Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund

The Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund (TQEF) is a programme of HEFCE (the Higher Education Funding Council for England).

Since 1999, the Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund has been supporting developments in learning and teaching.

The Fund is described at http://www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/enhance/tqef.asp

Next steps

Over the next few years, HEFCE is investing £525 million through the TQEF to support learning and teaching development across the sector, supporting the following initiatives:

Institutional

• Formula allocations to support development and implementation of learning and teaching strategies
• Selective investment in 74 Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs)

Sector-wide

• The Higher Education Academy

Individual

• National Teaching Fellowship Scheme

Evaluation of TQEF

HEFCE invested £181 million over the period 1999-2000 to 2004-05 in developmental work to enhance learning and teaching in higher education, through the Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund (TQEF). The TQEF directs funding at three levels: the institution, with support for HEIs' learning and teaching strategies; the subject, with a network of subject centres and funding for specific projects; and the individual, by recognising and rewarding academic staff who have demonstrated excellence in learning and teaching.

HEFCE commissioned an evaluation of the TQEF in 2005. The evaluation showed where impact had been achieved and where further investment is needed. There is a full TQEF evaluation report. The report evaluates the overall effectiveness of the fund, and the links between its various strands.

Scope note

The Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund does not apply in Scotland or Wales.

We do not regard it as a National initiative as it is not sufficient linked to e-learning.