Teaching Associate Programme (TAP)

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The Teaching Associate Programme (TAP) is a year-long programme which supports early career researchers who have some responsibility for teaching and learning. TAP is accredited by the Higher Education Academy (HEA), and, if you successfully complete all elements of the programme, you will become an Associate Fellow of the HEA. Applications are open to researchers from any discipline who can confirm both that they have the minimum prior experience of teaching or supporting learning within higher education and that they will have some teaching during the programme. In this way, the programme enables you to reflect on your own current practice, to explore ideas and approaches for enhancing your teaching, and to think about your future development as a higher education professional.

There is an introductory session, plus 4 days of complusory training, which you must complete, but otherwise the programme has a high level of flexibility and participants are expected to plan their TAP work to fit around other activities. Help and support is available throughout the year to enable students to achieve this, and to get the best from the programme.

All Schools PhD Students 2, 3+ & Postdocs/Research Staff

Number of sessions: 1

• Experience a supported introduction to HE teaching
• Develop a thorough understanding of the theory and practice of small group teaching
• Build an understanding of the different ways in which students learn
• Participants will examine their role and responsibilities as a teacher
• Receive an introduction to lecturing preparation and practice
• Identify further training needs and opportunities

TAP is open to postdoctoral research staff and graduate students in the 2nd year of their PhD or above. Applications are welcome from any subject area.

In order to be eligible for Associate Fellowship of the HEA, you will also need, at the point of submitting your portfolio, to have a minimum of 40 hours’ experience of teaching and/or supporting learning. We require you to have completed at least twenty of these hours prior to applying for TAP. Only higher education (university-level) teaching experience can be considered. You will also need to have some confirmed teaching for the academic year to come, so that you have chance to put your learning from TAP into practice and your Tutor can observe your teaching.

Assessment is through completion of the compulsory elements and submission of a teaching portfolio in July. The programme has been accredited by the Higher Education Academy (HEA), and on successful completion, participants will become Associates of the HEA.

For more information please email Researcher Development

The first session of this programme is scheduled for late October.

"TAP gave me the confidence to think more holistically about my teaching and interaction with students, both in terms of their learning and their welfare."

"The TAP course is all the formal training I have received in teaching here in Cambridge. It has greatly helped to formulate my approach to teaching, and just through the process of participating, I believe I greatly enhanced my teaching this year. I plan to continue applying (some of) the ideas learned during the course throughout future years."

"I now plan my teaching material in a more detailed and tactical manner. I am therefore more organised in my overall approach."

"In the way I manage the classroom and the relations with my students. I also reflect on my teaching skills and techniques more than before."