Tag Archives: learning

Erasmus+ Calls for 2015 open

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Don’t forget, the Erasmus+ calls for 2015 are out now. We have blogged on this already, but it is a fund that the University has a lot of success with and fits well with all research areas, so if you have not looked at what the funds are about yet, read this post.

Erasmus + provides grants for a wide range of actions and activities in the fields of education, training, youth and sport. The programme gives opportunities to students, trainees, staff and volunteers to spend a period abroad to increase their skills and employability. It supports organisations to work in transnational partnership and to share innovative practices in the fields of education, training and youth.

Details of each call can be accessed from the 2015 programme guide. http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/documents/erasmus-plus-programme-guide_en.pdf
The programme guide is the first port of call for anyone interested in applying. Each call has a 3-4 page summary of what sort of projects the commission are looking for fund and how much funding you will get.

Below is a list of the open calls, their closing date and the page in the programme guide to get more details.

Key Action 1
Mobility of individuals in the field of education and training 30/04/15                      page 33
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree 04/03/15                                                 page 93
Large Scale European Voluntary Services events 03/04/15                                  page 86

Key Action 2
Strategic partnerships in the field of education, training and youth 30/04/15        page 106
Knowledge Alliances, sector skills Alliances 26/02/15                                          page 123
Capacity building in the field of higher education 10/02/15                                   page 145
Capacity building in the field of youth 03/04/15, 02/09/15                                     page 166

Information Events

12 November 2015, Brussels event on Knowledge Alliances and Sector Skills Alliances

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/news/12th-november-2014-erasmus-plus-infoday-knowledge-alliances-and-sector-skills-alliances_en

4 November Glasgow events on Strategic partnerships and other UK based funds

https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/latest-news/events

 

Further Information
Erasmus+ website http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus_en

Erasmus+ Calls for 2015 open

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Erasmus + provides grants for a wide range of actions and activities in the fields of education, training, youth and sport. The programme gives opportunities to students, trainees, staff and volunteers to spend a period abroad to increase their skills and employability. It supports organisations to work in transnational partnership and to share innovative practices in the fields of education, training and youth.

Details of each call can be accessed from the 2015 programme guide. http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/documents/erasmus-plus-programme-guide_en.pdf
The programme guide is the first port of call for anyone interested in applying. Each call has a 3-4 page summary of what sort of projects the commission are looking for fund and how much funding you will get.

Below is a list of the open calls, their closing date and the page in the programme guide to get more details.

Key Action 1
Mobility of individuals in the field of education and training 30/04/15                      page 33
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree 04/03/15                                                 page 93
Large Scale European Voluntary Services events 03/04/15                                  page 86

Key Action 2
Strategic partnerships in the field of education, training and youth 30/04/15        page 106
Knowledge Alliances, sector skills Alliances 26/02/15                                          page 123
Capacity building in the field of higher education 10/02/15                                   page 145
Capacity building in the field of youth 03/04/15, 02/09/15                                     page 166

Information Events

12 November 2015, Brussels event on Knowledge Alliances and Sector Skills Alliances

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/news/12th-november-2014-erasmus-plus-infoday-knowledge-alliances-and-sector-skills-alliances_en

17 October-Cardiff, 20 October London, 4 November Glasgow events on Strategic partnerships and other UK based funds

https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/latest-news/events

 

Further Information
The External Projects Team will be preparing summaries of the actions and posting them on the blog www.staffs.ac.uk/researchfunding
Erasmus+ website http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus_en

Factsheet on Knowledge Alliances fund under Erasmus+

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The European Commission are encouraging Higher Education institutions to work in partnership with businesses on innovative projects that address teaching and learning. The projects are expected to generate long term partnerships which develop entrepreneurship.

The funding is called Knowledge Alliances and is part of the Erasmus+ scheme. Although the deadline for 2014 has recently closed, it takes time to develop a strong consortium and project idea. The External Projects Team is encouraging staff to get thinking on project ideas for 2015. To help have we have created a factsheet giving an overview of the fund.

It is expected that the 2015 deadlines will be in March/April, with calls coming out around November 2014.

Download Knowledge Alliance factsheet here

The External Projects Team can help you to find project partners and can help develop project ideas. Anyone who is interested should contact the team on exteranlprojects@staffs.ac.uk

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Students as Partners – research funding available

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Higher Education Academy call for proposals –  The impact of pedagogies of partnership on the student learning experience in UK higher education

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) recognises ‘Students as Partners’ as a priority thematic area to enhance student learning through regarding students as active partners in their educational experiences. This theme explores student engagement in learning, teaching and research as well as quality enhancement and change. To support this work, the HEA have a call for proposals to commission research to:

  • increase understanding of pedagogical approaches that foster partnership and the impact on student learning
  • offer clear implications for teaching and learning practice

Proposals should be distinct from existing HEA and partner research in the area and can encompass qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches.  Funding of up to £20,000 is available, with a deadline for applications of 14th March 2014, with work to commence in May 2014.

Further information:

Call details http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/SAP-research-call-Jan-2014

HEA information on Students as Partners theme  http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/students-as-partners

Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance

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The Humanitarian Innovation Fund supports organisations and individuals to identify, nurture and share innovative and scalable solutions to the challenges facing effective humanitarian assistance.

Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance, (under the humanitarian innovations fund), invites proposals for its large grant facility. Funding supports the development, implementation and testing of a humanitarian innovation that will lead to demonstrated cost-effective improvements in humanitarian practice.

Non-profit organisations such as non-governmental organisations, public or governmental institutions and academic or research institutes that have legal status and are registered in the country in which the project will be carried out, may apply. There is no geographic restriction as to the origin of an applicant. Organisations may apply individually or in consortia.

Grants will be allocated to projects with an implementation period of up to 18 months and range from £75,000 up to £150,000.

There are five key steps to innovation and large grants are awarded at two of these stages:

To date the Fund has awarded grants to fifteen projects from its large grant facility which supports the development, implementation and testing of innovation in humanitarian contexts with grants of up to £150,000.

The Fund has also awarded grants to eleven projects from its small grant facility which supports the recognition, invention and dissemination of an innovation with grants of up to £20,000.

For further information go to: http://www.humanitarianinnovation.org/funding/awards/large-grant

Closing date Expressions of intent due by 28 October; full proposals due by 13 December 2013. This call is repeated 2 times a year.

Sneak Preview of the 2014 Erasmus+ Work Programme

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The External Projects Team has access to a draft work programme for the new Erasmus+ Project. This is European funding for education, vocational education and young people.
The official document is expected to come out in January 2014, with call deadline dates shortly after. Reading the draft programme can give staff the opportunity to get ahead of the game and start planning partnerships.
The programme covers one year of funding. It gives an overview of the Erasmus+ programme, particularly the specific objectives in education and training, youth and sport as well as in:
•    Key action 1 (learning mobility of individuals)
•    Key action 2 (co-operation for innovation and the exchange of good practices)
•    Key action 3 (support for policy reform)
•    Jean Monnet activities
•    Sport

The draft work programme gives an overview of the funding allocations for 2014-2020 as well as a detailed budget for the 2014 calls.

The draft work programme also lists the topics of the specific activities, outlining an overview of the topic, the expected results, eligible applicants, award criteria and budget distribution per sector for 2014.

This is a confidential document, so we are not able to publish it on our website, however staff who are interested can email us on: externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk

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European Commission praises Staffordshire University Work Based Learning project

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Reply

 

 

 Work Based Learning Qualifications (WBLQUAL) http://wblqual.com  examines how Employers, Learners and Higher Education Institutions can benefit from working together to provide quality and affordable bespoke workplace learning to employees to a curriculum that is negotiated by the learner, the employer and the university (a tri-partite relationship).  

 This innovative project funded by the EU’s ERASMUS programme with partners from Italy, Poland, Latvia and Denmark was led by Staffordshire University’s Rosie Borup. The project ran from October 2010 to November 2012. In evaluating the project the European Commission commented on the ‘high quality of the research results (which are) easily accessible via the webpage of the project.‘, and that ’The great care with which the project has been implemented is noteworthy.’

 It is accepted that there is a cultural gap between the worlds of academia and industry. Universities can see themselves as set apart from the commercial pressures that industry is accustomed to, and they can consider that their interaction is best kept to the theoretical context and research.

 However there is much to be gained from a closer collaboration between Universities and Industry, and especially the engagement of Universities in Work Based Learning.

In the main Universities have offered Work Based Learning ‘courses’ which are traditional in terms of content and delivery, with little or no recognition of the tri-partite relationship between learner, employer and Higher Education Institutions. Employers have criticised academia for not adapting to their needs, and being inflexible in their approach.

 This project explored the issues which  concern academic institutions.

 The project web site offers

 Information for employers regarding how Work Based Learning can be used as an affordable tool for staff training

  • Information for learners highlighting how Work Based Learning can be flexible enough to fit around their day job
  • Research for HEIs interested in   offering Work Based Learning courses and how they can be implemented
  • Video summarising key issues and results
  • Country-specific case studies

CEDEFOP tender to conduct a study on how low-educated and low-skilled workers from a low socio-economic background think about education and continuous learning.

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The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training invites proposals for a narrative of career-related and labour-market-related learning of low-skilled workers. The tenderer shall conduct a study to investigate how low-educated and low-skilled workers with a low socio-economic background think about education and continuous learning. Funding is worth up to €300,000 over 18 months.

 The study will investigate how low-educated/low-skilled workers with a low socio-economic background think about education and continuous learning. The inquiry will be based on a collection of individual narratives that should bring out attitudes, aspirations and expectations towards learning. This research on low-educated workers prone to the risk of unemployment and social exclusion intends to uncover the potential among individuals to re-engage in learning and become socially upwardly mobile. The results of the study will be used to inform Cedefop’s research agenda on the topic of how adult and work-based learning can help people to better manage careers and working-life transitions, to set the stage for future analyses, and to pave the way for policy recommendations.

 The closing date is 18th January 2013.

 http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:374347-2012:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0

 For further information, please contact externalprojects@staffs.ac.uk