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Home » About the Academic Innovation Fund (AIF)

About the Academic Innovation Fund (AIF)

The Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) was created in 2010 to encourage innovation in teaching, learning and the student experience. The AIF supports implementation of projects that advance York University's institutional priorities outlined in the University Academic Plan: 2020-25, Strategic Mandate Agreement and the Institutional Integrated Resource Plan.

The priority areas for AIF Phase 4 (2021-Present) include:

AIF at a glance

$1.5 M

Awarded annually

23

Projects funded in 2022-23

>$17 M

For all awards between 2011 and 2022

348

Unique projects funded between 2011 and 2022

AIF Funding Categories

York University’s AIF encourages teaching and learning innovation in priority areas by supporting new initiatives or by extending current projects in new and significant ways. The call for AIF applications is now closed. Click here to review the application guidelines.

Information on the AIF workshops offered by the Office of the AVP, Teaching and Learning and the Teaching Commons can be found here.

In 2023-24 there are three AIF categories:

Category I

Supports pan-university, faculty or group-based projects that support academic innovation

Apply for funding

Category II A

Supports individual full-time or contract faculty members for curricular innovation projects

Apply for funding

Category II B

Supports individual full-time or contract faculty members for Curricular Innovation - Innovative Course Prototyping 

Apply for funding

Category III

Supports Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects

Apply for funding

Learn More

Looking for inspiration? View our previously funded AIF projects that are shaping the future of teaching and learning.