Trinity secures €21m from the HEA to fund innovative skills-led teaching initiative  

Posted on: 05 October 2020

Trinity College Dublin is delighted to announce that it has been awarded €21 million in funding by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to support over the next five years its innovative, skills-led teaching initiative ‘Next Generation Teaching and Learning for the changing needs of society and enterprise’. 

This is the biggest allocation made across the sector under this funding programme.

This award accounts for more than 10 pc of the €196.4m funding available under Pillar 3 of the HEA’s Human Capital Initiative, a €300m programme designed to support reform and innovation in third level programme design and delivery. 

Trinity’s proposal prioritised innovation both in modes of delivery and in content, with a firm focus on meeting industry and future skills needs.  Blended learning and online delivery feature strongly throughout all work packages, covering areas such as ICT, Data Science & Engineering, and Well-Being & the Care Economy.  As the world continues to grapple with the effects of Covid-19, the emphasis on enhancing flexibility of delivery that will characterise these new programmes is becoming ever more important.    

Trinity College Dublin Vice–Provost and Chief Academic Officer Professor Jürgen Barkhoff said:  

This is a fantastic achievement for Trinity and testimony to the enormous appetite for teaching innovation across our Schools and Faculties.  It will provide the means for a significant step-change in our approach to areas such as digitally enhanced education and flexible, lifelong learning.  This success in the Human Capital Initiative will allow us to deliver on key objectives of our new Strategic Plan 2020-25 ‘Community and Connection’ launched this March.

Further information on the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) can be found at the HEA’s website:  https://hea.ie/skills-engagement/human-capital-initiative/    

ENDS