Learning & Education Advancement Fund (LEAF)
LEAF Navigation
The following pages are designed to support you throughout the LEAF process:
- LEAF Program and Eligibility Overview (discover below)
- Evaluation Criteria and Application Processes
- Teaching Grant Resources
- Submit an Expression of Interest
- Project Profiles Repository (coming soon)
The Learning & Education Advancement Fund (LEAF) aims to enhance the learning experiences of undergraduate students in first-entry divisions by supporting projects that anticipate, leverage and create positive changes. The program provides opportunities to develop and enhance the application of impactful teaching practices within the range of learning environments at the University of Toronto.
Along with the President’s Three Priorities, LEAF supports initiatives that align with the priorities of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education. These priorities include:
Student Success
Developing or enhancing student learning experiences in academic courses and programs to support students succeeding academically in their courses.
Equitable and Inclusive Teaching
Advancing equity and inclusion in academic courses or programs.
Technology in the Classroom
Developing, expanding and implementing new technologies or technology-enhanced solutions in academic courses or programs.
Experiential Learning
Developing, redesigning, expanding or incorporating new experiential learning opportunities in academic courses or programs.
Important Dates and Deadlines
Expressions of Interest for the fall cycle (Seed and Impact grants) are accepted from June to September 24.
Expressions of Interest for the spring cycle (Seed grants only) are accepted from January to February 27.
Eligibility
Applicant Eligibility
Proposals will be accepted from University of Toronto faculty, staff and librarians with continuing appointments in the first-entry undergraduate divisions listed below.
- Faculty of Arts & Science
- Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
- Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education
- Faculty of Music
- John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design
- University of Toronto Mississauga
- University of Toronto Scarborough
Faculty, staff and librarians with continuing appointments in other divisions may partner on an application with a member with continuing status from an eligible division, so long as the primary beneficiary of the proposal are first-entry undergraduate students.
Project Eligibility
Funding Streams
As a two-tiered system of funding, LEAF provides funding opportunities for teaching and learning projects that explore, implement and scale up promising practices at different stages of their development and implementation, creating a pathway for projects from their initial inception to their full potential. LEAF projects must have a well-defined connection to the curriculum of an academic program.
At a Glance: Seed and Impact Grants
Seed Grant | Impact Grant | |
---|---|---|
What are the different LEAF funding streams? | Intended to encourage experimentation at the local level, either within a course or a set of courses, as a means of fostering small-scale enhancements or pilots with the potential for future scalability. These projects should have the potential for either scalability within their home unit or transferability into other undergraduate learning contexts. | Designed to support large-scale projects with the potential to significantly enhance core elements of undergraduate education within or across academic units and divisions at the University. This can range from projects designed to scale, sustain and institutionalize high-impact teaching and assessment innovations that have already experienced successful experimentation in their local contexts, to the development of new mechanisms and tools for proliferating innovative pedagogical practices. |
Funding Amount | $5,000 to $10,000 per year for up to 3 years. | $10,000 to $100,000 per year for up to 3 years. |
Timing | Applications accepted in the fall and spring. If your application is successful, funding transfer occurs in May. | Applications are only accepted in the fall. If your application is successful, funding transfer occurs in May. |
Evaluation Criteria | Connection to Academic Curriculum, Assessment & Evaluation, Transferability & Scalability, Budget, Sustainability & Feasibility. | Connection to Academic Curriculum, Assessment & Evaluation, Transferability & Scalability, Budget, Sustainability & Feasibility, Collaboration, Connection to Scholarly Literature. |
[coming soon] See examples of current and past Seed and Impact grants in our Project Profiles Repository.
LEAF Expectations
As a condition of funding, successful LEAF applicants will be expected to:
- Attend a kickoff meeting with other successful LEAF applicants in the spring.
- Submit an annual status report in January each year the project is active. This may be accompanied by a request to meet with the OVPIUE to discuss your project.
- Complete a final project report following the project’s final year of funding.
- Acknowledge LEAF as your source of funding if publications or presentations result from your LEAF-funded project.
More details about these expectations will be provided if your application is successful.