Seedcorn Fund

Purpose of the Seedcorn Fund

The Seedcorn Fund will support the development and implementation of small-scale innovative projects aimed at improving the delivery of higher education and the undergraduate or postgraduate student learning experience. The funding is intended for short projects (lasting one year or less) that will be implemented in the 2022/23 academic year (ending on August 2023).


Who can apply for the Seedcorn Fund?

  • All EEA members who are involved in higher education teaching can apply for the Seed Fund.
  • Applications are welcome from individuals and teams (where team members can be part of one or multiple institutions). For team applications, at least one person on the team must be an EEA member. Each application must contain at least one individual who will be teaching in the 2022/23 academic year.
  • There are no restrictions on the career stage of applicants, but applicants must ensure that the duration of their institutional affiliation covers the entire period of funding (November 2022 – August 2023). PhD students can apply as part of a team but cannot submit an individual application.

     

How much funding is available and what can it cover?

One award of up to €2000 is available.

Applicants can combine the Seed Fund with other sources of funding. Applicants who plan to do so much provide sufficient detail in the application form to allow assessment of the project’s feasibility. Matched funding is not required.

This funding can cover direct expenses incurred in planning, implementing, and evaluating the project, including focus groups, surveys, workshops or similar events, and research assistance. The funding can also cover non-consumables (items that are not ‘used up’ during the course of the project) such as books or digital technologies for teaching and learning, provided that applicants give sufficient justification for these resources in the application form.

This funding cannot be used to cover indirect costs such as institutional overheads, salary cost of applicants, replacement teaching costs/teaching buyout, personal travel and maintenance costs.


How will applications be assessed?

Funding will be awarded based on the following criteria:

  • Extent to which the project is innovative. (Note that ‘innovative’ does not necessarily mean “completely new”; projects that trial an established technique in a new context can also be considered innovative.)
  • Feasibility of conducting the proposed project within the specified timeframe
  • Evidence of need for funding and clear description of what the funding will be used for
  • Evidence of potential value, reach and impact of the project, particularly on student learning but also in influencing the practice of academic staff
  • Potential to extend the into a larger funded project at the end of the seed funding period.
  • Plan for evaluation

     

​​​​​​​How do I apply for the Seedcorn Fund?

Complete an application form (link at bottom of page).

Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm (CET) on 31 October 2022.

Successful applicants will be notified by mid-November 2022. As part of the award, successful applicants will be required to participate in some dissemination activities, which may include presenting their project in the EEA Annual Congress in August 2023 (exact date to be confirmed) and writing a case study or summary report of their project for the EEA website.

If you have any queries about the application form or the Seed Fund, please email the Education Committee at eea-education@eeassoc.org.

Proceed to application form here