Higher Education Academy Fellowships

The Advance Higher Education (AHE) Fellowship is an internationally recognised program.

About the fellowships

Advance HE works with partners across the globe to improve higher education for staff, students and society. AHE Fellowship is for academic staff who teach and/or support learning and professional staff who support learning at Australian Qualifications Framework level 5 and above.

Obtaining AHE Fellowship requires demonstration of sustained activity relating to teaching, learning support, and/or provision of continuing professional development aligned to the Professional Standards Framework 2023 (PSF 2023).

Fellowships are awarded in four categories:

This is suitable for staff who are relatively new to a role in teaching and/or support for learning or may have a limited teaching portfolio.

For example, sessional/part-time staff or early career researchers with some teaching responsibilities.

They may be new or experienced staff with specific roles supporting HE learning such as technicians, librarians, professional staff, learning technologists, careers advisors, etc.

This is suitable for staff with substantive teaching responsibilities or professional staff with responsibilities to support HE learning.

This is suitable for staff who lead and influence HE academic practice and higher education learning in various settings.

Working with and through ‘others’ (e.g., colleagues, peers, mentees, etc.), they operate to support, guide and initiate change or lead/influence enhancement of practice in a wide range of global contexts.

This is suitable for highly experienced individuals whose practice involves a sustained record of effectiveness in strategic leadership of high-quality learning and extensive impact.

The UKPSF sets out the knowledge, skills, and behaviours demonstrated by those teaching and/or supporting higher education learning.

You can work through a series of questions to decide your fellowship category. Please see the Fellowship Category Tool.

You are required to complete certain elements for each category of submission. You will always provide evidence of your work meeting the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF).

2025 AHE Fellowship recipient list

HIDDEN  -

Principal Fellow

  1. Pauletta Irwin, School of Nursing, Paramedicine & Healthcare Sciences

Senior Fellow

  1. Leanne Gibbs, School of Education
  2. Annabel Matheson, School of Nursing, Paramedicine & Healthcare Sciences
  3. Catherine McCarthy, School of Policing Studies (awarded 2024)
  4. Brian Sengstock, School of Nursing, Paramedicine & Healthcare Sciences

Fellow

  1. Chinkwo Kenneth Anye, School of Dentistry & Medical Sciences
  2. Hermily-Lourdes Geronimo, School of Rural Medicine
  3. Rachel Hogg, School of Psychology
  4. David J. Leaver, School of Dentistry & Medical Sciences
  5. Miao Li, School of Computing, Mathematics & Engineering
  6. Fiona Wade, School of Policing Studies

2026 CSU Fellowship Scheme

HIDDEN - Charles Sturt University is committed to supporting its staff to apply for AHE fellowship, and this is enabled via the Teaching Academy. Although CSU is no longer an institutional member of AHE, staff will still have access to funded places each year via a competitive application process (see more details in the 2026 Guidelines) coordinated by the Teaching Academy. We anticipate there will be up to 15 places available across the University each year. Moreover, the Teaching Academy will cover the full cost of fellowship for successful applicants with no cost to the applicants’ School or Faculty.

The 2026 Charles Sturt University AHE Fellowship scheme

Charles Sturt University is committed to supporting staff in pursuing Advance HE (AHE) Fellowship, with this initiative coordinated through the Teaching Academy. Although the university is no longer an institutional member of AHE, staff will continue to have access to funded fellowship places each year through a competitive application process outlined in the 2026 Guidelines. Up to 15 funded places are anticipated to be available annually across the University.

The Teaching Academy will fully fund the cost of AHE Fellowship for successful applicants, ensuring there is no financial impact on Schools or Faculties. This support is available to Academic staff across the University.

Funded places are awarded through a competitive selection process. To apply, staff must complete and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) Application Form. The EOI requires applicants to:

  • Demonstrate sustained activity relevant to the level of fellowship being sought
  • Outline what they aim to demonstrate and gain through achieving fellowship
  • Describe their plan for preparing and submitting a high‑quality application within the expected timeframe
  • Explain how they will contribute to their School, Faculty, or the wider University community if successful

All EOIs undergo a two‑stage review process involving assessment by the Teaching Academy followed by final review and endorsement from the relevant Faculty Executive Dean or leadership team.

If staff are not eligible for funding or not successful with obtaining funding support in any given year, they can consider self-funding their fellowship application at full cost. For further information regarding the costs, please refer directly to the AHE website at https://www.advance-he.ac.uk.

Self-funded applicants can still participate in the professional development offered via the Teaching Academy.

Below are the application costs, with approximate costs in Australian dollars based on the exchange rate on 20 January 2026:

  • Associate Fellow: £300 / AUD $599.84
  • Fellow: £440 / AUD $879.77
  • Senior Fellow: £660 / AUD $1319.66
  • Principal Fellow: £1100 / AUD $2199.43

If you choose to self-fund, you can still participate in the professional development offered via the Teaching Academy.

Please reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Key dates 2026

January

20 January 2026 applications open

February

Dates TBA Teaching Academy professional development - AHE fellowship information session.

The session's will be recorded, and all assets from the session will be shared via the Teaching Academy Teams space

March

9 March 2026 applications close

March to April

Notification regarding EOI outcomes

April to July

Develop a first draft of your context statement and one case study.

Teaching Academy professional development sessions will be run

The session's will be recorded, and all assets from the session will be shared via the Teaching Academy Teams space

July: Submit your first draft to your mentor for early feedback

August to September

Continue Developing Your Application: Keep refining and improving your application.

Seek Feedback: Get input from your mentor and colleagues to strengthen your submission.

Identify Referees/Advocates: Choose your referees or advocates and ensure they are well-briefed on your application.

October

Set up your account on the Advance HE (AHE) platform.

If you have a funded place, coordinate with Teaching Academy to obtain your funded voucher code. You can do this by emailing teachingacademy@csu.edu.au

31 October: Submit final draft to the Teaching Academy

Prior to December

Finalise and submit your application.

Report on submission status to the Teaching Academy.

2027

Report on application outcomes once known to the Teaching Academy.

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