In the context of the curricular and course level changes anticipated with EPFL s’EPanouir–FLourish initiative, this fund provides support to teachers and sections for the exploration, development, and implementation of teaching approaches aligned with the educational vision of the initiative.
The objective is to encourage the implementation, co-construction or evaluation of educational interventions that contribute to:
- Deep understanding of scientific foundations
- Stronger links between foundational knowledge and disciplinary applications
- Student learning through complex problems, including scientific laboratories and engineering design projects
- Interactive teaching approaches that foster critical thinking, discussion, and analysis
- Learning environments that support collaboration, autonomy, and development of meaningful skills
The call is intended to provide support for teachers and sections during the co-design phase of the s’EPanouir–FLourish initiative (Fall 2026 to Spring 2029) developing or redesigning courses, learning activities, assessment approaches, exercise sessions, projects, or broader program-level educational experiences.
Diverse approaches related to a broad range of aspects of EPFL students’ learning experiences and progress are encouraged. A non-exhaustive list of relevant interventions includes:
- Development of new teaching materials or learning activities
- Development of more interactive and supportive exercise sessions (e.g., student-led tutorials, collaborative problem-solving…)
- Design or implementation of complex disciplinary or interdisciplinary projects
- Redesign of assessment
- Merging or coordination of courses to improve coherence or workload
- Evaluation of the impact of an existing teaching or learning initiative
- Pilot initiatives exploring new educational formats
We encourage the adaption and implementation of evidence-informed practices that use prior educational experiences, classroom observations, or literature to ensure a solid foundation for proposed changes.
Next call for proposal: October 30th 2026. Download the submission form.
Structure of the call and examples of support provided
Structured similarly to the DRIL fund, projects are described according to the application template and assessed by a jury for their potential impact, pedagogical rigour and alignment with institutional priorities. See below for upcoming submission timeline.
Requests for support may include:
- Financial support, typically ranging from 5K to 20K CHF depending on the scope of the project
- Recruiting additional Teaching Assistants or Student Assistants.
- Hiring a replacement teacher to release a teacher to focus on developing new approach or materials.
- Student hours to collect or analyse observations or data on learning
- Professional development or training for teaching team involving travel or outside experts
- Participant Compensation (for surveys, interviews, or experiments) or tokens of appreciation (gift cards, bonbons)
- Human support can be request from CAPE pedagogical advisors
- Training for teaching team or assistants to implement a new approach or activity
- Methodological support for the design, implementation, or evaluation of teaching developments
- Pedagogical literature review to provide a solid foundation
NOTE: to ensure complementarity with other EPFL programs and resources, projects primarily focused on purchasing materials or developing digital resources should be directed towards other services.
Expected outputs and dissemination
To encourage exchanges about teaching across the EPFL community and to recognize contributions to teaching, funded projects are encouraged to document and disseminate their experiences. Sharing good practices and (especially!) the challenges encountered along the way is fundamental to expanding the culture of educational experimentation and development across EPFL. It also contributes to the broader recognition of EPFL as a hub of teaching excellence in European engineering education. Dissemination expectations are lightweight and proportionate to the scope of the project, and can be supported by CAPE pedagogical advisors.
Procedure and upcoming dates
|
|
Summer 2026 |
Fall 2026 |
Spring 2027 + future |
|
Call opens (support available from CAPE for the preparation of applications) |
1 June, 2026 |
first week of September, 2026 |
TBD |
|
Deadline to submit application |
29 July |
30 October |
TBD |
|
Presentation of projects to the jury composed of teachers from each faculty and pedagogical experts |
20-25 August |
mid November |
TBD |
|
Applicants informed of jury decision |
1 September |
1 December |
TBD |
|
Expectation that funds are spent, disemination is occuring/planned |
31 December, 2026 |
31 December, 2027 |
TBD |
We encourage you to contact the Teaching Support Centre (CAPE) for more information or for assistance in developing your project (contact: Siara Isaac).
FAQ (frequently asked questions)
- Who can apply?
- EPFL teachers, teaching teams and sections are invited to submit proposals. Projects involving multiple instructors or courses are encouraged.
- How are projects selected?
- Projects are reviewed and selected by a jury composed of teachers from each EPFL faculty and pedagogical experts.
- What are the selection criteria?
- Projects are evaluated for their potential impact, pedagogical rigour and alignment with institutional priorities.
- Can I apply with a colleague?
- Yes, projects involving multiple teachers are very welcome.
- How do I apply?
- Please contact Siara Isaac to receive the application template and consult the table above for relevant deadlines. Completed applications should be returned to Siara Isaac.
- What support does the Teaching Support Centre (CAPE) provide?
- The Teaching Support Centre is available to assist with all phases of the project, from completing the application template, to designing and implementing the project, to documenting the impact. Please contact Siara Isaac and we will be happy to discuss.
- Do I need ethical approval (HREC)?
- Developing and evaluating the impact of new teaching approaches does not require ethical approval. But if you plan to research a teaching approach, then ethical approval would be required. Please contact Siara Isaac if you have questions.
- Can small, exploratory projects apply?
- Yes. Sometimes a small project is the best way to explore and test new approaches.
- Can I request student assistant support?
- Yes, if these additional student assistant hours are related to implementing an educational intervention coherent with the goals of this fund.