Developing Teaching Together - with a Teaching & Learning Community

Would you like to develop your teaching practice together with colleagues, or explore a specific teaching-related question as a group? Then start a Teaching & Learning Community!

As a self-organized group, you can dedicate yourselves throughout the year to a topic that interests you in teaching. You organize your community activities yourselves and decide what you want to work on and what your meetings will look like. The Teaching & Learning Community Fund provides financial support: up to CHF 1'500 is available for your community activities during the funding period. The costs will be reimbursed to you at the end of the year.

Applications for this year's funding round can be submitted until May 31, 2026. The Teaching & Learning Communities funding period begins in July and ends in December 2026. 

Start a Teaching & Learning Community now with up to CHF 1'500 available for community activities: Apply for funding here

Who is this initiative for?

The initiative is aimed at people who have teaching responsibilities at UZH, for example as:

• Instructors or Lecturers
• Study program coordinators
• Module coordinators
• Other individuals with teaching responsibilities

What matters most is that you want to work together on a specific topic related to teaching.

What is offered to Teaching & Learning Communities?

Teaching & Learning Communities can claim up to CHF 1'500 until the end of the calendar year. The budget can be used flexibly for community activities, such as:

• Refreshments at meetings

• Workshop materials
• Travel expenses for invited guests giving presentations

Personnel costs (additional funding for existing positions) and other expenses not directly related to the community activities are not covered.

How it works

1. Find a topic and form a group: Think about what teaching-related topic you want to focus on and who would like to participate. 
2. Complete the application form: Filling out the application form takes about 10 minutes.  Access the application form here
3. Start your Teaching & Learning Community: Once approved, you can get started right away and begin your community activities. Keep track of your expenses throughout the year using our template. The template must be submitted at the end of the year as part of the reporting process. Download the expense template here (XLSX, 19 KB)
4. Submit a brief report: During the funding period, create at least one post about one of your community activities in the appropriate Teams channel — either the Open Channel Education or, if relevant, the study program coordinators channel (Studienprogrammverantwortliche UZH). At the end of the year, the community manager also completes a short reporting form documenting the community acitivities and the costs incurred. Once the reporting form has been submitted, reimbursement can be processed.Access the reporting form here

To be eligible for financial support, your community must meet the following criteria:

• The community works on a defined topic related to teaching and its development.

• The community consists of at least five people. All participants must have a UZH email address. External instructors are not eligible for funding. 

• The community includes members from at least two different chairs or research groups. 
• The community carries out at least three community activities during the funding period. 
• One person assumes the role of community manager. 
  • The community manager must be authorized to use a cost center, as this is required for the reimbursement of expenses. This authorization may be part of their role or granted through approval by their line manager or the management of the respective institute. 

What are Teaching & Learning Communities?

Teaching & Learning Communities are self-organized groups. They meet regularly to share experiences, develop ideas, discuss new approaches, and collaborate on teaching-related initiatives. The focus is on exchange: learning from one another, gaining new perspectives, and jointly developing one’s own teaching practice. This generates fresh inspiration, concrete ideas, and a network of dedicated educators.

What does running a Teaching & Learning Community involve?

A Teaching & Learning Community organizes at least three community activities during the funding period that primarily promote exchange within the community. Depending on the group’s interests and goals, these activities can take different forms, for example informal discussion rounds, input presentations followed by discussion, or the joint testing of a new teaching approach.

The exact format is up to the community. What matters is that the activities support the group’s shared goals and create added value for the further development of teaching practices.

What is the duration of the funding period for Teaching & Learning Communities?

In 2026, the funding period for Teaching & Learning Communities begins in July and ends at the end of the year. After the reporting process has been completed,  there is an option to extend the Teaching & Learning Community for another year.

From 2027 onward, the funding period will last one year, from January to December.

Which expenses are covered by the Teaching & Learning Community Fund, and which are not?

In principle, the funding can be used flexibly as long as the expenses are related to community activities. Eligible expenses include, for example, catering, workshop materials, or travel expenses for invited guest contributors.

Personnel expenses are not covered. This means that increases to existing positions, for example by 10%, cannot be funded.

How are expenses processed and reimbursed?

Expenses are initially charged to a cost center that the community manager is authorized to use. If the community manager does not already have this authorization through their role, approval from their line manager or the management of the respective institute is required.  At the end of the year, the community manager fills out a reporting form. This form records all expenses incurred in connection with community activities. Once the reporting form has been submitted, the approved expenses are reimbursed through an internal transfer to the designated cost center.

How time-intensive is running a Teaching & Learning Community?

The time commitment depends on the Teaching & Learning Community. Community members jointly decide how much time they want to invest. A larger number of activities or more extensive activities generally increases the workload, but often also the benefit for the community. If there is less capacity during a certain period, the number or scope of activities can be adjusted accordingly.

Applications from Teaching & Learning Communities that meet the funding criteria will be considered. If more eligible communities apply than can be supported, selection will take place by lottery.

What does the community manager do?

The community manager coordinates the Teaching & Learning Community. Their responsibilities include:

• submitting the application for the Teaching & Learning Community and completing the reporting form at the end of the year
• managing the financial administration: expenses are initially charged to a cost center that the community manager is authorized to use and are subsequently reimbursed by the Teaching & Learning Community Fund
• ensuring that the Teaching & Learning Community remains active. The organization of community activities may also be taken on by other community members
• serving as the contact person for the Educational Development Office (which manages the Teaching & Learning Community Fund)

Do Teaching & Learning Communities need to submit reports?

Yes. During the funding period, each Teaching & Learning Community must create a post about at least one of its community activities in the appropriate Teams channel — either the Open Channel Education or, if relevant, the study program coordinators channel (Studienprogrammverantwortliche UZH). In addition, the community manager must complete a reporting form at the end of the year (November). This serves as a final report and is also a prerequisite for reimbursement of expenses incurred.