Apply for the status of an excellent teaching practitioner

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Information, application criteria and attachments for those who wish to apply for status as an excellent teaching practitioner at NTNU.

It is possible to apply for status as an excellent teaching practitioner from 1 March 2026.

Submission of application on www.ntnu.edu/pedagogical-merit/ from June 2026.

Deadline for applications: 31 August 2026 kl. 23.59 Norwegian time.

Website updated 16.02.26

Norwegian version: Søke om status som merittert underviser

If you are considering applying for recognition as an Excellent Teaching Practitioner

1. Conduct a thorough review of the official application guide (pdf)

2. Initiate contact with your Head of Department to discuss your intention to apply.

3. Enrol in relevant webinars and seminars offered as part of the application support framework.

4. Engage critically with, and develop a comprehensive understanding of, the criteria for recognition as an Excellent Teaching Practitioner.

5. The application must be written as a reflective note, and it is important that you reflect on your own teaching and development.

6. Familiarize yourself with the formal eligibility requirements for applicants as well as the structural and content-related expectations for the application.

7. Allocate sufficient time on your application.

Watch video: Excellent teaching practitioner

Applicants who have previously applied for recognition as an Excellent Teaching Practitioner without being awarded the status are encouraged to examine the peer reviewers` feedback with particular care. Consider whether, since your last application, you have carried out academic and pedagogical development work to an extent that now enables you to meet all the criteria, or whether it would be advisable to wait a few years before applying again.

Who can apply for status as an excellent teaching practitioner?

Employees who meet the formal requirements can apply for the status of an excellent teaching practitioner.

Permanent academic staff in all job categories with teaching duties can apply, except for PhD students, postdocs and residents (spesialistkandidater).
At least 5 years’ experience of teaching in higher education.
Applicants must document educational competence at a level that is significantly higher than expected basic competence (s.t. requirement for 200 hours of university pedagogical education).

Applicants who do not meet formal requirements will be rejected without further peer review.

Applications that have formal errors will be rejected.

Main criteria for evaluating applications

Four main criteria provide the basis for evaluating applications for award of the status of an excellent teaching practitioner at NTNU.

1. Focus on student learning

This means that the applicant documents that he or she

has worked systematically and over time to develop teaching that improves students’ learning outcomes from the perspective of both the course and the programme, and the applicant reflects on this development
works systematically with and applies feedback from students and colleagues to develop teaching and the learning environment in courses and study programmes

2. Professional development as a teaching practitioner

This means that the applicant documents that he or she

systematically and over time developed, tested and reflected on teaching, learning and forms of assessment in their own teaching, and/or through systematic development work and educational leadership at the course and the study programme
can refer to specific plans for development work and further development of their own teaching competence and practice

3. An enquiry-based approach to teaching

This means that the applicant documents that he or she

gives reasons for the association between learning outcome descriptions and the choice of teaching methods and forms of assessment from the perspective of both the course and the study programme
reflects on their own teaching activities, from planning and testing to analysis of student learning, with support in relevant research and theory about teaching, learning and assessment

4. A collegial attitude and practice

This means that the applicant documents that he or she

has worked together over time and regularly with students, colleagues, management and others on pedagogical development to improve the quality of studies in courses and study programmes
has taken the initiative to share and actively contributes their experience and develop knowledge within and across the academic environment

Supplementary information can be found in the application guide.

Application

In a reflection note, you provide reasons documenting how your work in teaching, learning and education qualifies you for the status of an excellent teaching practitioner.

In the application, you reflect on the criteria for pedagogical merit and present arguments to support your fulfilment of the criteria. Applicants should read the application guide for supplementary information.

Formal requirements for applications

Read the application guide for supplementary information about formal requirements for applications.

Applications that have formal errors will be rejected.

Attachments

Mandatory attachments: The application must have 2 mandatory attachments. For the mandatory attachments, templates are available for the applicant to use.

Pedagogical CV: CVs must include education and educational competence, teaching experience, development projects and educational cooperation, sharing of experience and possibly educational leadership. Maximum 4 pages.

Download template for Pedagogical CV (DOCX) |PDF-version

Letter of support from the Head of Department: The letter of support from the head of department shall contain a concrete and binding plan for how the department will use the merited teacher's competence.

Download the template for Letter of support from the Head of the Department (DOCX) | PDF-version

Other appendices

The attachments must contain documentation suitable for the peer review. This means that if you plan to include student evaluations as an attachment, it is more relevant to include attachments that also describe your reflections after examples of feedback from students. Your reflections may be related to any measures that were implemented to address the feedback and the results that they led to in the next evaluation. It is important to highlight and explain how the content of the attachments is relevant to the application and is worthy of merit.

The scope of attachments is described in the application guide and in the formal application requirements.

Application deadline and time schedule

It is possible to apply for the status of an excellent teaching practitioner once a year.

See overview of time limits and the assessment process

Webinar and seminar

Applicants can register for webinars and seminars in spring 2026. This is an offer to provide applicants with information about the application process and application writing.

Incentives Excellent Teaching Practitioner

Employees who become Excellent Teaching Practitioner are given a salary increase of NOK 50,000. Funding will also be allocated to a development project that the Excellent Teaching Practitioner will lead to develop the quality of education at the department.

Excellent Teaching Practitioner will be a resource person for quality development of education at NTNU, participate as a peer reviewer in the merit scheme and be a member of NTNU's pedagogical academy.