Call for Proposals for Inter-institutional Collaboration Allocation (IICA) Fund

We are excited to announce a call for proposals for the Inter-institutional Collaboration Allocation (IICA) portion of the Fund for Innovative Technology-in-Education (FITE), announced on 28 June by UGC. This fund, established by the UGC with support from the QAC, aims to provide more support for our universities to harness innovative and breakthrough technology in transforming teaching and enriching the learning experience of our students.

The IICA portion of the FITE is specifically designed to encourage collaboration among different institutions. This is a unique opportunity for our university to collaborate with other institutions on projects that leverage innovative technologies to transform teaching methods and enrich student learning experiences.

The FITE will support projects and initiatives under four key themes:

Driving transformation in pedagogies, curriculum, assessment, and student development:
The fund will support the evolution of teaching and learning models to ensure that student outcomes remain as intended in the face of technological advancements.

Advancing digital competency for all: 
The fund will help universities play a proactive role in equipping students, faculty members, and staff with digital skills, irrespective of their discipline and background.

Promoting technological social responsibilities and academic integrity:
The fund will help faculty members, staff, and students understand the risks and consequences of improper technology adoption, as well as the societal implications of scientific and technological evolution.

Fostering academia-industry collaboration for authentic learning experience: 
The fund will support collaborations between universities and industries/businesses to provide students with practical learning experiences and industry insights.

We invite you to contact Beatrice Chu (beatrice.chu@ust.hk) to express interest in submitting your project ideas and completing a form via the linked MS Form by July 7.

When you contact CEI, please indicate whether HKUST will lead the IICA initiative or participate on another institution’s project. Your expression of interest should align with one of the above themes and cover the following aspects:

Objective: Clearly state the goal of the project.

Collaborative Approach: Outline how each participating university will contribute to the project.

Intended Deliverables: List the expected outcomes of the project.

Preliminary Budget: Provide an estimated breakdown of the project's costs and how much each participating university will contribute.

Means of Gauging Effectiveness and Outcomes: Explain how the success of the project will be measured.

The proposed ideas will go through a vetting process led by the Centre for Education Innovation (CEI) and the Provosts' Office. Successful applicants will then be invited to prepare a final proposal for submission to the University Grants Committee (UGC). Download the FITE – Annex B for the final proposal form

We look forward to your innovative ideas and the opportunity to collaborate on transformative projects. If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.