National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) and Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE)

2023 Nominees

"UHI are delighted to be submitting to the national Teaching Excellence Awards with Advance HE for a third consecutive year, following successes in 2021 and 2022. Our institutional nominees who have been selected to submit applications for the 2023 National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) and the 2023 Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) exemplify and represent the creativity, versatility and impactful nature of learning and teaching practice at UHI as an institution that specialises in digitally-enabled blended, networked and online learning and teaching within and beyond the large and geographically dispersed region we are located across. This year’s NTFS nominees – Dr Mei-Li Roberts (UHI Perth), Anna-Wendy Stevenson (UHI Outer Hebrides) and Dr Michael Smith (UHI Outer Hebrides) – comprise three of our most experienced and innovate practitioners, all strongly committed to and driven to facilitate an excellent learning experience for their students. Each demonstrates their individual teaching excellence within and across a number of dimensions, including having a demonstrable impact on the learning and development of the students they support, and a demonstrable impact on the quality of the resulting learning outcomes.  The same holds true of our CATE nominee, the UHI Drama team, who are led by Dr Lesley Mickel. The UHI Drama team exemplify rich collaborative practice that is designed to extend well beyond the team itself, and which provides enriched learning experiences for their students, and enriched learning and cultural experiences for those in our wider communities, through impactful partnership working with creative industry organisations – and community and third sector groups – both locally, nationally, and beyond."

Professor Neil Simco, Deputy Principal (academic and research)

Anna-Wendy Stevenson, Senior Lecturer, Music, UHI Outer Hebrides

"I am delighted to be able to submit for the National Teaching Fellow. My work over the last 16 years at UHI has been underpinned by my commitment to accessibility and inclusion, to creating transformative opportunities in music education at local, national and international levels through the development of partnerships and innovative use of technology. I was appointed in 2006 to teach diploma courses in music in the Outer Hebrides. Bringing my networks as a professional musician, I transformed a local campus and music curriculum from a position of fragility to success through the development of innovative approaches and pathways for our students and graduates to enter the national and international arenas with performance and placements including Hebcelt Festival, Soundstorm in Bournemouth, Celtic Colours in Canada. From 2012 I led a team in the development and delivery of the award-winning flagship degree in Applied Music – pioneering in the UK – a practical networked, multi-genre offering using blended learning through digital networking evidenced by the 2021 AHEA Collaboration Award in Teaching Excellence. I have benefitted from close engagement with the LTA in developing my leadership skills, collaborating to support the development of multiple initiatives including the ALPINE, NTF and the new Learning and Teaching Enhancement Strategy."

Dr Michael Smith, Programme Leader MSc Sustainable Rural Development Head of Humanities Department, UHI Outer Hebrides

"Since coming to work with UHI Outer Hebrides, Michael has led the development and delivery of UHI’s oldest fully online BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees in Sustainable Rural Development. After being seconded to UHI between 2013-17 designing and developing the University’s new degree in Geography, Michael returned to LCC UHI and became the Head of Department for the Humanities subject area at LCC UHI, along with renewing his leadership of the postgraduate MSc in Sustainable Rural Development. Within the wider university over the last 22 years, Michael has been one of the leaders in piloting distance education methods and transitioning classroom-based teaching to fully developed e-learning. It was in this field that Michael earned his PhD. I am absolutely delighted to be selected as an NTFS nominee for the university and hope very much I can contribute to gaining additional recognition for the university in the field of online distributed education."

Dr Mei-Li Roberts, Programme Leader BA (Hons) Child and Youth Studies, UHI Perth

"I am delighted to have been selected as one of the UHI National Teaching Fellowship nominees this year. Transparency, sharing good practice, supporting students and staff through peer mentors, and encouraging reflection and reflective practice are a key part of the ethos and values of my teaching and programme leadership. During my time at UHI, I have worked on developing a framework for online learning communities to support the growth and resilience of this community of staff and students. This nomination provides a fantastic opportunity both to reflect on my own practice and achievements but also to share and learn from the other nominees and NTF community."

Drama Team, led by Dr Lesley Mickel, Programme Leader, UHI Inverness

"Drama provision at UHI Inverness has evolved and grown significantly over recent years, a process informed by the rich and diverse skill set shared by the team. Together we are greater than the sum of our parts, and we are all driven by a commitment to an excellent student experience and socially relevant performance practice. This shared focus has led to innovative approaches to drama education, creative practice research and a strong network of industry partners. Being selected as the UHI CATE nominee is fantastic recognition of this and gives us the scope to evaluate our achievements so far and aspirations for the future."

2022 Nominees

“The University of the Highlands and Islands continues to develop its standing as a leader in teaching, learning and student support. Those selected for the 2022 NTFS/CATE awards are strong nominees who embody our unique approach to providing an excellent student experience. Each have demonstrated outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in Higher Education”

Professor Todd Walker, Principal and Vice Chancellor UHI

Dr Michael Smith, Programme Leader MSc Sustainable Rural Development Head of Humanities Department, Lews Castle College UHI

"Since coming to work with Lews Castle College (LCC) UHI, Michael has led the development and delivery of UHI’s oldest fully online BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees in Sustainable Rural Development. After being seconded to UHI between 2013-17 designing and developing the University’s new degree in Geography, Michael returned to LCC UHI and became the Head of Department for the Humanities subject area at LCC UHI, along with renewing his leadership of the postgraduate MSc in Sustainable Rural Development. Within the wider university over the last 22 years, Michael has been one of the leaders in piloting distance education methods and transitioning classroom-based teaching to fully developed e-learning. It was in this field that Michael earned his PhD. I am absolutely delighted to be selected as an NTFS nominee for the university and hope very much I can contribute to gaining additional recognition for the university in the field of online distributed education."

Dr Leah Macaden, Senior Lecturer in Nursing and Lead for Internationalisation, Department of Nursing UHI

“I am really delighted that the university have entered the National teaching Fellowship (NTF) Scheme for the first time this year as part of the Learning & Teaching Academy’s vision and strategy to expand the range of opportunities for professional recognition towards teaching and learning in higher education. NTF is one of the highest profile awards in the UK sector for innovation and practice in Higher Education learning and teaching. I feel very privileged to have been chosen as one of three nominees from this first cohort at UHI to be entered for The NTF Scheme. The processes for NTF nomination at UHI and the support from LTA have been well designed including dedicated mentoring from a highly experienced and senior NTF. The process to submit expressions of interest are closely aligned to the national process. I would encourage and recommend colleagues to pursue this opportunity that will now become available annually. Personally, I believe this is a great initiative to enhance staff development that will also raise the profile of the Department of Nursing & Midwifery nationally and the high quality of higher education and student experience that we provide at University of the Highlands & Islands.”

Dr Mei-Li Roberts, Programme Leader BA (Hons) Child and Youth Studies, Perth College UHI

"I am delighted to have been selected as one of the UHI National Teaching Fellowship nominees this year. Transparency, sharing good practice, supporting students and staff through peer mentors, and encouraging reflection and reflective practice are a key part of the ethos and values of my teaching and programme leadership. During my time at UHI, I have worked on developing a framework for online learning communities to support the growth and resilience of this community of staff and students. This nomination provides a fantastic opportunity both to reflect on my own practice and achievements but also to share and learn from the other nominees and NTF community."

Drama Team, led by Dr Lesley Mickel, Programme Leader, Inverness College UHI

"Drama provision at Inverness College, UHI has evolved and grown significantly over recent years, a process informed by the rich and diverse skill set shared by the team. Together we are greater than the sum of our parts, and we are all driven by a commitment to an excellent student experience and socially relevant performance practice. This shared focus has led to innovative approaches to drama education, creative practice research and a strong network of industry partners. Being selected as the UHI CATE nominee is fantastic recognition of this and gives us the scope to evaluate our achievements so far and aspirations for the future."

2022 Winners

2022 Winners Announced!

On 4 August Advance HE announced the winners of the 2022 National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) and Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). Fifty-four new NTFs were awarded along with 16 winning CATE teams.

We are delighted to announced that Dr Leah Macaden, Senior Lecturer in Nursing and Lead for Internationalisation has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship (NTF).

Leah said of her win:

The National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) Scheme celebrates and recognises individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education within the UK. I believe that high quality nurse education delivered with passion and commitment transforms lives and societies. Education is a vital investment for future workforce development and a critical solution to our rising health and social care challenges particularly around the care of older adults. I am delighted to receive this national recognition for my contributions in this area of nurse education and join the NTF community.

I would highly recommend academic colleagues at UHI to pursue this exceptional opportunity both for professional development and bilateral knowledge exchange on best teaching and learning practices with colleagues from across the UK.

Alison Johns, Chief Executive, Advance HE said:

Congratulations to each and every new National Teaching Fellow and CATE team on this fantastic achievement.

At Advance HE, we run the prestigious NTF and CATE awards for the UK higher education sector with enormous pride. The challenges of offering an outstanding teaching experience in recent years have been very demanding, but the sector has risen to the challenge.

The full list of 2022 NTFs and CATE winners is below:

2022 winners of the National Teaching Fellowship.

2022 winners of the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence.

LTA Blog post: Celebrating Teaching Excellence at UHI...Again!

2021 Nominees

Lois Gray, Lecturer and Academic Lead Developer (Engineering), North Highland College UHI

"For me, being chosen as a National Teaching Fellowship nominee, is exciting and an honour, and marks the culmination of more than a decade of academic leadership. During this time I have strived to inspire a new generation of innovative engineers who will contribute to solving today’s world’s problems – climate change, famine, poverty, pandemics, and whatever else the future holds. I have always been passionate about inclusion and have tried to attract those who might not normally study engineering – remote learners, females, non-academics, life-long learners – by offering flexible courses, adopting new pedagogies, experimenting, reflecting on successes and remedying failures, and, essentially, delivering the best higher education I can, to as varied a cohort as possible. I see this nomination as a fantastic opportunity to review my achievements, and, if selected, to share with, and learn from, other practitioners of excellence."

Leah Macaden, Senior Lecturer in Nursing and Lead for Internationalisation, Executive Office UHI – Department of Nursing

“I am really delighted that the university have entered the National teaching Fellowship (NTF) Scheme for the first time this year as part of the Learning & Teaching Academy’s vision and strategy to expand the range of opportunities for professional recognition towards teaching and learning in higher education. NTF is one of the highest profile awards in the UK sector for innovation and practice in Higher Education learning and teaching. I feel very privileged to have been chosen as one of three nominees from this first cohort at UHI to be entered for The NTF Scheme. The processes for NTF nomination at UHI and the support from LTA have been well designed including dedicated mentoring from a highly experienced and senior NTF. The process to submit expressions of interest are closely aligned to the national process. I would encourage and recommend colleagues to pursue this opportunity that will now become available annually. Personally, I believe this is a great initiative to enhance staff development that will also raise the profile of the Department of Nursing & Midwifery nationally and the high quality of higher education and student experience that we provide at University of the Highlands & Islands”.

Wendy Maltinsky, Psychology Lecturer, Inverness College UHI

“I was honoured to be selected as an NTF nominee. The nomination alone has been important to me as recognition by the institution of my value as a lecturer. I have sought to provide a high quality and meaningful learning experience for my students using a range of modalities to do so and to share my enthusiasm amongst colleagues in different institutions and globally.”

The Applied Music Team, Lews Castle College UHI

“The Applied Music team are delighted to be the CATE nominee – it is a great opportunity to spend some time reflecting together on our many successes since our team formed in 2012. The process has helped us to focus on our innovation in teaching a highly practical subject to students based across the country (and beyond), the ways in which we support our students to succeed, and the impact of this on the wider field of music education.”

2021 Winners

We are delighted to announce that Lois Gray as a National Teaching Fellow (NTF) and the university's Applied Music Team has won a collaborative award for teaching excellence (CATE).

Professor Todd Walker, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of the Highlands and Islands, said:

"I am delighted that Lois and the applied music team have been recognised in these prestigious national awards. This is the first year we have entered, thanks to the coordination and support of our Learning and Teaching Academy, and we've been told it is exceptional to have been successful in both categories. The awards are held in high regard in the sector and demonstrate our commitment to excellence in learning and teaching. It's fantastic to be commended for the impact our colleagues are having on our students."

Lois said:

"I am delighted and honoured to receive this national teaching fellowship award. With teaching being such a fulfilling occupation, I feel gratified to find that the work I do naturally to prompt my hard-working students to give their best is worthy of such a prestigious award. I couldn't have achieved this without the support of my colleagues who have embraced my sometimes rather speculative ideas and strived to make my programmes as inclusive, attractive and rewarding as possible. This award will allow me to share my ideals and scaffold my aims to provide a new work-related degree for those who deserve, but may have previously lacked opportunity, thus preparing the next generation of engineers for the fourth industrial revolution."

Anna-Wendy Stevenson, programme leader for the university's BA (Hons) applied music degree, said:

"Collaboration is central to all our lives - as educators and members of society - and is a core skill within our subject area of music. It is wonderful to celebrate our work with the prestigious collaborative award for teaching excellence and have our team recognised for their passion in developing and connecting the many communities we serve through higher education."

Alison Johns, chief executive of Advance HE, added:

"I am delighted to congratulate the 2021 NTFS and CATE awardees on their achievements. This year marks the 1000th national teaching fellowship award. Over the years, each and every NTF has made an impact on the sector - both on the students they teach and on their fellow teaching staff who look to them for inspiration and guidance."

"It's also very gratifying to see the quality of teamwork represented this year - the CATE awards really have become part of the sector landscape. Teamwork has been especially important in the past year with the challenges for teaching and learning as a result of social distancing and in the autumn we will publish case studies highlighting this excellent collaborative effort. I am sure that institutions will value these examples as we start to return to the best of in-person teaching complemented by excellent online delivery."

"Well done to each and every awardee on this outstanding achievement."

Alex Walker, Professional Development and Recognition Lead LTA has written this blog to celebrate all the university nominees and wins.

A full list of winners can be found on the Advance HE webpages.