Apply for the EFS

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Prerequisites (all pathways)

Applying for a Advance HE Fellowship through the ANU EFS is free of charge, but there are some eligibility criteria to consider. You must:

be a current ANU employee, student, or honorary appointee with an ANU email address;
commit to upholding the AdvanceHE Fellows Code of Practice;
have undertaken relevant Professional Development;
be able to contribute to the ANU EFS, for example as EFS mentor, EFS assessor, or speaker.

What if I leave ANU before I complete my application?

If you leave ANU before you complete your application, then please let us know about your situation and discuss next steps. Each situation is unique, but here are some common scenarios and information on how we can support applicants:

If you leave ANU to move to a university that runs a similar program, then we recommend that you complete your application at your new institution.
If you are on a casual/sessional contract at ANU, and you expect to be re-employed by ANU following a break, then as long as you have participated in an EFS pathway at least three months prior to your employment break, we will continue to provide mentor support for a further three months or until the next closing date for applications.
If your employment at ANU ceases, and you have participated in an EFS pathway for at least three months, then we may be able to support you as a direct applicant to AdvanceHE (subject to on-going funding).

Learn more about the AdvanceHE Fellows Code of Practice

The AdvanceHE Fellowship Code of Practice establishes a set of principles and expectations for individuals gaining Fellowship. The Code embodies the values of teaching professionals in relation to professional practice, learners and colleagues. Adhering to the Code and committing to ‘remaining in good standing’ are crucial to gaining and maintaining Fellowship through the ANU EFS. Upon submitting your EFS application, you will be required to sign a declaration that you will adhere to the Code of Practice.

EFS pathways

There are three pathways to Advance HE Fellowship at ANU:

1. THE REFLECTION ON EXPERIENCE (REX) PATHWAY (AFHEA, FHEA, AND SFHEA PATHWAY)

The REx pathway is the most common route at ANU. It provides a scaffolded professional development opportunity to three categories of Advance HE Fellowships: Associate Fellowship (AFHEA), Fellowship (FHEA), and Senior Fellowship (SFHEA).

Learn more about the REx pathway in the EFS REx pathway resource collection. EFS Collection 1 About the REx pathway provides an overview of the pathway and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Our current and upcoming REx groups are:

Group 2 2024 (September 2024 – March 2025)

Enrolments for this group have closed.

All applicants in this group must use the ANU EFS REx pathway resources, which are mapped to Professional Standards Framework 2023 (PSF 2023).

The closing date for application submissions for this group is 14 March 2025.

Group 1 2025 (February 2025 – August 2025)

Places in this group are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis to those who have completed our expression of interest form before 14 February 2025.

All applicants in this group must use the ANU EFS REx pathway resources, which are mapped to Professional Standards Framework 2023 (PSF 2023).

The closing date for application submissions for this group will be in August 2025 (exact date to be announced).

2. ‘TEACHING IN MEDICINE’ (TIM) PATHWAY (AFHEA PATHWAY)

ANU offers a Teaching in Medicine (TiM) pathway for clinical and other medical educators who wish to apply for AFHEA. Learn more about the TiM pathway below. Note that clinical and other medical educators who wish to apply for a FHEA or SFHEA will need to join the Reflection on Experience (REx) pathway.

Learn more about the Teaching in Medicine (TIM) pathway

This pathway is available through the ‘Teaching for Clinicians’ course run by the Canberra Region Medical Education Council (CRMEC). ‘Teaching for Clinicians’ is a course that is offered to all doctors working across the public health system in Canberra and South-East NSW.

In order to qualify for the TiM pathway to AFHEA, you must be:

teaching medical students for at least 12 months in the clinical environment;
fully registered as a medical practitioner;
have attended the ‘Teaching for Clinicians Course’ Part 1 and Part 2.
This course is run twice yearly and is open to all doctors who are supervising and teaching in the clinical context of patient care.

Assessment via the TiM pathway is available between February and October each year. Applicants will be advised about the application process during the Course and can apply for assessment up to two years post the Course.

Learn more about this pathway at the ‘Canberra Region Medical Education Council’ (CRMEC) website (opens in new tab) or email us at clt@anu.edu.au.

3. SUPPORTED DIRECT APPLICATION TO ADVANCE HE (PFHEA PATHWAY)

ANU does not award Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA), but the EFS team can provide mentoring and support for direct application to Advance HE to those who seek to gain this high level of recognition.

Why should I apply

Your time is valuable, and applying for a fellowship will require an investment of your time to be successful. So what’s in it for you? By applying for an AdvanceHE fellowship through the EFS, you can acquire the following:

	Professional recognition Membership of the EFS provides you with professional recognition of your teaching. Many existing members have reported that membership has helped them obtain new jobs, promotions, and explore new opportunities.		Collegiality and network Once you are a member of the EFS, not only will you be part of a worldwide community, you will be part of a teaching-focused community within ANU. EFS members have the opportunity to attend scheme-based events, seminars and networking activities.
	A world-wide community When you become a member of the EFS you will be part of a 90,000+ strong global community with an internationally recognised teaching recognition		A ready-made portfolio The contents of your teaching philosophy and reflective narrative will likely come in handy if you wish to apply for teaching awards or promotions in the future. While you will not be able to reuse your work word for word, the contents will provide an excellent base for you to springboard off of.
	Leadership building Membership of the EFS will also provide you with the opportunity to develop your leadership skills and contribute to the enhancement of teaching and learning across the ANU campus, through mentoring prospective applicants, assessing applications and writing references.		Personal development Writing a fellowship application requires reflection on your teaching practices, which more often than not, will aid your development as an educator. Reflecting on your practice will prompt you to recognise what you are doing well, appreciate the journey you have taken to date, and in many cases, identify gaps or areas for improvement in your teaching.
	Post nominal letters Once you are a member of the EFS, you are entitled to use the post-nominal of your category after your name (for example, John Smith AFHEA).

Beyond fellowship

Being a HEA fellow will give you many opportunities for networking and collaborating with your peers across campus and across other institutions in Australasia.

Once awarded fellowship, you will be listed by College and School on the list of ANU EFS Fellows . You will offered opportunities to mentor or assess future applicants, which will contribute to your future professional development and will involve high-level training in mentoring, peer engagement, and dialogic and written assessment against criteria.