The Collaborative Development Fund was a yearly scheme that offered all Advance HE members the opportunity to apply for grant funding to undertake work on important sector needs and goals. In 2025–2026, we provided grants of up to £20,000 (inclusive of VAT) to two successful applicants.
By tackling important sector challenges collectively, the funding awarded by Advance HE helps our members to find new solutions and benefit from the shared learning of what works in a diverse range of teaching and research settings. Our membership base of over 470 institutions of every shape and size means that the project outputs and findings will be reflective of how challenges can be overcome in many different contexts.
Applications for the 2025-26 Collaborative Development Fund are now closed. You can use the link below to register your interest and stay informed about project outputs.
Introducing the 2025-26 projects
The Graduate of 2040 -exploring evolving learner profiles and graduate capabilities
Led by the University of Birmingham in collaboration with University College London, the University of East London, and Süleyman Demirel University, Turkey.
By 2040, graduates across all disciplines will need to understand, evaluate and apply AI ethically in their careers. Yet the sector currently lacks a consistent way to embed these skills across degree programmes, with provision concentrated in computing and engineering. This uneven access risks creating new inequalities, disproportionately affecting international students, neurodivergent learners and those from widening participation backgrounds.
The Educator of 2040 – investigating future teaching roles and technology-enabled pedagogies
Led by Anglia Ruskin University (including Anglia Ruskin London, ARU Peterborough and ARU Writtle) and the University of York.
The project addresses how university educators can help students develop AI skills for future careers whilst ensuring they don’t become overly dependent on technology at the expense of critical thinking and decision-making.
Explore the previous Collaborative Development Fund projects
The 2024-25 case studies
The 2024–25 Collaborative Development Fund supported member-led projects addressing shared challenges across higher education, with a focus on innovation, collaboration, and evidence-informed practice aligned to sector priorities.
Other grant schemes for members
Global Impact Grants
Global practice sharing and learning are cornerstones of the support that Advance HE provides for its member institutions. Through funding small case studies, our Global Impact Grants are an opportunity for international Advance HE members to share success stories about higher education projects that have had a demonstrable impact on their staff or students.
