About

Students and TechnologyAs of 2024, ITIF is no longer running. Faculty members interested in technology teaching grant opportunities should visit the Learning & Education Advancement Fund (LEAF) website https://www.viceprovostundergrad.utoronto.ca/16072-2/teaching-awards-grants/learning-education-advancement-fund-leaf/

About ITIF

Three Funding Streams

ITIF’s three-tiered system is intended to provide opportunities for technology-mediated teaching and learning projects that explore and implement promising practices at different stages of their development and implementation, and creates a pathway for projects from their initial inception to their full potential. Awardees have up to two years to complete their project:

Seed Funding: Maximum $2,000 with no matching requirement

Matched Funding: Maximum $5,000 with matching funds from another source

Support Stream: Apply to get access to an educational technology or instructional design specialist for up to 150 hours per year per project. This is a non-cash award, but it’s worth an equivalent of $20,000 that can be used as an in-kind contribution when applying elsewhere for funding.

Applicants must choose which stream they are applying for at the time of application. Please note that we may have limited resources for the Support Stream this year, and bear this in mind when choosing your funding stream.

Projects that require funding of more than $5,000 are encouraged to consider the LEAF initiative https://www.leaf.provost.utoronto.ca, or other funding sources:  http://teaching.utoronto.ca/teaching-support/u-of-t-resources/funding-resources/

2022 Thematic Areas

The key thematic areas for the 2021 round are our institutional priorities and post-pandemic instructional planning. We encourage proposals that address the President’s Three Priorities:

  1. Leverage our urban location more fully, for the mutual benefit of university and city
  2. Strengthen and deepen key international partnerships: well-defined strategic focus
  3. Re-imagine and re-invent undergraduate education

ITIF also aims to support projects that align with the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education’s four strategic priorities:

1. Experiential Learning 2. Curriculum Design 3. Learning Systems 4. Digital Learning

We also welcome proposals that support students learning remotely. While we hope the pandemic will abate soon, we anticipate that some of the positive aspects of remote teaching and learning will continue play a role in course and program delivery. Proposals that integrate the key themes will be given preference, but the list is not exhaustive. Proposals that address ITIF goals through alternative means are also encouraged.

The Provost’s Instructional Technology Innovation Fund (ITIF) is a seed fund designed to catalyze initiatives that immediately and directly impact University of Toronto education and teaching programs through innovation and development. It is funded by the Provost, and administered by Academic and Collaborative Technologies, a partnership between the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation and Information Technology Services. The ITIF is focused specifically on the practical applications of technology in design, implementation, evaluation, curriculum renewal, faculty development, or continuing education initiatives that enrich learning. The ITIF is intended to support strategic directions in education broadly, across all disciplines. The proposed deliverable and outcomes must be closely aligned with the ongoing goals and objectives of the departments and programs from which they emerge.
PLEASE NOTE: Because of the way the application system works, even those who are applying for the SEED STREAM will be required to upload a ‘support’ letter, even though you don’t need a support letter. We apologize for this technical glitch. Please type up a one line Word or PDF document that says “I am applying for the Seed Stream” and attach that document as your ‘support’ letter during the application process. Thanks, and again, we apologize for this technical glitch in the application system.