Submitting Your Nomination

Thank you for considering submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to become a University of Portsmouth nominee for either a National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) or a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) in 2027.

The University is introducing a revised EOI process this year to help identify and support colleagues with the strongest potential to develop competitive submissions. The process has been designed to focus on narrative, evidence, and impact at an earlier stage, allowing successful nominees additional time to refine and strengthen their claims.

What Makes a Strong EOI Pitch?

A successful 90-second pitch is not about trying to tell your entire story. It is about convincing the panel that there is a compelling story worth developing.

1.  Start with what makes your contribution distinctive

What have you done that is different, innovative, influential or noteworthy? Focus on the aspect of your work that makes colleagues stop and take notice.

2.  Show alignment to the award criteria

Demonstrate a clear understanding of the NTF or CATE criteria and explain how your work connects to them. Avoid simply listing achievements; instead, explain why they matter.

3.  Evidence reach, value and impact

Strong claims move beyond activity. Explain who has benefited from your work, what changed as a result, and how far that influence extends beyond your immediate context.

4.  Tell a compelling story

The strongest pitches have a clear narrative rather than a list of accomplishments. Help the panel understand your journey, your purpose, and why your contribution deserves national recognition.

5.  A clear golden thread

A strong claim has a clear thread that runs throughout the narrative. Rather than presenting a disparate collection of activities and achievements, your claim should demonstrate a coherent approach, purpose or philosophy that connects your work together. The panel should be able to understand not only what you have done, but why you have done it, how your approach has evolved over time, and the difference it has made. A clear golden thread helps create a persuasive and authentic case for recognition.

Following a review of the video submissions, shortlisted colleagues will be invited to participate in a professional conversation with the review panel.

As part of this stage, applicants will be asked to prepare a five-minute presentation that develops the narrative outlined in their video submission. The presentation should provide further evidence against the relevant criteria and demonstrate opportunities to evidence reach, value and impact in a developed claim.

The presentation will be followed by a ten-minute professional conversation with the review panel.

The purpose of the discussion is to:

• Explore the proposed narrative in greater depth.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen and develop the claim.

• Consider the quality and breadth of available evidence.

• Assess the potential competitiveness of the submission at a national level.

• Provide the panel with confidence that the claim can be developed into a persuasive and compelling nomination.

Following completion of the professional conversation stage, the University will identify:

• Up to three nominees for the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS).

• One nominee for the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE).

Successful nominees will then enter a structured mentoring and development process to help them prepare their final submission for the national deadline in March 2027.

Further information regarding mentoring, writing support, review and submission timelines will be provided to successful nominees following completion of the EOI process.

Important Considerations

Both the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme and the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence are highly competitive national awards. Indeed, competition continues to increase as institutions become more experienced in crafting sophisticated and evidence-informed submissions.

Successful claims typically demonstrate:

• A clear and compelling narrative.

• Strong evidence of sustained impact.

• Distinctiveness and originality.

• Clear evidence of reach, value and impact.

• A contribution that extends beyond local practice and resonates across the wider sector.

Developing a competitive submission requires considerable time, reflection and commitment. Colleagues are therefore encouraged to carefully consider the expectations of the process before submitting an EOI.

The University has intentionally brought the timetable forward this year to provide successful nominees with additional time to develop, refine and strengthen their claims. It is anticipated that draft submissions will be complete by the end of February 2027 in preparation for the national submission deadline, which is typically in the second week of March.