Public and Community Engagement Module Development Fund
Public and Community Engagement Module Development Fund
Apply for funding to include public and/or community engagement in your teaching.
With this fund, we aim to facilitate innovation in the design or pedagogy of modules to include public or community engagement. We hope it will help departments to grow their own approaches to including public or community engagement in the curriculum by providing funding and advice.
Application deadline: midday on Friday 9th February 2024.
Aims
To help departments grow their own approaches to including public or community engagement in the curriculum.
To increase the number and breadth of opportunities Warwick students have to develop engagement skills and connect with people outside the University.
To help students develop transferable skills.
To support innovation in teaching and learning.
Information session
All applicants are required to either attend an online information session or meet with a member of the team. This is to help you put together a strong application and understand what support is available during your project. If you can’t attend an online information session, please contact Helen Luckhurst at to arrange a chat instead.
Applications to the fund are welcomed under three categories.
Type 1: Innovation within an existing module to include new elements on public or community engagement
Apply for funding and support to develop new public or community engagement elements within an existing taught module(s) at UG or PGT level, through which students learn about and practise public or community engagement. The development process must include co-creation with a student or students.
Expected outputs from your project:
New public/community engagement element(s) within a taught module(s) at UG or PGT level, through which students learn about and practise public/community engagement. For example:
A new form of assessment related to public engagement (such as a blog, vlog, or engagement project).
A new, non-assessed project students undertake during the module.
Public engagement-related resources (e.g., commissioning a video about public engagement approaches with external experts).
Other innovation specified by you in your application. This list is not exhaustive and your innovative ideas are welcomed.
A financial report on how the funding has been spent.
A case study for the WIE website which future applicants to the fund could learn from. Examples of webpages about existing modules can be found here. You might choose to present yours in a different way that suits you, for example by using videos or photos. After the first running of your module, please provide some additional reflections and examples for colleagues to learn from.
Each year for three years (assuming the module is annual), we will ask you for: the number of students taking the module; a digest of qualitative and quantitative student module appraisal feedback; and some comments from you.
Funding:
Applications for up to £2,000 are welcomed.
You will be allocated an internal cost code to access your budget. The budget will close on 30th June, with no option to extend into the following year.
The funding could be used to:
Pay for staff time.
Pay for student time. (See FAQ below for Unitemps costs.)
Purchase permanent resources for the teaching of the module.
Undertake relevant training or attend conferences that will inform the development process.
Pay for one-off costs to support effective working relationships with community partners.
The above is not an exhaustive list. If you have other ideas of how you want to spend your budget, please explain and justify them in your application.
Please note that if buying equipment, it must be specifically for use in the module. E.g., a laptop for a co-creator would not be funded.
The fund is intended to have sustainable, long-term impact so it should not be used for costs that only benefit one running of a module. For example, it should not be used to support students to do an engagement activity this year that couldn’t be repeated without additional funding the following year. Instead, for example, you could purchase equipment or learning resources that students could use every year.
Type 2: Creation of a new module with some elements on public or community engagement
Apply for funding and support to develop public or community engagement elements within a new taught module(s) at UG or PGT level, through which students learn about and practise public or community engagement. The development process must include co-creation with a student or students.
Expected outputs from your project:
Public/community engagement element(s) within a new taught module(s) at UG or PGT level, through which students learn about and practise public/community engagement. For example:
A new form of assessment related to public engagement (such as a blog, vlog, or engagement project).
A new, non-assessed project students undertake during the module.
Public engagement-related resources (e.g., commissioning a video about public engagement approaches with external experts).
Other innovation specified by you in your application. This list is not exhaustive and your innovative ideas are welcomed.
A financial report on how the funding has been spent.
A case study for the WIE website which future applicants to the fund could learn from. Examples of webpages about existing modules can be found here. You might choose to present yours in a different way that suits you, for example by using videos or photos. After the first running of your module, please provide some additional reflections and examples for colleagues to learn from.
Each year for three years (assuming the module is annual), we will ask you for: the number of students taking the module; a digest of qualitative and quantitative student module appraisal feedback; and some comments from you.
Funding:
Applications for up to £2,000 are welcomed.
You will be allocated an internal cost code to access your budget. The budget will close on 30th June, with no option to extend into the following year.
The funding could be used to:
Pay for staff time.
Pay for student time. (See FAQ below for Unitemps costs.)
Purchase permanent resources for the teaching of the module.
Undertake relevant training or attend conferences that will inform the development process.
Pay for one-off costs to support effective working relationships with community partners.
The above is not an exhaustive list. If you have other ideas of how you want to spend your budget, please explain and justify them in your application.
Please note that if buying equipment, it must be specifically for use in the module. E.g., a laptop for a co-creator would not be funded.
The fund is intended to have sustainable, long-term impact so it should not be used for costs that only benefit one running of a module. For example, it should not be used to support students to do an engagement activity this year that couldn’t be repeated without additional funding the following year. Instead, for example, you could purchase equipment or learning resources that students could use every year.
Type 3: Creation of a new module focused on public or community engagement
Apply for funding and support to create a new taught module at UG or PGT level in which students learn about and practise public or community engagement in relation to their subject/discipline. The module must be co-created with a student or students.
Expected outputs from your project:
A new taught module at UG or PGT level in which students learn about and practise public or community engagement as it relates to their subject/discipline.
A financial report on how the funding has been spent.
A case study for the WIE website which future applicants to the fund could learn from. Examples of webpages about existing modules can be found here. You might choose to present yours in a different way that suits you, for example by using videos or photos. After the first running of your module, please provide some additional reflections and examples for colleagues to learn from.
Each year for three years (assuming the module is annual), we will ask you for: the number of students taking the module; a digest of qualitative and quantitative student module appraisal feedback; and some comments from you.
Funding:
Applications for up to £5,000 are welcomed.
You will be allocated an internal cost code to access your budget. The budget will close on 30th June, with no option to extend into the following year.
The funding could be used to:
Pay for staff time.
Pay for student time. (See FAQ below for Unitemps costs.)
Purchase permanent resources for the teaching of the module.
Undertake relevant training or attend conferences that will inform the development process.
Pay for one-off costs to support effective working relationships with community partners.
The above is not an exhaustive list. If you have other ideas of how you want to spend your budget, please explain and justify them in your application.
Please note that if buying equipment, it must be specifically for use in the module. E.g., a laptop for a co-creator would not be funded.
The fund is intended to have sustainable, long-term impact so it should not be used for costs that only benefit one running of a module. For example, it should not be used to support students to do an engagement activity this year that couldn’t be repeated without additional funding the following year. Instead, for example, you could purchase equipment or learning resources that students could use every year.
What is meant by public and community engagement? Who might my module students engage with?
Engagement (also referred to as ‘public’ and ‘community’ engagement) is about people inside universities interacting with those outside universities to share knowledge and research, collaborate on ideas, co-produce new approaches and enable curiosity, exploration and conversation. Through it everyone gains valuable interactions and insights, in turn contributing to societal development and progress.
For a more in-depth exploration of what is meant by engagement and why it matters, please read the 'What is engagement?' section of our Skills Festival.
For help to identify who your module could engage with, i.e. a target audience such as a particular community or section of the public, please read our audience development toolkit.
What modules about public or community engagement already exist?
You can find some examples here, including details on what the modules involve. You might find more in the University's module catalogue, too.
The Warwick Institute of Engagement runs interdisciplinary modules on public engagement for undergraduates and postgraduates through IATL. The purpose of this fund is to help departments include opportunities within their own module offer to students so that more students can be reached, and so that departments can teach subject-specific aspects of engagement.
What learning resources about public or community engagement already exist?
You may find it useful to use these as a starting point so that you can focus on creating more subject-specific resources that build on these.
Co-creation
All projects must include a student or students as co-creators. Students involved as co-creators should be paid at FA4, spinal point 16 - see below for advice on how to understand and budget for Unitemps rates.
You are welcome to involve students from any department and any stage of study. For example, you might want to work with a mix of: students who have done the module before, students who might take it in the future, experienced students near the end of their course, and students who have taken an engagement-related module in another department. Make sure it is clear that students are being paid for to help with the development process, not to take the module.
This video about co-creation has been shared by colleagues in IATL.
The expected rate is grade 4, spinal point 16 and no lower. You should budget for the Unitemps bill rate, rather than the pay rate that co-creators will receive. (Bill rate is the co-creator's pay plus holiday pay, plus the Unitemps fee.) From December 2023, the Unitemps bill rate for spinal point 16 is expected to be £18.64 per hour pre AWR, or £19.49 per hour post AWR. Information on AWR can be found here: https://www.unitemps.com/resources/info-hub-old/awr-full-version/ Broadly, the post AWR rate is paid after 12 weeks of work.
The bill rate may change during the year, depending on various external factors. You are strongly advised to plan some contingency into this part of your budget in case of future increases to the rate while your project is ongoing. For example, instead of budgeting for an hourly cost of £18.64 (pre AWR) or £19.49 (post AWR) budget for £19.00 pre AWR and £20.00 post AWR. Then have a back-up plan for what you could spend the leftover money on, should the rates not rise.
If your application is successful, remember to re-check the bill rate directly with Unitemps when you are setting up the vacancies, in case the rate has changed since this webpage was written. You should also confirm what the actual pay rate the co-creators will receive is, for when you are telling students about the opportunity.
Doesn't make sense? Here's an example:
I want to employ five students to work as co-creators over a 4-week period. I anticipate a total of 10 hours work each in that time.
I am going to employ the students at grade 4, spinal point 16.
As the students in my project are doing less than 12 weeks of work, they will receive the Pre-AWR holiday pay rate. This means that in addition to their hourly wage of £13.24, they will receive £1.60 in holiday pay for each hour they work. This gets added to a pot of money which they can see on their Unitemps account. They can choose when to have Unitemps pay them the money. It doesn't affect me or my budgeting, because it is already included in the bill rate charged to me.
The Unitemps bill rate for grade 4, spinal point 16, at the pre-AWR rate, is £18.30 per hour. This is the number that matters for my budget as it is the cost that Unitemps will charge to my budget code for every hour that the co-creators work.
Pre AWR
Post AWR
Grade
Spinal point
Pay rate
Holiday pay
Bill rate
Pay rate
Holiday pay
Bill rate
4
16
£13.24
£1.60
£18.64
£13.24
£2.27
£19.49
£18.64 multiplied by 10 hours of work is £186.40. £186.40 multiplied by five co-creators is £932.00, so I expect the exact cost to be £932.00.
However, I know that the bill rate might change due to external factors (e.g. an increase to University of Warwick pay rate for this grade). Therefore I will budget cautiously and estimate a bill rate of £19.00 per hour. £19.00 multiplied by 10 hours, then multiplied by five co-creators, is £950. I will put this in the budget for my application.
If the bill rate did not rise, then I would have a potential underspend of £18. I could spend this on another part of my budget, for example an additional learning resource, or I could let WIE know in advance that I anticipate an underspend so that they can assign it to another WIE programme.
Review process
Your application will be reviewed by a panel of staff and paid students from WIE, IATL and the WIE Fellowship. The reviewers will check that your application meets the fund criteria set out above (see types one, two and three). In deciding which projects to fund, the reviewers will also take into account factors such as the following, which are listed in no particular order.
The depth of the opportunities to learn about and practise public/community engagement.
The strength of the pedagogical approach set out in the application, i.e., how well thought-through the teaching and learning is
The strength of the approach to co-creation. See video linked above for information.
The benefit to the public or community
The breadth of the reach, e.g., is it a compulsory module? Will students on multiple courses within the department will benefit from the project?
The department, e.g., what other opportunities for public engagement exist in the department's curriculum
All applicants will receive feedback from the panel, whether or not they are given funding.
Please note that the reviewers are from across the University, so your application needs to be written in language suitable for non-specialists.
Budget guidance
The funding could be used to:
Pay for staff time.
Pay for student time. (See FAQ below for Unitemps costs.)
Purchase permanent resources for the teaching of the module.
Undertake relevant training or attend conferences that will inform the development process.
Pay for one-off costs to support effective working relationships with community partners.
The above is not an exhaustive list. If you have other ideas of how you want to spend your budget, please explain and justify them in your application.
Please note that if buying equipment, it must be specifically for use in the module. E.g., a laptop for a co-creator would not be funded.
The fund is intended to have sustainable, long-term impact so it should not be used for costs that only benefit one running of a module. For example, it should not be used to support students to do an engagement activity this year that couldn’t be repeated without additional funding the following year. Instead, for example, you could purchase equipment or learning resources that students could use every year.
You could include in your budget one-off costs to support effective working relationships with community partners. For example, to pay for refreshments for a meeting to discuss partners’ long-term involvement in a module or seek their input/advice on your ideas.
The fund is intended to have sustainable, long-term impact so it should not be used for costs that only benefit one running of a module. For example, it should not be used to support students to do an engagement activity this year that couldn’t be repeated without funding the following year. Instead, you could purchase equipment or learning resources that students could use every year.
The expected rate is grade 4, spinal point 16 and no lower. You should budget for the Unitemps bill rate, rather than the pay rate that co-creators will receive. (Bill rate is the co-creator's pay plus holiday pay, plus the Unitemps fee.) From December 2023, the Unitemps bill rate for spinal point 16 is expected to be £18.64 per hour pre AWR, or £19.49 per hour post AWR. Information on AWR can be found here: https://www.unitemps.com/resources/info-hub-old/awr-full-version/ Broadly, the post AWR rate is paid after 12 weeks of work.
The bill rate may change during the year, depending on various external factors. You are strongly advised to plan some contingency into this part of your budget in case of future increases to the rate while your project is ongoing. For example, instead of budgeting for an hourly cost of £18.64 (pre AWR) or £19.49 (post AWR) budget for £19.00 pre AWR and £20.00 post AWR. Then have a back-up plan for what you could spend the leftover money on, should the rates not rise.
If your application is successful, remember to re-check the bill rate directly with Unitemps when you are setting up the vacancies, in case the rate has changed since this webpage was written. You should also confirm what the actual pay rate the co-creators will receive is, for when you are telling students about the opportunity.
Doesn't make sense? Here's an example:
I want to employ five students to work as co-creators over a 4-week period. I anticipate a total of 10 hours work each in that time.
I am going to employ the students at grade 4, spinal point 16.
As the students in my project are doing less than 12 weeks of work, they will receive the Pre-AWR holiday pay rate. This means that in addition to their hourly wage of £13.24, they will receive £1.60 in holiday pay for each hour they work. This gets added to a pot of money which they can see on their Unitemps account. They can choose when to have Unitemps pay them the money. It doesn't affect me or my budgeting, because it is already included in the bill rate charged to me.
The Unitemps bill rate for grade 4, spinal point 16, at the pre-AWR rate, is £18.30 per hour. This is the number that matters for my budget as it is the cost that Unitemps will charge to my budget code for every hour that the co-creators work.
Pre AWR
Post AWR
Grade
Spinal point
Pay rate
Holiday pay
Bill rate
Pay rate
Holiday pay
Bill rate
4
16
£13.24
£1.60
£18.64
£13.24
£2.27
£19.49
£18.64 multiplied by 10 hours of work is £186.40. £186.40 multiplied by five co-creators is £932.00, so I expect the exact cost to be £932.00.
However, I know that the bill rate might change due to external factors (e.g. an increase to University of Warwick pay rate for this grade). Therefore I will budget cautiously and estimate a bill rate of £19.00 per hour. £19.00 multiplied by 10 hours, then multiplied by five co-creators, is £950. I will put this in the budget for my application.
If the bill rate did not rise, then I would have a potential underspend of £18. I could spend this on another part of my budget, for example an additional learning resource, or I could let WIE know in advance that I anticipate an underspend so that they can assign it to another WIE programme.
All funding must be spent by 30th June 2024. Funding cannot be extended or moved to another financial year; your budget will disappear on 1st July.
Typically, Warwick pays invoices up to 30 days after receipt. So if you order something, it needs to arrive before 30th June in order for you to pay for it from your budget. It is recommended that you aim to spend you budget by the end of May so that you have a contingency of one month to deal with any outstanding issues. If you are purchasing specialist equipment, order this as soon as possible when you have received the award from WIE. This is because the university may require you to use an approved supplier, who may have low stock or long lead times, and you may not have the freedom to seek an alternative supplier. Please seek advice from colleagues working on finance or administration within your department at the earliest opportunity so that you can understand the likely time taken to process your requests, and understand any financial regulations that may affect your plans.
Other information and guidance
Please check this EPQ webpage for up-to-date information about University timelines. We strongly advise that you check your department's process and timeline for approval of module changes or creation, as you will likely need to go through a departmental process before the University one.
You can, but priority will be given to proposals which will introduce engagement into modules that do not yet include it, and to proposals for creating new modules.
This fund is provided by Warwick Institute of Engagement (WIE) with support from colleagues in IATL and WIHEA as well as Fellows of WIE.
Your first point of contact prior to application and during the project will be Helen Luckhurst at , who will signpost you to colleagues for support with different aspects of your project, if needed.
Examples of modules involving public engagement are available via this WIE webpage, along with a reading list and links to external resources from the CIRCLET project on embedding community engaged research and learning in module. WIE also offers a mentoring scheme.
WIE will provide you with a budget code but cannot help with administration of your project. All purchases should be made through your own department's processes, using the code WIE has provided.
Yes, please upload evidence of this with your application form.
Head of Department approval is required for the primary contact and, if different, the department(s) where the module sits.
In addition, approval is required from the Head of Department of any Warwick staff member whose time will be paid for with this funding. Please upload evidence of approval, as a document or an email which includes a brief statement of support for your project from the relevant Head(s) of Department and their signature (an email will be taken as electronic signature).
Planning your project – timing and funding
Please check processes and deadlines within your department for approval of module changes or creation. Please factor these into your planning and include them in the project timeline in your application.
All funding must be spent by 30th June 2024. Funding cannot be extended or moved to another financial year; your budget will disappear on 1st July.
We recognise that you may not receive final approval of your module changes or creation until after your funded period, depending on the departmental and University deadlines you plan to work towards. This is fine, and we are happy to continue to provide advice after the end of the funded period, should you need it.
Attend an information session or arrange a meeting if you can't make it.
Check deadlines in your department for making changes to modules or creating new ones. (You can find a summary of the University process here and FAQs here.)
Get Head of Department support for your project idea and include this with your application. See FAQs below for details.
When you are ready to apply, start here. The first page asks for some contact and monitoring information; this will not be used to judge your application. The second page is the application form. While logged in, you will be able to save your progress on the form. If you require any help with accessing the application form or you notice a glitch, please contact Helen at wie@warwick.ac.uk.
Your application will go to a review panel made up of students and staff.
You will be informed of the outcome of your application. We aim to get back to you by the end of February.
We advise that if your application is successful, you should set up positions for co-creator students with Unitemps as soon as possible, allowing time to advertise and recruit if applicable, and for Unitemps to complete the necessary checks before their employment starts.
You will receive your budget code from WIE.
You will carry out your project.
Let us know if you would like to be put in touch with colleagues who share an interest in teaching public or community engagement. The review panel may also have recommended contacts to you at the response stage.
Finish spending the budget by 30th June 2024. Funding cannot be extended or moved to another financial year; your budget will disappear on 1st July.
Submit your module changes or creation for approval through the relevant process in your department (and then the University, if applicable). Deadlines vary.
Provide a financial report on how your budget was spent.
By 31st July, create a case study for the WIE website which future applicants to the fund could learn from. Examples of webpages about existing modules can be found here. You might choose to present yours in a different way that suits you, for example by using videos or photos. After the first running of your module, please provide some additional reflections and examples for colleagues to learn from.
Each year for three years (assuming the module is annual), we will ask you for: the number of students taking the module; a digest of qualitative and quantitative student module appraisal feedback; and some comments from you.
Application process
All applicants are required to either attend an information session or meet with a member of the team. This is to help you put together a strong application and understand what support is available during your project. It is also so we can suggest other funds to apply to if your project idea does meet the criteria for this one. If you can’t attend a session, please contact Helen at to arrange a short meeting instead.
Click on the buttons below to book onto an information session:
Following this preparation, you will fill in two forms: one brief form to help us monitor our reach and keep in touch with you about WIE's work, and then a separate application form providing the review panel with the information they will need to make a decision about your project.
The application deadline is midday on Friday 9th February 2024.
We aim to let you know the outcome of your application by the end of February, and make your funding available in early March. Please read 'planning your project - timing and funding' to help you plan a realistic timeline.
Eligibility
From August 2023 we will be operating a 2 strike policy for no shows at our externally led masterclasses. If you book a masterclass and do not attend without cancelling your place 7 days in advance you will receive a strike. After 2 strikes we will no longer allow you to book for our masterclasses, and you will be barred from applying to this fund until the following academic year.
Application form
When you are ready to apply, start here. The first page asks for some contact and monitoring information; this will not be used to judge your application. The second page is the application form. While logged in, you will be able to save your progress on the form. If you require any help with accessing the application form or you notice a glitch, please contact Helen Luckhurst at .
The application deadline is midday on Friday 9th February 2024.
