Teaching awards and grants

Flinders University has a proud history of rewarding teaching innovation and excellence.

The teaching award framework enables the University to recognise and reward teaching excellence across the institution, as well as identify and support staff to make competitive submissions for national awards.

The trajectory of success commences with College Teaching Awards before progressing to Institutional Teaching Awards and on to National Teaching Awards.

Quick links

College teaching awards

The College-level awards are designed to recognise and reward teaching excellence and innovation and to encourage and prepare staff in their applications for the Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence awards.

College of Business, Government and Law

Past recipients

Vice-President and Executive Dean's Award for Innovation in Learning and Teaching

Up to two awards will be awarded.

Vice-President and Executive Dean's Awards for Excellence in Teaching

Up to two awards will be awarded.

Closing date: COB Friday 13 June 2025

Forms and guidelines

Guidelines for teaching excellence award

Rubric for VPED teaching excellence award

Guidelines for VPED teaching and learning innovation award

Rubric for VPED teaching and learning innovation award

Submit applications to renee.cannon@flinders.edu.au

College of Education, Psychology and Social Work

Teaching Excellence Awards

Up to three awards will be awarded.

Innovation in Learning and Teaching Awards

Up to three awards will be awarded.

Open date: Monday 5 May 2025
Closing date: COB Friday 2025

FORMS AND GUIDELINES

Guidelines

Submit enquiries to: cepsw.deaneducation@flinders.edu.au

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Innovation in Teaching Awards

Up to three awards will be awarded.

Excellence in Teaching Awards

Up to three awards will be awarded.

Closing date: COB Tuesday 8 July 2025

FORMS AND GUIDELINES

Excellence in teaching award guidelines

Innovation in teaching award guidelines

Excellence in teaching award forms and checklist

Innovation in teaching award forms and checklist

Forms and guidelines

Guidelines

For information contact cnhs.deaneducation@flinders.edu.au

College of Medicine and Public Health

Vice-President and Executive Dean Teaching Excellence Awards

Closing Date: COB Friday 30 May 2025

Forms and guidelines

Guidelines for VPED excellence in teaching award

Guidelines for VPED innovation in teaching award

Submit applications to cmph.operations@flinders.edu.au

College of Science and Engineering

Vice-President and Executive Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award

One 'junior' award will be for staff with less than seven years of teaching experience in an academic role.
One 'senior' award will be for staff with more than seven years of teaching experience in an academic role.

STEM Academy Teaching Innovation Award

Up to two awards will be awarded.

Closing Date: COB 29 April 2024

FORMS AND GUIDELINES

Guidelines for VPED awards

Contact CSE.deanED@flinders.edu.au for more information.

Winners

College of Business, Government and Law

Learning and Teaching Innovation Award

Not awarded in 2024

Teaching Excellence Award

Sports Management Team: Dr Rubi Cury, Alicia Mitton, Daniel Padovan, Damien Raidis (EPSW), A/Prof Phil Palmer – citing Industry or Professional experiences that involve deep partnerships in the educational experience
Dr Rajesh Johnsam – citing Approaches to teaching and/or the support of learning that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn

College of Education, Psychology and Social Work

Innovation in Teaching and Learning Awards

Victoria Bridgland, Dr Ali Enright, Dr Natalie Goulter, Dr Georgina Maddox & Professor Melanie Takarangi – For innovatively embedding Psychology Honours research supervision into curriculum, establishing equitable student training, and reducing supervisor workload, thereby increasing intake capacity to meet industry needs.

Teaching Excellence Awards

Melanie Deek, Christiana Harous, Elli Kolovos, Dr Annabelle Neall & Professor Lydia Woodyatt – For curating a student-centred, industry-co-designed curriculum that enables students to effectively lead and impact mental health and wellbeing at the population level.

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Excellence in Teaching Awards

Tiffany Knight (Team Leader), Dr Sarah Peters, Dr Renato Musolino, Dr Chris Hurrell, Professor Chris Hay and Dr Peter Beaglehole - create scaffolded and iterative industry engagement opportunities throughout the degree program, fostering autonomous, innovative, and courageous performing arts practitioners. This deep industry engagement is informed by a constructivist and experiential learning theory approach, exemplified in the Floods of Fire project.

Dr Eliza Kitchen - Effective and engaging assessment strategies in Tourism and Events that enhance learning by scaffolding group projects and encouraging collaboration and creativity through authenticity and reflexivity.

Dr Zoei Sutton - Implementing approaches to teaching and the support of learning that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn in SOCI1010 Sociology of Everyday Life.

Innovation in Teaching Awards

Associate Professor Martin Polkinghorne (Team Leader), Dr. Susan Arthure (Academic), Ms. Jenna Walsh (PhD Candidate/tutor), Mr. Marc Fairhead (PhD Candidate/tutor), Mr. Simon Hoad (Technical Officer), with Associate Professor Alice Gorman, and Chantal Wight (former Technical Officer) - The development and delivery of an innovative four-week teaching unit in Experimental Archaeology (EA), filling a gap in the Australian undergraduate archaeology curriculum and encouraging first-year student engagement with critical theory and practical methods in an imaginative and inclusive way.

Dr Tom Cochrane (Team Leader) and Dr Gareth Furber - Curriculum design that incorporates techniques of positive psychology into the experiential learning of philosophical theories of the good life.

Jason Bevan - Practice-led delivery and work-simulated assignments that facilitate students’ exceptional end products through collaboration and industry-simulated environments.

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Excellence in Teaching Awards (Individual Winner)

Rowaida Sleem

Excellence in Teaching Awards (Team Winners)

Palliative Care Team (Deidre Morgan, Caroline Phelan, Kim Devery, Kristina Walsh. Eileen Harris, Claudia Virdun, Jason Mills, Sara Fleming, Melissa Bruno),
Physiotherapy (Matthew Sutton, Matt Hocking),
Registered Health Professions 1 and Self-regulating health professions (Tamina Levy, Gareth Furber, Olivia Farrer, Claire Baldwin.

College of Medicine and Public Health

Excellence in Teaching Award Winners

Brad Mitchell – for exceptional leadership and coordination of the paramedicine programs.

Innovation in Teaching Award Winners

Leigh Moore and Melissa Ridd – for their innovative development of curricula and resources for participants and facilitators in rural and remote settings

College of Science and Engineering

2024 Award Winners

Sarah Harmer & Tony Scoble
Kirstin Ross
Sunita Ramesh

Institutional Awards

The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards are designed to recognise and reward teaching excellence and innovation and to encourage and prepare staff in their applications for National Teaching Awards.

Vice-Chancellor's Innovation in Teaching Awards

Vice-Chancellor’s Innovation in Teaching Awards

The awards recognise recent responsive and sustainable educational initiatives that address one of six key strategic objectives of the university and exemplify a culture of innovation and excellence:

Deliver a richly interactive and personalised approach to learning with a paramount focus on student success.
Be an international leader in educational innovation, advanced learning technologies and learning analytics.
Develop enterprising graduates equipped with the skills required for success in the knowledge economy.
Engage students as partners in the co-creation of a learning experience that inspires achievement.
Embed research and critical thinking as core skills for every Flinders graduate.
Deliver and commit to broadening the reach of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural content so that students encounter and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural content as an integral part of their course of study.

The key component of a nomination is a 3-5 minute video addressing the chosen strategic objective, pertaining to the following key areas:

Innovation in curriculum design which includes structures, underpinning educational/ pedagogical theory, assessment, and approach to content.
Innovation in teaching practice and delivery including in relation to online, partial on campus and/or on campus. At least one award will be made to teaching innovations that involve online or partial on campus delivery.

Each winner (either individual or team) is presented with a certificate and receives a prize of $2000.

Rules and eligibility

Application form

Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Teaching

Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching

recognise and reward teaching excellence
encourage teaching excellence through this recognition
promote to both the Flinders and outside community that we are proud of our academic staff and that they perform to national and international standards
each winner (either individual or team) is presented with a certificate and receives a prize of $5000.

The key component of a nomination is a 4-page written statement addressing one of the selection criteria below:

Approaches to teaching and/or the support of learning that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn.
Development of curricula, resources or services that reflect a command of the field.
Effective assessment practices that bring about improvements in student learning, may have a focus on academic integrity or digital solutions, or any assessment strategies that bring about change.
Innovation or leadership that has influenced and enhanced learning and teaching and/or student experience.
Education that embodies Rural, Regional, Remote and Indigenous students and perspectives.
Industry or professional experiences that involve deep partnerships in the educational experience.

The written statement and attachments can be uploaded via the application form below.

Rules and eligibility

Deadline: COB Wednesday 18 September

Application form

Institutional award winners

2024

Vice Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching

Dr Helen Harrison - A holistic approach centred on metacognition to cultivate an engaging and supportive learning environment: a case study empowering physiology students as learners and enhancing success.
A/Prof Irudhaya Rajesh Johnsam - An engaging learning ecosystem in business education, driven by tech-powered interactive concept games, immersive computer simulations, and impactful collaborative alumni-mentoring teaching approaches.
Associate Professor Sky Marsen - Empowering students to be global and resourceful communicators.

Vice Chancellor’s Award Commendations for Excellence in Teaching

A/Prof Ali Baker, Dr Joanne Buckskin, A/Prof Natalie Harkin, Dr Fayes Rosas Blanch, Mr Dennis O’Brien, and Azra Coombe - Kind and creative approach to the centring of Indigenous ways of knowing across the INDG major and through their teaching into other Colleges.
Dr Dusan Matusica, A/Prof Christine Barry, Helen Louise Anscomb - Authentic, effective assessment strategies in a human anatomy dissection program to scaffold the development of critical anatomical, clinical and professional skills for medical students

Vice Chancellor’s Awards for Innovation in Teaching

Dr Afshin Tanouri - Integration of gamification into an MBA Marketing topic to encourage a fun and motivational environment.
Mr Damien Raidis, A/Prof Sam Elliott, Miss Madison Richter, Dr Chido Alozie, Dr Gareth Furber, and Dr Matthew Norris - Building an AI-agent to deliver a richly interactive and personalised approach to learning with a paramount focus on student success.

Vice Chancellor’s Award Commendations for Innovation in Teaching

Dr Hayden Tronnolone - Delivery of flexible and engaging asynchronous learning experiences for in-service teachers building their knowledge and skills of mathematics.
Dr Hongyi Liang - Taking an epistemological approach to teaching International Relations (IR) in China.

2023

2023 Vice-Chancellor Award for Excellence in Teaching

Dr Ali Enright: For transformative leadership that builds scalable, sustainable change in student success by fostering a culture of innovation, transitioning staff and students to exceed their potential.
Dr Claire Henry, Ms Helen Carter, Dr Tom Young, Associate Professor Julia Erhart, Dr Nicholas Godfrey, Dr Matt Hawkins, Mr Cameron Nelson, and Mr Todd Pursche: Through deep partnerships with industry practitioners, Screen staff develop students’ professional identity, skills, networks and employability through authentic, industry-supported learning within and beyond our classrooms.
Associate Professor Ingo Koeper, Dr Jeanne Young, Dr Narelle Hunter, Dr Liu-Fei Tan, and Ms Margaret Alexander: For the development and implementation of a course-spanning framework providing students with scaffolded career-building activities throughout their studies.

2023 Vice-Chancellor Award for Innovation in Teaching

Dr Gareth Butler, Professor Karen Burke da Silva, Ms Katie Cavanagh, Ms Helen Carter, and Dr Julian Beaman: A cross-disciplinary umbrella project designed to support environmental and socio-economic recovery on Kangaroo Island after the 2019-2020 bushfires.

2023 Vice-Chancellor Commendees | Innovation in Teaching

Dr Jessica Genauer and Dr Luis da Vinha: Redefining the creation of asynchronous educational content by harnessing the power of AI to transform educational technology.
Dr Elke Sokoya: A hybrid approach to practicals which combines an in-person offering and a comprehensive online platform.
Dr Timna Garnett: Challenging traditional, informal science education institutes (ISEI), such as The Zoo and transforming them into a STEM-rich educational environments by delivering a richly interactive and personalised approach to learning.

2022

2022 Vice Chancellor's Innovation in Teaching Award Winning Entry

Video:

Associate Professor Jonathan Benjamin, Mr Hiro Yoshida, Associate Professor Wendy Van Duivenvoorde and Dr John McCarthy won the 2022 Vice Chancellor's Award for Innovation in Teaching for their work in the Flinders University Maritime Archaeology Program, developing an accredited micro-credential in Professional Scientific Diving.

View previous year's winners

2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching

Dr David Hobbs and Team (Dr Thomas Vincent, Professor Giselle Rampersad, Dr Vlatka Zivotic-Kukolj, Nalini Klopp, Kahlene Michalanney, Jess Venning and Larissa Pearce), College of Science and Engineering
Dr Mai Ngo, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Innovation in Teaching

Associate Professor Jonathan Benjamin and Team (Mr Hiro Yoshida, Associate Professor Wendy Van Duivenvoorde and Dr John McCarthy), College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences)

2021 - 2016

2021 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching

Dr Sandra Mortimer & Ellice Willcourt, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Dr Eric Parisot, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

2020 & 2021 Vice-Chancellor’s Innovation in Teaching Awards

Joss Rankin, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work
Associate Professor Christine Barry and Lilian Fellner, College of Medicine and Public Health
Dr Masha Smallhorn and Dr Narelle Hunter, College of Science and Engineering
Dr Nina Sivertsen, Nancy Bates, David Copley, Donna Fraser, Larissa Taylor, Racquel Austin-Abdullah and Tahlia Johnson, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Associate Professor Sam Elliott, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work
Dr Philip Palmer, College of Business, Government and Law

2020 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching

Dr Louisa Matwiejczyk, Dr Kacie Dickinson & Dr Kathryn Jackson, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Ying Yu, Leeanne Pront, Angie Sterland & Maureen Redden, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Dr Maria Giannacopoulos, College of Business, Government and Law

2019 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching

A/Prof Barbara Baird, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Dr Maxine Moore, College of Medicine and Public Health
Dr Stefania Velardo, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work

2018-2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Award Recipients

National teaching awards

The Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) recognises and rewards educators and programs that have made a significant impact on student learning and the higher education sector. These awards celebrate outstanding contributions from academic and professional staff, acknowledging the innovation, dedication, and leadership that enhance the student experience and learning outcomes.

Professional Development Sessions

It is recommended that nominees attend an online Professional Development session, relevant to their selected award category. Sessions will be held from May 2025.

If would like to attend a PD session, please email awards.grants@flinders.edu.au for more information.

Previous recorded sessions can be viewed here:

Watch the online PD sessions

For more resources to support your application, see the guides and support section below.

More information and resources

Our success

AAUT award winners

2024

2024 - AWARDS FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE

A/Prof Voula Gaganis, College of Medicine and Public Health

Flinders University Associate Professor Voula Gaganis is one of only four recipients of this year’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Voula has led the transformation of medical science education at Flinders University by replacing didactic pedagogy with active learning and collaborating with industry to co-create degrees that address dynamic workforce needs. A pharmacologist by training, teaching specialist, and educational researcher, Voula is the Teaching Program Director (Medical Biosciences) at the College of Medicine and Public Health (CMPH). She is nationally recognised as an award-winning leader in medical education, collaborating and leading multi-institutional research projects. An educator with over 20 years of experience, Voula has developed strategic industry links across the medical sciences sector to ensure degree curricula are embedded with work-integrated learning opportunities relevant to graduate employability. Her curriculum transformations positively impact student performance and satisfaction.

2024 - AWARDS FOR PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE LEARNING

Dr David Hobbs, Dr Thomas Vincent, Dr Vlatka Zivotic-Kukolj, Mrs Nalini Klopp, Ms Kahlene Michalanney, Mrs Jessica Venning, Ms Sascha Lemon-Spence, Ms Larissa Pearce, Flinders University STEM Work Integrated Learning Program

Flinders University Associate Professor Voula Gaganis is one of only four recipients of this year’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Voula has led the transformation of medical science education at Flinders University by replacing didactic pedagogy with active learning and collaborating with industry to co-create degrees that address dynamic workforce needs. A pharmacologist by training, teaching specialist, and educational researcher, Voula is the Teaching Program Director (Medical Biosciences) at the College of Medicine and Public Health (CMPH). She is nationally recognised as an award-winning leader in medical education, collaborating and leading multi-institutional research projects. An educator with over 20 years of experience, Voula has developed strategic industry links across the medical sciences sector to ensure degree curricula are embedded with work-integrated learning opportunities relevant to graduate employability. Her curriculum transformations positively impact student performance and satisfaction.

Dr Dusan Matusica, A/Prof Christine Barry, Prof Rainer Haberberger & Prof Helen Anscomb, Anatomy Assessment Design Team

For effective, authentic assessment strategies in a cadaveric dissection program that scaffold development of critical anatomical, clinical and professionalism skills for future medical practitioners.

2023

Dr Luis Da Vinha, College of Business, Government and Law

Developing interactive video resources that foster engagement and active online learning using research-informed innovative design and strategically disseminating best practice knowledge, supporting curricula design.

2021

A/Prof Christine Barry, College of Medicine and Public Health

Teaching anatomical foundations for clinical excellence: evidence-based approaches that overcome cognitive barriers, develop metacognitive awareness and inspire clinically oriented student learning.

Dr Voula Gaganis, College of Medicine and Public Health

Heeding the call to action: transforming didactic, anachronistic pedagogy to active learning across large medical science classes to improve student engagement, experience, and academic success.

2020

Dr Masha Smallhorn, College of Science and Engineering

For improving student learning outcomes and engagement in large first-year cohorts in biological sciences through research-informed, inquiry-based learning practicals.

WIL in Sport: Dr Deb Agnew & A/Prof Shane Pill, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work

For Innovation, leadership and scholarship of an integrated model of international Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for Sport that has enhanced the student experience.