Looking for ways to realise your educational innovation?
Below is an overview of grants and fellowship programmes available for teachers at UT. Click on each grant or fellowship name to explore details and information.
The BIG is an annual grant to either a team or an individual (academic) member of staff to develop and/or test an innovative didactic concept in a course or module at the University of Twente. As such, the BIG is a reward for staff who continuously improve their teaching.
The grant includes financial compensation of 0.2 FTE of the winner's appointment for a period of one calendar year, to be awarded to the department. In addition, the winner will have access to expert support from the CELT team and will receive funding of up to 2.5k for travel and other expenses associated with the project. Finally, the winner receives a small trophy (a bronze pig) associated with the Dutch abbreviation of the name of the grant.
Note: this is the procedure for the BIG 2025. The BIG 2026 and its corresponding guidelines will be announced early 2026.
To apply for the BIG, you should write a 4-page proposal about your educational innovation. The proposal should be accompanied by:
An educational curriculum vitae;
A letter of recommendation from at least one programme director;
Written permission from the relevant Head of Department.
Criteria for the proposal
The proposal consists of an educational design, concept, method or product, preferably supported by scientific publications or conference contributions (evidence-based);
The proposal is no longer than 4 pages and includes a title, an abstract, the relevance of the project, the problem statement, the proposed solution, the theoretical background, the expected impact, an implementation plan and a plan for disseminating the results within (and possibly beyond) the University of Twente;
The educational design, method or product is supported by a clear vision of educational innovation, based on the vision and strategy of the University of Twente;
Remember that not all members of the jury members will be experts in your field. Try to avoid jargon and write your proposal in an understandable way.
Selection and celebration
The BIG 2025 ceremony took place during the Week of Education on Monday 19 May. The BIG jury is made up of a Vice Dean Education, the previous BIG winner, a member of the Young Academy, a student and a member of CELT. This was 2025's group.
the Vice Dean of Education - Ciano Aydin
the previous BIG winner - Tracy Craig
a member of the Young Academy - Chris Baeumer,
a student - Heleen de Vos
and a member of CELT - Marcus Pereira Pessoa
The BIG was established in 2017 in honour of former Rector Ed Brinksma. The Brinksma Innovation Grant, or BIG for short, is awarded to a staff member with an innovative educational concept. 2025 is the 8th year that the prize has been awarded.
A.H. Assink MSc (Angelique) Educational Specialist | Coordinator Educational Professional Development
The Dutch government offers Comenius grants to enhance the innovation and improvement of higher education. Three different kinds of grants can give you the means to take great steps in the innovation of your course or programme:
Teaching Fellow (for relatively new teachers, €50,000.-, 1 – 1.5 year project),
Senior Fellow (for more experienced teachers, € 100,000.-, 2 – 2,5 year project)
The Nederlandse Onderwijspremie (Dutch Higher Education Award) is the most prestigious national award for educational teams in Dutch higher education. It honours innovative, high-impact teaching initiatives developed within the past four years and aims to stimulate further educational innovation and knowledge sharing.
Each year, up to three university teams receive awards:
Gold: €1,200,000
Silver: €800,000
Bronze: €500,000
The prize money must be used to expand the educational impact of the awarded project. Each Dutch university may nominate one team per year. Winners are announced during the annual ComeniusFestival.
