LITE Incubator Lead

This role is available to current employees at the University of Leeds only
0.2 FTE secondment at current grade for 3 years in the first instance (flexible working arrangements will be considered)
Are you interested in leading, developing and inspiring a community of scholars in a specific area of pedagogical research at Leeds? Are you looking to set an aspirational standard of teaching excellence and pedagogic scholarship?
We are inviting applications for LITE Incubator Leads to join the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE). The core aim of the Incubator Lead role is to encourage research activity in the area of their incubator (see below), develop and curate the Incubator research portfolio, and lead a research community of practice in their respective areas. This is a secondment position of 0.2FTE available to any University of Leeds staff (academic or non-academic), whose substantive role covers, at least, the period of the secondment. The period of the secondment into this role is initially 12 months. Following a review, successful post-holders will be confirmed for further 24 months. The Head of School/Service support needs to confirm availability for the whole 36-month period.
LITE: The Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE) embodies the University's commitment to excellence and innovation in education as its Research and Development function in Student Education. It achieves its goals through conducting strategic educational research, supporting and developing a community of Fellows and research communities of practice embedded in the Leeds community, and through events and activities for the Student Education Community.
The LITE Incubators:
As part of the LITE 5-yr Strategy "Fostering Student Education Success for All", LITE will develop 6 themed networks/communities of practice ("LITE Incubators") in areas of pedagogical/discipline-based educational research (PedRes/DBER) and/or scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Please note that LITE uses these terms (PedRes/DBER/SoTL) broadly defined and interchangeably. The initial six LITE Incubators will be in the areas of:
o Assessment
o Feedback
o Active and Experiential Learning
o Inclusive Education and Belonging
o Digital and Open Education
o Sustainability and Community Engagement
The LITE Incubators will inspire multidisciplinary PedRes/DBER/SoTL activity across the University of Leeds, within their themed areas. We expect the LITE Incubators to foster sustainable PedRes/DBER/SoTL teams, ideally composed of professional service staff, academic staff and students from a variety of Schools, Faculties and Services. Additionally, we expect the LITE Incubators will coordinate their activity with LITE, Schools, Faculties, Services, Leeds SoTL Subject Centres (a non-exhaustive list can be found here: https://teachingexcellence.leeds.ac.uk/community/lite-affiliates/) and relevant teaching and learning practice networks and communities in their respective area.
The LITE Incubator Lead will encourage research activity in their Incubator that responds to the Leeds Strategy and addresses emerging Student Education needs across the institution.
Reporting to the Director of LITE and working closely with the LITE Head of Research and the LITE Head of Operations, you will apply your leadership skills to develop and contribute to LITEs strategic research portfolio within the area of your LITE Incubator alongside your planning, analytical and evaluative skills and experience to oversee the success of PedRes/DBER/SoTL activity in your incubator. As a LITE Incubator Lead you will be a member of the LITE R&D Forum. LITE Incubator Leads are represented at the LITE Steering Board, overseeing the LITE Strategy and advising the LITE Director and Operations Team. Additionally, it is expected that you will develop further your own PedRes/DBER/SoTL profile in the area of your Incubator to influence PedRes/DBER/SoTL more widely at the University of Leeds.
Proposals are invited for LITE Incubator Leads that are aligned with the LITE Strategy from all members of staff at Leeds (professional service, academic, technical, research and others), whose substantive roles span at least the period of this secondment.
For information: As part of the LITE Incubators ecosystem, LITE will also create three additional roles; the LITE Lead for Student as Partners, the LITE Lead for Design Thinking in SoTL, and the LITE Lead for Student Futures & Educational Gain, which will work jointly with LITE Incubator Leads to embed their approaches within their remit across all LITE Incubators. (The job description for these three roles can be accessed separately).
To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:
Prof Gabriel Cavalli, Professor of Science and Engineering Education/Director of the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE)
email: G.Cavalli@leeds.ac.uk