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Australian Awards for University Teaching

Australian awards for university teaching ceremony

Presented by UA Chair Professor John Dewar AO and Awards Director Professor Angela Carbone.

2022 Australian university Teacher of the year

Dr Poh Wah Hillock
The University of Queensland

2022 Career Achievement Award

Professor David Boud
Deakin University

The 2022 AAUT program honours a range of teachers and programs – from early career academics to those who have devoted a lifetime to teaching and learning.

The full list of 2022 Australian Awards for University Teaching recipients is available here.

Please find our full media release here.

For the latest AAUT news, see the Australian Awarded University Teacher’s Network site.

The 2023 AAUT Nomination Packs and program overview are now available. Please see below for more details.

About AAUT

The Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) were established in 1997 by the Australian Government to celebrate and reward excellence in university teaching. Since then, the Awards have become a valued form of recognition for university educators Australia wide.

The AAUT recognise the impact that educators have on the learning and teaching experiences and outcomes of university students. They celebrate and reward programs and practices that support students and enhance learning. They promote excellence in learning and teaching in all aspects of higher education. Recipients, with the support of their institutions, contribute to systemic change in learning and teaching through the ongoing sharing and dissemination of knowledge.

This year, there are five award types promoting and recognising excellence in learning and teaching.

  • Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
  • Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning
  • Awards for Teaching Excellence
  • Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year
  • Career Achievement Award

2023 AAUT Key Dates

2023 AAUT KEY DATES

  • 2023 Nomination Packs released: June 2023
  • Awards Portal Nomination Instructions released: 11 August 2023
  • Phase 1: Nominee registration – 14 – 25 August 2023
  • Phase 2: Upload submission – 4 to 15 September 2023
  • Career Achievement Award nominations – 30 October – 17 November 2023
  • Assessment: October – December 2023

Contact Details

AAUT Awards Team [email protected]

Award Types

Citations for outstanding contributions to student learning (Citations)

Citations recognise and reward the diversity of contributions made by individuals and teams to the quality of student learning. They are awarded to individuals or teams who have contributed to the quality of student learning in a specific area of responsibility over a sustained period, whether they are academic staff, general staff, sessional staff or institutional associates.

In 2023, up to 100 citations will be awarded across the categories below:

Discipline categories

  • Natural and Physical Science, Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies
  • Engineering, Information Technology, Architecture and Building
  • Health
  • Education
  • Business, Management and Commence
  • Society and Culture
  • Creative Arts
  • Multi-disciplinary

Nomination categories

  • Early Career (For academics with less than five years teaching experience in higher education institutions)
  • Neville Bonner Award for Indigenous Education (For Indigenous teaching staff only)
  • Sessional staff

Maximum of six Citation submissions per institution.

Awards for programs that enhance learning (Program Awards)

Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning recognise learning and teaching programs and services that make innovative and outstanding contributions to student learning outcomes and the quality of the student experience. They are awarded to programs and services that have set high standards for learning and teaching activities in Australian higher education institutions. Program award is open to team nominations only.

In 2023, up to four awards will be granted across the categories below:

  • Student experience that supports diversity and inclusive practices.
  • Collaborative educational partnerships in learning and teaching.
  • Curriculum transformation and innovative pedagogy.
  • Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programs that value and enhance student employability.

Maximum of two Program Awards submissions per institution across all categories.

Awards for teaching excellence (Teaching Awards)

Awards for Teaching Excellence recognise Australia’s most outstanding university teachers who have demonstrated excellent leadership through sustained commitment to innovation, delivery of quality teaching and sustained dedication to improving the student experience and learning outcomes.

In 2023, up to nine awards will be granted across the categories below:

Discipline categories

  • Natural and Physical Science, Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies
  • Engineering, Information Technology, Architecture and Building
  • Health
  • Education
  • Business, Management and Commence
  • Society and Culture
  • Creative Arts

Nomination categories

  • Early Career (For academics with less than five years teaching experience in higher education institutions)
  • Neville Bonner Award for Indigenous Education (For Indigenous teaching staff only)

Maximum of three Teaching Awards submissions per institution across all categories.

Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year

The Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year is the premier university teaching award. Among the Teaching Award recipients, one individual with an exceptional record of advancing student learning, educational leadership and scholarly contribution to learning and teaching will be awarded the Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year.

Career Achievement Award

In 2020, Universities Australia has reinstated the Career Achievement Award that occasionally awarded to one or more individuals who have met the following criteria:

  • Made an outstanding contribution to learning and teaching.
  • Recognised for the impact they have had on the higher education sector.
  • Achievements had a major influence and left an enduring legacy.
  • Served in higher education capacity for at least 25 years.

How to Nominate

Each nominee is required to prepare a submission consisting of a written statement, and relevant supporting documents. This submission is referred to as a “nomination” Once completed, the Institutional Contact Officer (ICO) is responsible for the online submission of all nominations for their institution. The ICO will be notified of the award outcomes via email.

Eligible Institutions and ICOs

Nomination is open to academic, general and sessional staff (full-time or fractional, continuing or contract) of an Australian institution. Only those institutions listed in Table A and Table B under Subdivision 16–B of the Higher Education Support Act (2003) are eligible to nominate for the AAUT.

All nominations must be submitted by your Institutional Contact Officer (ICO). The ICO is the central point of contact for all AAUT related matters.

2023 AAUT Nomination information packs

2023 Nomination Packs

CITATIONS

PROGRAM AWARDS

TEACHING AWARDS

ASSESSMENT MATRICES

Resources for Nominees

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Other resources

News and Events

2023 AAUT Newsletters

2022 AAUT Newsletters

2018 to 2021 Archive AAUT Newsletters

AAUT Promotional Resources

AAUT Brochures

We encourage universities to widely promote these awards in their institution by utilising the range of resources listed below.

 

Video Series

Briefing/Professional development sessions

We recommend ICOs watch the 2023 ICO Briefing from Friday 23 June. As the AAUT award categories will remain the same in 2023, we encourage nominees to watch our invaluable 2022 Professional Development sessions.

2022 AAUT Briefing/Professional Development Sessions Recording

Past Award Recipients

2018 to 2021 AAUT Video Series

We are delighted to have the recipients of the 2018 to 2021 Australian Awards for University Teacher of the Year (AAUTY), sharing their journey of winning the awards and some encouragement to the aspiring applicants.

2022 AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Dr Poh Wah Hillock, The University of Queensland

Watch: Dr Poh Wah Hillock

 

2021 AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Professor Katerina Teaiwa, The Australian National University

Watch: Prof. Katerina Teaiwa video (Transcript)

 

2020 AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Associate Professor Jack Wang, The University of Queensland 

 

2019 AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

2019 AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

The Psychology of Criminal Justice – The University of Queensland

 

2018 AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Associate Professor Kevin Larkin – Griffith University

 

PAST CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS

2022

Professor David Boud – Deakin University

 

2021

Adjunct Professor John Biggs AM

 

2020

Vale Professor Tracey Bretag (1962 – 2020)

 

2017

Professor Sally Kift

 

2014

Vale Professor Paul Ramsden (1948 – 2017)

 

2012

Vale Emeritus Professor John Hay AC (1942 – 2016)

 

Past Award Booklets

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