USO impact study

Since 2013, the Utrecht Education Incentive Fund (USO) has supported educational innovation and the professional development of academic staff at Utrecht University. To better understand the fund’s impact, a qualitative impact study explored how USO projects influence teaching, academic careers, and innovation across the university.

Study focus

The study examined the experiences of policy officers, educational directors, and junior and senior teachers in (un)expected outcomes, barriers, and opportunities in USO innovation projects.

Key findings

USO-funded projects generate impact across different levels:

• Micro level: individual educators and courses benefit from new teaching methods, enhanced expertise, and increased student engagement.
• Meso level: departments and programmes experience curriculum development, collaboration, and shared practices.
• Macro level: projects contribute to institutional change, knowledge sharing, thematic advocacy, and innovation beyond the university.

The study also highlighted challenges related to sustainability, accessibility, and dissemination of innovation.

Recommendations

Based on these insights, the study suggests:

• Increase accessibility: take stock of the diversity of the target audience, and encourage participation across all faculties and career stages.
• Strengthen knowledge sharing: promote exchange of project outcomes within and beyond the university, but be sensitive to project-specific opportunities. Not everything needs a journal article to be impactful.
• Provide robust support: offer guidance and practical assistance throughout project lifecycles. Do not grant a budget and stand back.
• Balance direction and openness: allow strategic priorities while fostering bottom-up creativity. Innovators should not be stuck in centralised agendas.
• Recognize educational innovation: ensure teaching innovation is valued in academic careers through awards, career systems, and visibility in leadership and communication.

Practical insights

The study involved six focus groups with participants from across Utrecht University, providing a qualitative understanding of the broader context, their impact, and how educational innovation projects are initiated, experienced, and reflected on. For more detailed insights, the full report is available upon request.