Professor David Donaldson has been announced as the successful recipient of a Higher Education Academy (HEA) Doctoral Programme award, as part of a new HEA initiative to support the development of learning and teaching across UK higher education.
Professor Donaldson, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Stirling, with research interests in human memory, is one of only 15 academics across the UK to receive such an award. His award will provide funds for a student to undertake a three-year PhD in Psychology at Stirling. The research will investigate whether learners benefit from metacognitive training and research findings will be disseminated throughout UK higher education.
Professor Donaldson said: “I am delighted to have received one of the Higher Education Academy’s prestigious Doctoral Programme awards. I am really excited about the project because it focuses on making sure that postgraduate training is effective – an issue that the University of Stirling considers a priority.”
Professor Donaldson’s award will build on the HEA’s work across its seven key thematic areas of assessment, education for sustainable development, employability, internationalisation, flexible learning, retention and success, and reward and recognition of teaching. Research outcomes will help to build an evidence base for learning and teaching in these areas.
Professor Craig Mahoney, Chief Executive of the HEA, said: “I am delighted to be making the announcement of these prestigious awards. The award winners will help us to make a real difference to the learning experience of potentially thousands of students.
“The landscape of UK higher education continues to change at a rapid pace and it’s vital that we can share learning, to meet the diverse needs of our students and those who teach them. I’m confident that the research outputs from our new Doctoral programme, will have a significant impact on both policy and practice.”