CALL: Seed Funding for ECIU Learning Opportunities at TUHH 2027

The goal of this call for proposals is to support the further development of courses focused on interdisciplinary teaching and learning activities in the challenge-based learning format. To achieve this goal, this call for proposals is aimed at the further development of an ECIU Micromodule or an ECIU Challenge:

• existing courses from all degree programs at TUHH
• that will be offered for the first time in the innovative format during the Summer Semester 27 or Winter Semester 27/28
• that are taught exclusively in English, including English-language course materials, and
• that have not previously received funding through an ECIU@TUHH call.

The development of a project into an ECIU Micromodule is supported with up to 3,000 € (and, if first implemented in the Summer Semester 27, a repeat in the Summer Semester 28 is supported with up to 2,000 €).
The development into a Challenge is funded with up to 10,000 € (and, if first held in the Summer Semester 27, a repeat in the Summer Semester 28 is funded with up to 4,000 €).

Newly appointed professors may also apply with a course that is yet to be planned, provided it is intended to be part of a degree program.

Eligible courses must meet the following criteria, and your application should demonstrate that these criteria have been considered and will be implemented as planned:

1. The course is generally open to students from all ECIU partners as a micromodule or Challenge,

   i.e., in addition to students in the degree program, at least 10 spots are made available to students from ECIU partners. In accordance with the Executive Board resolution of September 13, 2023, the total number of participating students from TU Hamburg and the ECIU partners must be at least 10 for the course to count toward your teaching load.

    

2. The pedagogical design enables students to acquire interdisciplinary and international competencies.

   That is, interdisciplinary and international perspectives and diversity are integrated into the course in such a way that, upon successful completion, students have acquired competencies in the area of interdisciplinary and international collaboration.

    

3. The pedagogical design follows the principles of Challenge-Based Learning (CBL).

   That is, the three phases of CBL are integrated, and instructors primarily act in a facilitating role that optimally supports student autonomy.

    

4. Collaboration with an external partner (e.g., an academic partner, a company or industry outside TUHH, a local partner, or a nongovernmental organization) as a challenge provider, training partner, or feedback provider is mandatory. A binding commitment from such a partner is not required at the time of application submission; however, please at least outline the intended role and function of the external partner for your challenge.

   The ECIU@TUHH team will provide support as needed with the pedagogical design as well as with the search for suitable partners; however, the applicant must proactively participate in the search and in making arrangements. No funds may be spent before the external partner has agreed to participate in the challenge.

    

5. The student workload must be 1, 3, or 6 ECTS credits.

In addition, the grant is contingent upon the following:

• that the experiences gained from conducting the funded event be presented either as a poster at a closing event organized by I3ProTeachING or at conferences on teaching innovations (e.g., ECIU Forum, TURN Conference), and
• there is a willingness to share results within the ECIU network’s teaching community (e.g., at ECIU Lunch&Learn, the ECIU Tea(m)cher Kick-Off, or the CBL workshops organized by and for instructors).

Courses prepared and conducted in collaboration with ECIU partners will be given priority for funding. However, collaboration is not a requirement. The list of partners can be found here. If the Challenge is conducted as a Blended Intensive Program (BIP) in collaboration with two other ECIU partners, the host university may receive an additional €6,000 in ERASMUS+ funding for its implementation. Active participation by the applicants in the formal BIP processes is essential. The International Affairs team provides advice, and the ECIU@TUHH team offers support.

1. Professors at the Technical University of Hamburg are invited to submit proposals via eciu(at)tuhh.de. Proposals may be submitted in German or English. Please use the form below to submit your proposal. The proposal must be submitted with at least a digital signature by the deadline. Please also submit a printed, hand-signed version to Gesa Mayer, Hamburg University of Technology, Am Schwarzenberg-Campus 3 (E), 21073 Hamburg.
2. The deadline for submitting application materials is December 4, 2026.
3. A TUHH review committee will evaluate all proposals based on their quality, the plausibility of the work plan, and the expected results and impact. The committee will make its decision on December 18, 2026, and will then inform you of the final decision as soon as possible. The committee consists of:

• Vice President for Teaching, serving as the representative of the ECIUn+@TUHH project leadership,
• a member of the ECIU@TUHH team,
• a member of the ZLL as an expert on teaching and learning,
• a faculty member or staff member from Department 3 as an expert on administrative frameworks and the sustainable implementation of teaching and learning programs at TUHH, and
• two students.

All proposals must meet the formal requirements listed above. Proposals that have been evaluated based on the formal criteria will then be assessed according to the following criteria (in order of importance):

• Added value: The teaching innovation makes a significant contribution to the further development of existing modules into international and interdisciplinary courses at TUHH within the ECIU University.
• Implementation of CBL: The project contributes to the implementation of Challenge-Based Learning in existing TUHH modules.
• Expected impacton student learning and/or the student experience: The projects should have an impact on student learning and on the teaching experience of the applicants. To this end, a suitable concept for evaluation and the exchange of experiences must be submitted and implemented by the instructor.
• The repeatability of the proposed initiative with the goal of permanently integrating this teaching format into the module.

If you have any questions or need advice, please contact the ECIU@TUHH team at eciu(at)tuhh.de. We’re happy to help!

The amount allocated per challenge or micromodule is intended as seed funding, which may not be sufficient to cover all associated costs. The amounts listed represent the maximum funding available. The funds provided may be used to cover teaching hours, consulting fees, student support, training for faculty members involved, or job shadowing opportunities, as well as course-related material costs, course-related travel expenses for TUHH staff, the hiring and training of student tutors, or the organization of the campus phase of challenges.

Please note that the budget is available only for TUHH personnel and activities. It cannot be used to fund personnel costs at other ECIU universities or external partners.

Once funding has been approved, funds may be spent starting February 1, 2027, and no later than June 30, 2028. Funds will not be transferred to the department’s own PSP element but will be disbursed on an as-needed basis, coordinated by the ECIU@TUHH team.