Teaching awards 2025

The selection procedure initially comprises a pre-selection within the University of Kassel by an internal jury with equal representation. The jury proposes a maximum of five applications to be submitted to the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture.

Components of the application (max. 8 MB in total) are in accordance with the HMWK guidelines:

1. The completed application form - the justification contained therein must not exceed 4 pages. These are to be formatted in Arial font, font size 12 points and a line spacing of 1.15 lines.
2. Meaningful attachments of max. 4 pages.
3. In addition, if possible, a meaningful but brief evaluation of max. 4 pages is requested.

For your application, please only use the writable PDF application form provided by the HMWK. Save the PDF document on your PC, for example, you can edit the document.

Applications for the internal pre-selection can be submitted as a PDF file to the Teaching Service Center at scl[at]uni-kassel[dot]de by January 12, 2025.

There are four prizes in two categories:

1. one teaching prize each for a working group / organizational unit in the maximum amount of
a. 60.000,- EUR
b. 30.000,- EUR
c. 15.000,- EUR
In addition to the quality of the teaching project, the focus is on the possibility of further development, transferability and sustainability. The continuous improvement based on evaluation, the didactics and the learning success of the students are rated particularly positively. Practical relevance, research orientation, interdisciplinarity, diversity, gender aspects and the acquisition of key skills play an important role.
The teaching prize can be awarded:

• For an outstanding course or other teaching project that has proven successful in practice.
• For an outstanding digital form of teaching and learning that enriches and complements classroom teaching and promotes self-study by students. More flexible learning, independent of time and place, is supported. Hybrid teaching formats are also part of this. As a proven best-practice example, the digital or hybrid teaching project is suitable for both internal and cross-university transfer; a cross-university project is also possible.
• For an outstanding course or teaching project that promotes education for sustainable development in a special way and has proven successful in practice. These teaching projects should preferably have a multidisciplinary perspective and make education for sustainable development a practical experience

2. a prize for a student initiative amounting to a maximum of EUR 10,000.
The student initiative contributes significantly to improving the learning success of the students. This is done either by designing their own projects or by further developing existing approaches and structures. Project outlines that have not yet been implemented cannot be assessed. The prize is aimed exclusively at students, the majority of whom should still be studying. The prize is not awarded to teachers. In justified cases, the jury may deviate from the above breakdown and change the allocation to selected categories or focal points of the submitted applications.

For a course or a teaching project

• The quality of teaching is excellent.
• The commitment to good teaching is sustainable and successful.
•  The teaching project is transferable and practice-oriented.
• The link between teaching and research as well as interdisciplinary references is successfully established.
• The focus is on didactics and thus the students' learning success.
• Diversity and gender aspects play an important role.
• The aim is continuous improvement on the basis of evaluation.
• Teaching is aimed at the acquisition of key skills.

For a digital form of teaching and learning

• Classroom teaching is enriched and supplemented.
• Self-study by students is encouraged and more flexible learning, independent of time and place, is supported.
• A hybrid teaching format can also be submitted here.
• As an example of best practice, the digital teaching project is suitable for both internal and cross-university transfer.
• A cross-university project is also possible. This proposal must be supported by all participating universities.

For a course that promotes education for sustainable development

• Education for sustainable development is promoted in a special way.
• The course has a multidisciplinary perspective wherever possible.
• Education for sustainable development is made tangible in practice
• The course has already proven successful in practice.

 
Selection criteria for the prize for a student initiative

• The initiative makes a significant contribution to improving the learning success of the students.
• This is done either through its own projects or through the further development of existing approaches and structures.
• The project must have proven itself in practice; project outlines that have not yet been implemented are not possible.
• The prize is aimed exclusively at students, the majority of whom should still be studying; no teachers will be honored. (Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture)