APPLICATION for Seed Funding for ECIU Learning Offers at TUHH in the Year 2026 Open

"TU Hamburg is a place of education. Those who study with us prepare for the challenges of the future and learn to expand the horizons of technology, science, and society."

This is how the mission statement of TU Hamburg for teaching begins. The teaching/learning format Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), along with international and interdisciplinary courses at TU Hamburg, represents a promising and innovative approach to bringing this mission to life in studies and teaching. Since 2019, several instructors at TU Hamburg have been experimenting with CBL in pilot projects initiated by the ECIU University. Innovation and the testing of new formats and processes are essential to implement the mission statement and the vision of the ECIU University—which TU Hamburg is also committed to—and to support the further integration of CBL.

This funding call offers you, the instructors at TU Hamburg, the opportunity to apply for financial support for the introduction of CBL, for opening your course to students from ECIU partner universities, and for developing your course into an interdisciplinary module.

The aim of this call for proposals is to contribute to the further development of your course into an interdisciplinary module in the format of Challenge-Based Learning (CBL). To achieve this goal, the call targets CHALLENGES:

• within an existing module or from the NTA (Non-Technical Courses) area

• exclusively for Master’s students

• taught entirely in English, including all course materials in English

• Newly appointed professors may also apply with a newly planned course, provided it is part of a study program

To be eligible for funding, the application must demonstrate that the following criteria can be met:

• The course is opened as a Challenge for students from ECIU partner universities

• In addition to students from the study program, at least 10 spots must be offered to ECIU partner students (as per the Presidential Board decision from September 13, 2023, the total number of participating students from TU Hamburg and ECIU partners must be 10 or more to be credited toward your teaching load)

• The didactic design enables the acquisition of interdisciplinary or international competencies

• The course follows the principles of Challenge-Based Learning

Collaboration with an external partner (e.g., an academic institution, a company or industry outside TUHH, a local community partner, or a non-governmental organization) as a Challenge Provider, training partner, or feedback provider is mandatory. The external partner does not need to be confirmed at the time of application, but a concept or idea of who could be involved must be included. The ECIU@TUHH team will assist in the search, but the applicant must be proactive in finding and coordinating with potential partners. No funds may be spent until the external partner has agreed to participate in the Challenge.

The workload for students must amount to 1, 3, or 6 ECTS.

Additionally, the funding is linked to the following obligations:

• Sharing your experience from the funded course at a final event of I3ProTeachING, either as a poster or at teaching innovation conferences (e.g., ECIU Forum, TURN Conference)

• A willingness to exchange results within the teaching community of the ECIU network (e.g., during ECIU Lunch&Learn, ECIU Tea(m)cher Kick-Off, or CBL workshops by and for educators)

Courses developed and delivered in collaboration with ECIU partners will be given priority for funding. However, collaboration is not a requirement. You can find a list of partner institutions [here].

If the Challenge is conducted as a Blended Intensive Program (BIP) in cooperation with two other ECIU partners, the host institution can receive an additional €6,000 from ERASMUS+ for implementation. Active participation of the applicant in the formal BIP processes is essential. The International Office and the ECIU@TUHH team will provide support.

For the implementation of a course as an ECIU Challenge in the CBL format, funding of €20,000 is provided for the initial implementation and — provided that the third funding phase is approved — €4,000 for repetition.

From the EU-funded project ECIUn+, €272,000 are available, which can be spent between October 2022 and September 2026 in accordance with the "ECIU Framework for Capacity and Competence Development" to support the implementation of Challenges and micro-modules (the latter not included in the third call). The amount offered per Challenge represents seed funding and may not be sufficient to cover all incurred costs. The stated amounts represent the maximum funding.

The provided funds can be used to cover teaching hours, consulting fees, student support, training of dedicated teaching staff or internships, as well as course-related material costs, course-related travel expenses of TUHH staff, hiring and training of student tutors, or organizing the campus phase of Challenges.

Please note that the budget is only available for personnel and activities at TUHH. It cannot be used to finance personnel costs of other ECIU universities or external partners. Of course, it is possible that partners receive funding from their own institutions.