When the feds shut down the Office of Learning and Teaching a couple of budgets back, Universities Australia got the job of running the awards for university teaching. But things have not gone well.  Mike Teece from UA has written to academics in the Promoting Excellence Network advising the schedule for the 2018 awards is “seriously delayed.” “As you will recall, a serious mix-up within the bureaucracy has delayed provision of government funding allocated in last year’s budget,” he states.

But this appears to be only part of the problem; Mr Teece explains how UA has worked with “experienced people” in the Department of Education and Training and across the sector to develop “indicative costings” for the 2018 awards but due to the “limited funding provided” there will have to be fewer award categories and no prize money.

“Even with these savings, UA cannot deliver a high-quality awards programme in 2018 that will adequately recognise excellent teaching and maintain the reputation of the awards.”

UA has asked the government for “a modest amount of extra funding,” which also involves of further delay.