As part of the University’s Institutional Priorities and Strategic Framework, McMaster launched its first Teaching and Learning Strategy: Partnered in Teaching and Learning in May 2021. The Office of the Provost and the MacPherson Institute have partnered to establish grants to support the McMaster community with opportunities to engage in the implementation of the strategy. These grants seek to enable innovations in teaching and learning within and beyond the classroom and across disciplines and Faculties, elevate teaching as a professional discipline, and improve student experiences and outcomes.

Three grants are available to support educators¹ seeking to implement innovative and evidence-based initiatives and projects which align with one or more of the following impact areas within the Partnered in Teaching and Learning Strategy:

1. Encouraging Partnered and Interdisciplinary Learning
2. Supporting a Holistic and Personalized Student Experience
3. Fostering Inclusive Excellence and Scholarly Teaching
4. Developing Active and Flexible Learning Spaces

Seed Grants up to a maximum of $4,000 encourage the implementation of projects and initiatives that immediately and directly impact student learning experiences within an academic course or in the co-curricular spaces between their courses. They encourage experimentation and innovation, fostering smaller-scale enhancements.

Grow Grants up to a maximum of $8,000 are designed to support work already underway, whether that be through a previous PTL grant or through other means. They will enable recipients to grow their projects through assessment of the transferability of innovations, more dissemination, and/or moving from research to practice.

Garden Grants up to a maximum of $20,000 support projects which enhance students’ educational experiences through larger-scale improvements to whole programs or the teaching cultures and strategic educational directions of departments, schools, or Faculties. The funding may also support interdisciplinary partnerships between programs, departments, or faculties and we particularly encourage interdisciplinary teams to apply.

¹The term “educators” is intended to include, but is not limited to, community partners, faculty, graduate students, librarians, post-doctoral fellows, sessional instructors, staff, teaching assistants, and undergraduate students.