF applications  recommended for funding will significantly contribute to the enhancement of teaching and learning
• The projects will result in sustainable benefits to students
• Outcomes-based criteria will be used to evaluate the project’s success
• The proposed budget is reasonable and in line with the objectives of the project
• Students have been/will be involved in development and/or implementation of the proposal
• Continued funding is contingent upon satisfactory progress for multi-year projects (up to three years)

The CTLT, Faculty Support Units, the Library and UBC Studios staff can provide consultation support for TLEF applicants; support will be provided on topics such as pedagogy, assessment, media, technology integration, evaluation planning, project scope, and budget development.

Please refer to the TLEF Support page for more information about support options available to applicants as well as options for drop-in consultation sessions and one-on-one consultations to help you the develop your TLEF proposal and budget.

You can request support for graduate or undergraduate academic assistants (GAA/UAA), teaching and learning fellows (TLFs) and, depending upon whether your proposal is for a Large TLEF Transformation project or Small TLEF Innovation project, you can request course release or teaching assistants (TAs), to support the development work in the project.

You can also request pedagogical and other kinds of support, including:

• • • Instructional, learning and course development support
    • Academic program development
    • Project management/project coordination
    • Evaluation support (10 hours of in-kind support is available from CTLT)
    • Media design and production and post-production: web-programming, graphic design, videography, animation, emerging media
    • Learning resource discovery/development (including open resources) – learning support materials
    • Learning technology development and support
    • Library consultation – resources, copyright, licensing, digitization
    • Professional development for instructors and Teaching Assistants

Subject to available capacity, in-kind support from the CTLT is available for TLEF projects for academic program development, course development , learning design, evaluation (10 hours in-kind), and Learning Technology Support. Applicants must consult with the CTLT before including in-kind support from The CTLT in their proposal or budget.  If you are hoping to receive support from Faculty-based or other central support units you must consult with those units first before writing them into your TLEF application to ensure that the support your are requesting is available to you.

TLEF funding can be used to hire students to support project work. Common student roles include:

• Graduate or Undergraduate Academic Assistants (GAA or UAA)

• Graduate or Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (GTA or UTA)

Hiring students as Graduate or Undergraduate Research Assistants (GRA or URA) is generally not appropriate, as TLEF projects are not research-funded.

For more details, visit the UBC HR student hiring page.

Project teams are also encouraged to apply to the UBC Vancouver Work Learn program, which provides part-time, on-campus employment that supports students in developing professional skills, expanding networks, and applying academic learning under strong mentorship.

• The UBCV Work Learn program begins to accept proposals for funding in early January for student positions for the summer term (beginning in May). Should your TLEF not be approved and/or if you no longer require Work Learn funding, you can always decline any Work Learn funding that you are offered.

TLEF funding will not support the cost of faculty or staff travel or conference expenses or other dissemination costs.  It is possible to use TLEF funding to support a student to attend a conference if the purpose is to share results from the TLEF project.

The TLEF is not an equipment fund, and equipment purchases are generally not supported. If equipment funding is requested, it must:

• Be clearly justified in relation to the project goals

• Not exceed 30% of the total project budget

• Include significant in-kind support from the Faculty

For media development, UBC Studies offers loaned media equipment. This centrally managed equipment must be returned once the project no longer requires it.

Yes, you can request TLEF funding to support catering.  Catering requests should be proportionate and reasonable and the proposal must clearly show how such support will maximize the benefit of the overall project goals. The adjudication committee will cut catering costs if they are deemed excessive.

Typical cost rates for TLEF projects are listed on the page "Developing Your TLEF Budget" on the TLEF Website.. The TLEF Adjudication Committee generally does not approve funding requests that exceed these standard rates.

If your project relies on support from central or Faculty-based units, you must consult with them during the planning process.

CTLT can assist with developing your project budget. To schedule a consultation, email tlef.info@ubc.ca.

Note: Consultation with CTLT is required for Large TLEF Transformation projects and recommended for multi-year Small TLEF Innovation projects.

TLEF funds cannot be used to purchase external consulting or other types of services where support and expertise is available within UBC at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner.

Course buyouts (teaching release) may only be requested for Large TLEF Transformation Projects. Costs are shared equally (50/50) between the Office of the Provost and VP Academic and the applicant’s Faculty or Department.

Applicants must secure their Faculty’s commitment to provide matching funds before including a course release request in their proposal.

All TLEF Applications  must be submitted through the TLEF online application system: https://apply.academic.ubc.ca

If you are returning for 2nd- or 3rd-year funding, your renewal application form will automatically include a "Summary of Work Accomplished to Date" section, where you will provide an update on work completed  as well as an update on how much money has been spent or is planned to be spent, in the previous funding year.

You can find more information on the steps involved in submitting your proposal on the Application Process page including templates you can use to help you develop your proposal and budget.

You must obtain approval from your Department Head before submitting a TLEF proposal. If your project involves multiple departments, you must also consult the Department Heads of any departments making funding commitments.

Be sure to allow sufficient time for your Department Head(s) to review your proposal and provide feedback well in advance of the university submission deadline.

TLEF applicants receive feedback on their applications in December (for Large TLEF Transformation projects) and February (for Small TLEF Innovation projects).

In March each year,  TLEF grant recipients receive information about how to set up an account in their department to receive the transfer of funding from the TLEF.   Their local departments need to set up a new Program Worktag under the name of the project’s principal signatory (principal applicant) and any expenses for the project must be billed to that account. The same account can be used throughout the life of projects that are funded for multiple years.  In May of the funding year, the Office of the Provost and VP Academic will transfer funding into the Program Worktag identified by the department for the TLEF project.

All TLEF projects—whether single- or multi-year—are funded on a yearly basis. Multi-year projects must reapply annually for 2nd- or 3rd-year funding, which is contingent on demonstrated progress.

TLEF grant holders are expected to complete all proposed activities within the approved funding year. If needed, the project eligibility period may be extended once, for up to one additional year. To request an extension, submit a rationale to tlef.info@ubc.ca before the end of the original project period.

Applicants seeking 2nd- or 3rd-year TLEF funding must include a project update in their renewal application. The online application form will automatically include a “Summary of Work Accomplished to Date” section for renewal applications, where you should outline the progress made and provide a financial update on funds spent or planned for the previous funding year.

Final Reports are due within 30 days of project completion. Use the Final Report Template available on the Evaluating & Reporting page and email the completed report to tlef.info@ubc.ca. Please include the Principal Investigator’s surname and “Final Report” in the email subject line.

Your report should include:

• A summary of completed work, key products, and achievements

• A summary of project benefits for students and/or instructors, and the evaluation strategy used to assess impact

• A list of impacted courses (with sections), including enrolment data (if applicable)

• Examples of student involvement (if applicable)

• A final financial summary of expenditures

Submitted reports are published on the TLEF website to share the outcomes and impacts of funded projects with the broader UBC Community.