Developing your application
Quick links:
Using Guidance and Resources
Choosing your format
Exemplars
Choosing your Referees (D1 – D3)
Using Guidance and Resources
Ensure that you have read the Guidance section and that you have studied the relevant PSF 2023 Descriptor and the Advance HE guidance on the Dimensions of Practice on the Resources page.
Please make full use of the Resources page where you can access the Academic Essentials website, various reading lists for teaching and learning, top tips for a successful application and more.
You also have access to free Epigeum courses ‘University Teaching: Core Skills’, ‘ Teaching Online’ and various researcher development courses – view the full list. You can sign up for an Epigeum account by following the instructions on the Doctoral School website. Important: the relevant Teaching Programmes or Research Programmes token must be entered to gain free access to the courses available through the Sheffield Hallam institutional subscription.
Most people find attending a writing retreat a useful way of making space to work on their submission and receive dedicated verbal feedback on their work as they progress. You can attend as many or as few retreats as you like.
You might also find the Exemplars section of this site useful as a guide to how others have approached their submission.
Choosing your format
The Descriptor criteria do not require the written word to enable the demonstrations of practice, reflections on practice and evidence of impact needed to meet those criteria. Accordingly, the TALENT reviewers will review whatever written or verbal/signed format is chosen by the applicant. In order to provide guidance regarding how much material evidence is required, indicative word lengths and equivalent timings are provided should verbal/signed/digital story formats be used. In whichever format or combination of formats, the submission is delivered it is not the quality of the writing or presenting that is being reviewed, but the practice claimed and how it meets the descriptor criteria, that matters. There is no evidence to suggest that there is an advantage to be gained from the choice of format.
If you wish to discuss the way in which you would like to present your evidence, please contact the TALENT team for advice using talent@shu.ac.uk
Application forms are provided for every category (D1 – D4) which will guide the applicant as to what is required including the necessary personal information. Many people find it useful to work directly into the downloadable TALENT forms whereas others prefer to work in a separate, preferred document and then cut and paste into the relevant application form.
Exemplars
We are currently developing content around exemplars and will be continually updating this section of the website, so please do check regularly for updates and new content. If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback in the meantime, please contact us at: talent@shu.ac.uk
Choosing your Referees (D1 – D3)
You will need to select carefully, two referees who can provide an informed peer review by providing a testimonial in support of your application.
- One of your referees must be internal to Hallam, but the other can be from Hallam or elsewhere.
- One referee must observe your practice and have a fellowship category equivalent or higher than the one you are applying for.
- Your referees should be credible in terms of their role and knowledge of higher education and/or professional practice.
Remember, your referees’ statements form part of your evidence in support of your claims.
Possible referees might include:
Someone you have:
- taught with, or who knows your teaching
- worked with on something like a project, working party or committee
Someone who may:
- know you externally through professional practice, approvals/reviews process, other inter-institutional collaboration or contribution
- be a subject lead or departmental head and has a good grasp of teaching and learning matters
- be in a relevant role or position in relation to your practice or have institutional leadership in learning and teaching
- have acknowledged pedagogic expertise through publishing, research, awards etc.
- be a Fellow, Senior or Principal Fellow
Someone who can:
- comment on your practice
- corroborate some of your examples or case studies
- complement your other referee
What do the referees do?
Your referees must have looked over your finished submission before completing their statement and confirm that they have done so on their referee statement.
Referees statements should be produced using the templates provided and be approximately 500 words/5 minutes spoken word long.
One referee must observe your practice. If you are applying for D1 or D2, what is observed is up to you, but should be of your teaching or teaching-related activity (for example: staff training, one-to-one student guidance, PhD supervision tutorials; demonstrations). At D3 category the candidate may not have ongoing student teaching in which case an observation might involve for example: observation of chairing a L&T related committee meeting.
In all cases, this observation is designed as a supportive peer review process without any formal requirement for feedback or recording of outcomes to the TALENT scheme, although it may be referred to in their referee’s statement, if appropriate and relevant. You might also want to think of it simultaneously, as a way of fulfilling the requirement for the annual PRE observation.
Please provide your chosen referees with these links to the TALENT website: Guidance for referees and Observation of Practice.
Referees should send their statements to you so that you submit them together with the rest of your submission.
You should review the contents of the referees’ statements to ensure that they have commented and corroborated your submission appropriately.
It is really important to select your referees and secure their approval in good time. If you are aiming for a specific deadline you will need to leave time for them to produce their statement and for you to ask for any changes to be made before you can submit.