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Applying for HEA Senior Fellow (STARS)

Audience: Academic staff, Professional staff, Research staff, Research supervisors

Date: Wednesday 17 June 2026

Times: 13.00 to 15.00

Key details: Online via Teams. Open to all teaching staff, regardless of whether you have a place on STARS. In this live session you can ask questions and will do some group work to prepare ideas for your application. Pre-work required (see workshop details).

Target audience

Any member of staff (regardless of role or contract type) that develops others as teachers or supporters of student learning.

Course pre-work

Please read the Professional Standards Framework 2023 before attending this workshop, particularly descriptor 3 (Senior Fellow). https://advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/professional-standards-framework-teaching-and-supporting-learning-higher-education-0

Course mapped to

PSF 2023 and Vitae's Researcher Development Framework domains: B3 (Professional and career development), D3 (Engagement and impact)

Follow on course

none

Course information

Prior to attending this short workshop you should read the Professional Standards Framework 2023, particularly descriptor 3 (Senior Fellow). The presentation assumes prior familiarity with the PSF.

After a round of introductions, the facilitator (a Senior Fellow) will outline the application process, briefly explain the criteria for Senior Fellow and answer any questions. We will do some small group work to generate ideas for which examples of practice you might include in your application and how you will evidence that you have had a positive impact on student learning. The session will finish with some advice for writing an effective application. Participants are encouraged to ask about the specifics of their own applications, in terms of relevance of content, appropriate evidence, etc.

What participants have said about a previous version of this course:

  • "It helps you understand the ins-and-outs of a HEA fellowship with real life examples and experience shared throughout the workshop."
  • "Well worth taking time to listen to useful advice and also good to bounce ideas off others who are also applying."
  • "As expected, [presenter] shows enthusiasm and passion on the subject, creating more awareness on the importance of being a good teacher in HE (and showing evidence for it)."

Aims and objectives

By the end of the workshop you should be able to:

  • Describe key features of the PSF 2023
  • Describe key features of an effective application
  • Provide examples of your own practice and evidence of effectiveness

Tutors

Dr Heather McKiggan-Fee

Course provider

IELLI
Email: ielli@st-andrews.ac.uk