Frequently Asked Questions

UBC Vancouver faculty and staff are eligible to be principal applicants on both Large TLEF Transformation and Small TLEF Innovation proposals.

UBC Vancouver students may be principal applicants on Small TLEF Innovation proposals if a UBC Vancouver faculty member is included as a co-applicant.

UBC Okanagan faculty may participate as co-applicants, but not as principal applicants.

Yes. UBC Vancouver undergraduate and graduate students may be principal applicants on a Small TLEF Innovation proposal if a UBC Vancouver faculty member is a co-applicant.

Students cannot be principal applicants on Large TLEF Transformation proposals.

Yes. UBC Vancouver staff are eligible to be principal applicants on both Large TLEF Transformation and Small TLEF Innovation proposals.

No. Principal applicants cannot hold more than one active TLEF project (Large or Small) at the same time.

Applicants with an active TLEF project may still participate as co-applicants on other TLEF proposals.

Before receiving funding for a new TLEF project, all documentation for previously funded and completed TLEF projects, including final reports, must be submitted.

Yes. Cross-Faculty proposals are eligible.

These proposals are reviewed by the TLEF Committees in each participating Faculty. The TLEF Adjudication Committee will also look for evidence of support from the Faculties involved.

UBC Okanagan faculty can participate as co-applicants, but not as principal applicants.

TLEF funding is supported through UBC Vancouver student tuition and is directed primarily at the Vancouver campus.

Applicants interested in system-wide or cross-campus proposals should contact CTLT before submitting a proposal.

UBC Okanagan faculty may also wish to explore other funding opportunities, including Aspire-2040 Learning Transformations Fund.

In most cases, no.

TLEF primarily supports for-credit courses and teaching and learning initiatives at UBC Vancouver.

The following are generally not eligible:

• Professional programs through Extended Learning
• Cost-recovery programs with elevated and non-standard fees used to cover instructional delivery
• Non-degree, non-credit, or supplemental education initiatives, such as micro-credentials

Some graduate projects related to for-credit, cost-recovery programs may be eligible. Applicants should consult Curriculum and Course Services at CTLT to discuss support outside the TLEF fund.

For projects outside TLEF eligibility, applicants may wish to explore other support options, including the Continuous Learning Advancement Fund (CLAF) or email UBC’s New Programs Hub.

If you are unsure about the eligibility of your program, please contact tlef.info@ubc.ca before you apply for funding.

Not typically.

TLEF does not fund co-curricular activities, events, teams, or competitions unless there is a clear classroom or pedagogical component and a faculty member is included as a co-applicant.

TLEF proposals are reviewed using the following core criteria:

• Project Alignment: The proposal should demonstrate clear alignment with UBC’s Strategic Plan and one or more TLEF funding priorities.
• Project Reach: The proposal should show how the project will enhance teaching and learning in ways that benefit students directly or indirectly, while supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Project Feasibility, Scope, Budget, and Consultation: The proposal should demonstrate that the project is realistic, achievable, appropriately scoped, and supported by a clearly justified budget and relevant consultation.
• Student Involvement: The proposal should explain how students were consulted and how they will be meaningfully involved in development, implementation, or evaluation.
• Sustainment: The proposal should demonstrate sustainable benefits to students beyond the funding period, including Faculty or Departmental support.
• Evaluation Plan: The proposal should identify clear methods and data sources to assess progress, outcomes, and intended impacts.

Applicants can access consultation support from CTLT, LTIC, Faculty-based support units, UBC Library, and UBC Studios.  Please visit the Consultation page on the TLEF website for more information about help available to applicants throughout the year.

Examples may include staffing, course release, learning design, project coordination, evaluation support, media development, learning technology support, resource development, and library consultation.

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.

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.

Applicants should consult relevant stakeholders and confirm support-unit availability before including support in a proposal or budget.

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

An accurate budget is crucial component for your TLEF application: TLEF budgets should be realistic, clearly justified, and aligned with project scope and expected impact. The Budget Considerations page on the TLEF website provides a general overview on budgeting for TLEF projects. Applicants should work with their department HR and finance contacts to develop personnel estimates based on anticipated hiring needs and actual salary and benefit costs.

Budgets should clearly identify proposed TLEF-related costs and any in-kind, Faculty, or additional support where relevant.

If a project depends on support from central or Faculty-based units, applicants should confirm availability before including that support in a proposal or budget.

CTLT can provide consultation support to help applicants develop realistic budgets aligned with project scope, timelines, and implementation needs.

Yes. TLEF funding may be used to hire students to support project work, including academic assistants and teaching assistants where appropriate. Please refer the information on student salary rates on the Budget Considerations page, and make sure that you include benefits in your calculation of the cost of student support in a TLEF project.

Yes. Applicants may submit a Work Learn proposal before TLEF decisions are finalized. Please review the requirements and timing of the UBC Vancouver Work Learn Program to ensure that you are aware of how to align your TLEF with Work Learn deadlines.

Yes, where aligned with project needs and eligibility. TLEF student roles do not typically include Graduate Research Assistants (GRA) as GRA positions are typically supported through a faculty member’s research grant and the funding is considered a type of scholarship or award for duties that are part of a student’s graduate degree requirements.  UAA or GAA positions are more directly aligned with TLEF development work.

Yes. Large TLEF applicants may request course release (teaching buyout) to support project development and implementation, subject to project eligibility and Faculty/Departmental support. Small TLEF applicants cannot request course release as part of a TLEF project.

Course release costs are shared equally (50/50) between the TLEF and the applicant’s Faculty or Department, up to a maximum of $10,000 per course buyout.

Course release requests must align with project scope and demonstrate that dedicated teaching release time will support successful project delivery.

Additional conditions include:

• Large TLEF Transformation projects may request more than one course buyout; however, no individual may hold more than one course release across the life of the project.
• Applicants must secure their Faculty’s commitment to provide matching funds before including a course release request in a TLEF proposal.

This cost-sharing model helps ensure that course release requests are strategically aligned with project goals and supported by the applicant’s Faculty or Department.

Equipment requests are generally not supported unless clearly justified, within budget limits, and supported by Faculty contributions.

Any equipment requests must:

• Be clearly justified in relation to the project goals.
• Not exceed 30% of the total project budget.
• Include significant funding support from the Faculty or Department.

Yes, if reasonable, proportionate, and clearly linked to project goals.

In most cases, no, except limited student conference participation to share project outcomes.

TLEF funding cannot be used to cover the cost of faculty or staff travel or conference expenses or other dissemination costs such as journal publication fees.

In most cases, no, if comparable support and expertise is available within UBC at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner.

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

If you are returning for second- or third-year funding, your renewal application form will automatically include a Summary of Work Accomplished to Date section.

In this section, you will provide an update on work completed during the previous funding year, as well as information on how much funding has been spent or is planned to be spent.

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.

Proposal and Budget Templates for Large TLEF Transformation and Small TLEF Innovation applications are available on the TLEF website. Applicants are encouraged to use these templates to develop their application materials before logging into the online application system.

Yes. Applicants must obtain approval from their Department Head before submitting a TLEF proposal.

Department Head approval helps ensure that the proposed project aligns with departmental priorities, confirms awareness of any resource or staffing implications, and supports successful project implementation.

If you are requesting a course release as part of your TLEF application, you must have confirmation from your Department or Faculty that they will support the course release before including it in your proposal.

Applicants are encouraged to allow sufficient time for Department Head review and feedback well in advance of the university submission deadline, particularly for proposals involving multiple units or shared support.

This early review process helps strengthen proposal planning, confirm institutional support, and identify any issues before submission.

If a proposal involves multiple departments, applicants should also consult the Department Heads of any departments or units making funding or resource commitments to the project.

TLEF applicants are notified of funding decisions according to the following timelines:

• Large TLEF Transformation Projects: Applicants are contacted in December.
• Small TLEF Innovation Projects: Applicants are contacted in February.

Funding is transferred to a departmental Program Worktag established specifically for the project.

As part of the funding process, applicants will be asked to create a new Program Worktag that will be used to hold and manage all TLEF funding associated with the project.

Funding for both new and returning TLEF projects is typically transferred in May of each year.

Projects are funded one year at a time. This annual funding model helps ensure that project scope, timelines, and implementation remain aligned with intended outcomes and available resources.

In general, TLEF projects last between one and three years, and applicants must identify the anticipated duration of their project at the time they apply for funding.

TLEF multi-year projects are funded one year at a time, and continued funding is reviewed annually.

Applicants must submit a renewal application to request second- or third-year funding.

Renewal applications should demonstrate:

• Progress toward project goals.
• Appropriate use of previously allocated funding.
• Ongoing project feasibility.
• Continued alignment between project scope, timelines, and intended outcomes.

Renewal funding is not automatic and remains subject to review.

Yes.

If additional time is needed to complete approved project activities, project teams may request one extension of up to one additional year during the life of their TLEF project.

Extension requests should:

• • Provide a clear rationale for the extension.
  • Identify any remaining project activities or deliverables.
  • Be submitted before the end of the original project period.

Application requests should be emailed to tlef.admin@ubc.ca

To ensure that the TLEF provides the greatest possible benefits to students, any unused balances remaining in a Program Worktag for a completed project must be returned to the TLEF program for redistribution.

Final Reports should summarize project outcomes, demonstrate impact, and provide a clear record of how TLEF funding supported teaching and learning enhancement.

A Final Report Template is available on the TLEF website.

Reports should include:

• • • Completed work and major achievements.
    • Project benefits and outcomes.
    • Evaluation strategy and findings.
    • Impacted courses and sections, including enrolment data where applicable.
    • Student involvement, where applicable.
    • A final financial summary.

Submitted reports are published on the TLEF website and help support institutional learning and knowledge sharing across the UBC community.

Final Reports are due within 30 days of project completion.

Complete the Final Report Template and email the finished report to tlef.admin@ubc.ca.