New programme awards €650,000 in project funding to Technological Universities

Published: 29 May, 2023

Local water quality, sustainable food production, and the implications of AI for academic integrity are among projects being awarded funding under a new learning and teaching initiative for Technological Universities titled ‘N-TUTORR – Transforming Learning’.

The ‘Students as Partners in Innovation and Change’ funding grants have been awarded to 131 projects across Ireland’s seven Technological Universities and have a total value of more than €650,000. Funded by the European UnionNextGenerationEU, N-TUTORR is coordinated through the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA), with support from the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

The projects involve collaboration between learners and staff, and focus on enhancing the experience of students at Technological Universities.

Bojan Bozic and Rosie Bowser

The funded projects at TU Dublin are to receive up to €5,000 each in support and are informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including: THEA - Technological Higher Education Association - Transforming Learning (Granite temp)

Announcing the N-TUTORR funded projects, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD, said

I am delighted to announce the exciting enhancement projects receiving funding today as part of the new N-TUTORR project. This is an innovative, whole-sector collaboration across the Technological University sector that aims to transform the student experience. Collaboration between students and teachers, in co-creating projects to support innovation and enable student success, will enrich the teaching and learning experience, as well as contributing to Ireland’s progress on the Sustainable Development Goals

 Jamie O'Neill and Ciara Mckenna

Learning positively impacts our society, economy and the environment. The N-TUTORR programme is a significant development of new ways to learn and teach, so that teachers and students are equipped with relevant skills for the future. It is one of many initiatives helping to shape the Technological University sector for the next generation

Commenting on the new N-TUTORR programme, national coordinator for N-TUTORR, Dr. Sharon Flynn, said: “

The N-TUTORR initiative has been developed to transform the learner experience in the Technological University sector through technology and staff / student collaboration
Crucially, it is informed by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, so the projects receiving funding today will not only enhance their own institutions, but also contribute to and reflect positive changes in wider society. They address issues such as water quality, sustainable food production, and the implications of AI for academic integrity
Collaboration is at the essence of the N-TUTORR programme because we believe that working together leads to more impactful and lasting change. The programme itself is intrinsically collaborative as it relies on the participation of our seven partner institutes. By having staff and students work together, the N-TUTORR programme not only enhances the teaching methods of a particular institute, but also increases the employability of graduates and their ability to adapt in a digital world

Owen McFadden and Ursula Donovan

For more information about the ‘N-TUTORR  Transforming Learning’ initiative, go to www.thea.ie/TransformingLearning and follow the official hashtag #NTUTORRFellowships.