To provide financial support to Queen’s faculty who wish to design and deliver innovative undergraduate and graduate courses that are consistent with the new academic model for Bader College. These awards aim to encourage the development of transformative, modular, and experiential learning opportunities that leverage the unique environment of Herstmonceux Castle and support Queen’s strategic goals and the vision of Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader.
Proposal deadline: December 1, 2025
Program Guidelines
Overview
- Up to $10,000 in one-time funding per course.
- The initiative supports modular, intensive, and experience-rich courses
- These are for-credit offerings equivalent to a 3.0-unit Queen’s course, offered in a compressed timeline of 2-4 weeks that meet the typical instructional and student learning hour expectations.
- These courses should fit into an existing undergraduate or graduate program and follow normal curriculum approval processes.
- The initiative encourages interdisciplinary and globally engaged teaching, and aligns with Bader College’s new academic model.
Objectives
- Develop transformative courses that build student capacity to address global challenges (e.g., UN Sustainable Development Goals).
- Leverage unique features of Herstmonceux Castle, its grounds, and proximity to UK and European institutions.
- Foster international collaboration with academic and community partners.
- Promote financial viability through scalable and sustainable course design.
Eligibility
- Applicants must hold a tenured, tenure-track, or continuing appointment at Queen’s University.
- Team-based proposals and interfaculty collaborations are strongly encouraged.
Funding Parameters
- Maximum award: $10,000
- Eligible expenses include:
- Curriculum development and instructional design.
- Faculty travel for partnership building and course design.
- Guest lecturers and facilitators.
- Marketing and recruitment efforts for attracting diverse learners.
- Ineligible expenses include:
- IT hardware (laptops, tablets, smartphones).
- Laboratory consumables.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals must include (maximum 4 pages; supplementary tables or charts can be added in an appendix, and do not count towards the page limit):
- Course title, level (undergraduate or graduate), description and intended learning outcomes.
- Number of credit hours;
- Planned length of delivery (i.e., 2-4 weeks) and planned academic term, and month, or months of delivery
- Instructional hours and total expected student workload (in hours).
​​​​​​Describe how the course would align with Bader College’s academic model and Queen’s strategic goals.
- Outline planned interdisciplinary methods or approaches.
- Identify anticipated collaboration with academic or community partners.
- Explain how the course will remain viable after the initial funding.
- Identify target student audience (program, year level, anticipated enrolment);
- Describe any factors that would support the course being offered regularly (i.e., relevance to multiple programs, strong student interest, or ability to adapt content for different audiences).
- Provide a clear and concise budget outlining how the one-time funding will be used to support the initial development and delivery of the course, with consideration given to how the course could be offered a second time.
- Preliminary plan to evidence course success (student evaluations, enrolment data, student reflections).
- Attach as an appendix a concise endorsement from the department head, school director, or dean confirming: 1) support and 2) the feasibility of developing and offering the proposed course in the detailed timeline.
Selection Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated on their ability to:
- Meet academic standards for a for-credit course, including appropriate credit weighting, instructional hours, and overall student workload.
- Engage students in transformative educational processes that build capacity to address global challenges and opportunities.
- Advance Queen’s strategic priorities.
- Leverage the unique environment and features of Bader College, including its physical, cultural, and geographic setting, and its proximity to UK and European institutions.
- Integrate I-EDIAA principles into course design and delivery.
- Demonstrate innovation and collaboration, including interdisciplinary approaches and partnerships with academic or community stakeholders.
- Include a realistic plan for evaluation and continuous improvement, identifying how course success will be assessed and used to inform future iterations.
- Demonstrate financial viability and potential for sustainability, including a clear rationale for anticipated demand and a feasible plan for future delivery.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by the Bader College Academic Programming Committee, comprising:
- Chair: Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning)
- Two Queen’s faculty members
- One student representative
- Representatives from:
- Bader College leadership team
- Centre for Teaching and Learning
Awardee Expectations
- Deliver the course at least twice within two years.
- Contribute to evaluation and continuous improvement of the program.
- Submit a report on teaching and learning outcomes, and how the Initiative funds were used, following the first year of the course.
- Repayment of the funds will be required if, by 2028, these expectations have not been met.
Frequently asked questions
Beginning in 2026, Bader College will relaunch with a faculty-led academic cohort model. This model strengthens Queen’s teaching and learning presence in the United Kingdom by supporting short, intensive, for-credit courses taught by Queen’s instructors who bring their students with them to Herstmonceux Castle. Courses will most typically be offered during the summer term, when students can participate in an immersive international learning experience without conflicting with typically scheduled on-campus studies.
At the heart of the model is the concept of the castle as a Living Laboratory. The castle and its accompanying estate, including a rewilding project and the on-site Observatory Science Centre, offer distinctive opportunities for experiential and field-based learning. Faculty from all disciplines may wish to explore how their teaching could draw on this unique environment or the castle’s strategic position as a Gateway to Europe, supporting cross-cultural, intellectual, and international engagement.
The new model provides faculty with an opportunity to teach in an immersive, globally connected setting, linking Queen’s students and instructors with the exceptional learning environment of Herstmonceux Castle.
Courses offered through this initiative are Queen’s courses, taught by Queen’s faculty members and governed by the regulations of their home Faculties or Schools. Students participating in these offerings remain registered at Queen’s and earn Queen’s credit. They are not a separate group of “Bader students,” but rather Queen’s students taking a course delivered at another location.
Courses would most typically be offered in an intensive format, with students enrolled in one course at a time. While the specific approach to teaching and learning will be determined by instructors, the model envisions short, immersive courses where students engage deeply with the material over a concentrated period. A 3.0-unit course would typically represent about 120–130 hours of student effort and might be delivered across four weeks, depending on the instructional design.
Teaching at Bader would be considered part of an instructor’s regular teaching load and supported by the departmental budget, as with any other course offering.
Instructors and students need to plan for travel and on-site costs as part of the course design. Dr. Diana Gilchrist, Head of Academic and Educational Programming at Bader College, can provide more detailed guidance on the current on-site arrangements at Herstmonceux Castle.
Instructors remain employed and paid by Queen’s in Canada. There are no changes to payroll or tax reporting.
Timeline
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Call for proposals open | Sept 24, 2025 |
| Proposal deadline | Dec 1, 2025 |
| Review period | Dec - Jan 2025-26 |
| Award notification | Feb 1, 2026 |
| Course development phase | Feb - May 2026 |
| First course delivery | June - Aug 2026 |
Submit proposals to provost@queensu.ca
Questions? Email: provost@queensu.ca