Have you ever tried a new teaching strategy in your classroom and wondered exactly how it impacted your students’ learning? Do you have a burning pedagogical question you’ve been dying to investigate, if only you had the time?

The Center for Innovation and Excellence in Learning (CIEL) is thrilled to announce a unique, time-limited opportunity for Vancouver Island University teaching faculty: The 2027 SoTL Fellowship.

This fellowship provides the successful applicant with the equivalent of 0.25 FTE to deep-dive into a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project, collaborate closely with the CIEL team, and share their findings with the broader VIU community.

Please Note: This is a special, time-limited initiative for 2027. Future offerings will depend on CIEL’s capacity, priorities, and available resources—so if you have a project in mind, now is the time to apply!

What is a SoTL Project?

Drawing on the University of British Columbia’s definition, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is the systematic, deliberate inquiry into student learning to improve and refine post-secondary teaching practices.

It moves beyond “scholarly teaching” by transforming classroom curiosity into a formal research process where faculty gather evidence on the impact of specific pedagogical choices. By applying the same rigor and peer review to teaching as one does to disciplinary research, SoTL projects produce findings that are shared publicly to advance the collective expertise of the academic community.

Need some inspiration? Check out these previously awarded projects from UBC’s SoTL Seed Program.

Fellowship Details & Expectations

The selected Fellow will receive a 0.25 FTE release ( usually equivalent to 2 course/section release) to be taken during Spring 2027, Intersession 2027, or another suitable time agreed upon by CIEL and your Dean.

As the CIEL SoTL Fellow, you will:

• Co-design a collaboration plan with CIEL members to map out meetings, partnership goals, and progress sharing.
• Attend monthly progress meetings with CIEL to support your project and maintain accountability.
• Design and facilitate at least one 60-to-90-minute faculty learning session (workshop, presentation, or discussion) for the broader VIU audience.
• Contribute two posts to the CIEL Blog reflecting on your project and process.
• Disseminate your findings at a CIEL-sponsored spring event and/or an SRCA event.
• Complete a brief report on your experiences within one month of completing the fellowship.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit an application package containing the following components by the deadline.

Your application will be evaluated based on the Selection Rubric (detailed below), so please ensure your package addresses these specific criteria:

1. Project Pitch (Max 400 words): Describe your project to a peer audience. What does it entail? Why are you passionate about it? How will this dedicated time and CIEL support help you achieve it?
2. Research Question(s): Articulate clear, focused, inquiry-driven questions you hope to pursue.
3. Detailed Timeline & Desired Outcomes: Provide a realistic 6-month plan mapping out your steps during the 2-course release. Identify your specific, measurable goals for the end of the project to demonstrate a solid understanding of scope.
4. Facilitating Sessions: Describe a potential session (or two) that you could offer to VIU faculty regarding your topic or an adjacent pedagogical area.
5. CIEL-Specific Collaboration (Max 250 words): Describe how you imagine a synergistic relationship with CIEL. How can we best support you, and how can your project support CIEL’s priorities?
6. Dissemination Plan: Discuss how you would most like to share your process and findings at VIU and potentially beyond (e.g., journals, conferences, OERs).
7. Cover Page: Signed by your Dean which articulates approval for release from specific work/courses.

Important Dates & Timeline

Milestone	Date / Window
Application Support Available from CIEL	June 15, 2026 – Application Deadline
Application Deadline	October 1, 2026
Adjudication Period	October 1 – October 10, 2026
Decision Communicated	October 12, 2026
Fellowship Report Due	1 month post-fellowship

Selection Rubric

The adjudication committee will evaluate applications using the following criteria. Aim for the Exceptional column to maximize your application’s impact!

Criteria	Exceptional	Proficient	Developing
Project Pitch	Compelling narrative (< 400 words); clearly defines project scope, personal motivation, and the necessity of time.	Clear description of project and interest; explains why time is needed. Mostly stays within word count.	Project scope or personal interest is vague; fails to justify the need for dedicated time.
Research Question(s)	Articulates focused, inquiry-driven SoTL questions that are both clear and highly relevant to teaching practice.	Articulates clear research questions, though they may be slightly broad or descriptive.	Research questions are missing, unclear, or do not align with the project pitch.
Timeline & Scope	Provides a realistic, detailed 6-month plan for a 2-course release. Scope is perfectly balanced for the timeframe.	Provides a logical list of steps over 6 months; scope is manageable but lacks granular detail.	Timeline is unrealistic (too ambitious or too thin); steps are vague or poorly sequenced.
Desired Outcomes	Identifies specific, measurable, and impactful outcomes that clearly stem from the research questions.	Identifies clear outcomes and goals for the project’s conclusion.	Outcomes are poorly defined or do not align with the proposed research and timeline.
Facilitating Sessions	Proposes highly engaging, relevant sessions for VIU faculty with clear learning objectives and “takeaways.”	Proposes sessions that would be of interest to VIU faculty; topics are appropriate and well-defined.	Proposed sessions are missing or do not seem relevant to the broader VIU faculty community.
CIEL Collaboration	Clearly articulates a synergistic relationship; identifies specific ways CIEL can support the project and vice-versa.	Describes a basic plan for mutual support between the researcher and CIEL.	Discussion of CIEL involvement is superficial or one-sided.
Dissemination	Outlines a diverse and ambitious plan for sharing findings (journals, conferences, OERs, etc.) beyond the VIU community.	Identifies at least one external venue or method (e.g., a specific conference or blog) to share findings.	Ideas for sharing findings are limited to VIU or are not clearly defined.

Ready to take your teaching to the next level?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to the CIEL team between now and October to discuss your ideas, refine your research questions, or get feedback on your application. We can’t wait to partner with you on this journey into teaching excellence!