Stage 1
Stage One Lancaster University CATE application template which is a draft CATE claim (up to 3000 words). Your application should clearly demonstrate, with supporting examples/evidence where possible, how you meet each of the award criteria (see the 'Award Criteria' Tab for more information).
The criteria in Stage 1 are identical to those used by the national award process. The only difference is the word count. Should your Stage One claim be successful, the final CATE claim will be a higher word count.
Advance HE CATE Guidance Notes 2025 (2026 Guidance notes will be made available when published by Advance HE) will outline the expectations for each criteria.
Please note that the process and dates for 2026 award applications will be subject to the national awards scheme and timetable. The information provided is based on the previous application round and is provided to give an indication of the requirements, but is subject to change.
Profiles of recent CATE winners for insights into how to frame your claim.
A list of all team members with their job titles and an indication of their active role in the team.
In writing against each criterion, it is important to demonstrate direct engagement with students. Although there is no requirement for students to be members of the team, a team should clearly demonstrate how students are directly engaged in their work. Teams should also highlight how they work together as a team and what innovative, inclusive, and excellent practices they have led within their own organisational setting and potentially beyond.
Claims will be assessed by the panel on the evidence provided in the application in relation to each of the two criteria below. These criteria are identical to those used by the national award process.
Teams need to submit their draft for consideration by the Lancaster selection panel. An internal selection panel will review all eligible CATE proposals and agree on the institutional nomination. The selection panel can include senior academics, Associate Deans for Teaching, previous NTFS and CATE winners and CEDA. Only one team per institution, per year may be put forward for a CATE award.
How your application is reviewed
Our internal selection panel, comprised of senior academics, Associate Deans for Teaching, previous CATE winners and Curriculum and Education Development Academy, will evaluate the applications. From these evaluations, one team will be chosen to represent Lancaster University as our nominees.
Stage 2
Preparation and submission of full CATE claim
CATE claims are judged rigorously by a national panel of peers from within the sector and scored on the strength of evidence in meeting the set criteria. If nominated, you will be asked to submit the items below, in line with Advance HE formatting guidance.
Claim: A statement of how the nominated team demonstrates excellence in relation to each of two award criteria (total 3,500 words) plus an overarching Context Statement (up to 300 words) and a Reference List.
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form: an online form completed by the nominee.
The completed final claim supporting documentation for CATE is submitted by the Lancaster University Teaching Excellence Awards Lead (TEAL) to Advance HE. Claims are accompanied by a signed Institutional Statement of Support from a senior academic, usually the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education.
Support from CEDA is available to Lancaster University nominees throughout the process.
Successful nominees will:
- Be included in publicity generated by Advance HE.
- Be invited to attend a black-tie award ceremony hosted by Advance HE.
Team Eligibility
Eligibility information for potential CATE team applications
- Those within the team can be in any role that contributes to the enhancement of teaching and learning.
- Colleagues working at an overseas campus, whilst contracted to HE providers in the UK, are eligible to be part of the team.
- Student members of the team are actively encouraged and can be studying or in a representative role.
- The team leader may not have an active application for NTFS running at the same time as an application for CATE.
Award Criteria
Criterion 1: Excellence in the team’s collaborative approach
Evidence of excellence in the team’s approach to working collaboratively; commensurate with their context and the opportunities afforded by it. This may, for example, be demonstrated by providing evidence of excellence in terms of:
- having a clear set of aims, objectives and rationale for the team’s approach and how the group constitutes a team and developed as a team;
- demonstrating direct engagement of students within or with the team;
- illustrating how the team has contributed to wider thematic and sector priorities, for example, assessment and feedback; retention, employability, staff development; students as partners; technology and social media;
- working collaboratively with a range of stakeholder groups;
- embedding practices across different programmes, disciplines, campuses or institutions;
- being flexible and creative in working to address unanticipated situations or events;
- measuring the impact or outcomes of collaborative work.
Criterion 2: Excellence in the impact of collaborative working
Evidence of the team having a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning beyond their immediate academic or professional area. This may, for example, be demonstrated by providing evidence of the:
- reach of the team’s work;
- benefit or value derived from working as a team;
- impact of supporting colleagues and/or influencing support for student learning;
- impact on student learning or outcomes;
- impact of any outcomes/outputs of collaborative work.
Value, reach and impact
Reviewers will be looking for evidence of value, reach and impact to be demonstrated in the evidence within the narrative presented by the team. Please note that the two award criteria above are given equal consideration in the assessment process and weighted equally in the overall score.
