Funded pilot projects

We are currently funding two phases of pilot projects, led by departments, to explore proactive, inclusive-by-design approaches to education. Each of these pilots will play a crucial role in shaping our evidence-led approach to models of inclusive education. 

Find out more about the pathways programme.

Phase one

Engineering tripos

The Department of Engineering is undertaking a transformative 2-year pilot across Parts IA and IB of the Engineering Tripos. The project will build a team within Engineering to shift from reactive, individual approaches to a proactive model of inclusive teaching and learning.

The pilot will:

  • Develop contextualised support guidelines tailored to Part I of the Engineering Tripos, accounting for requirements of their accreditation bodies
  • Create a framework of standardised inclusive teaching practices across teaching materials, delivery modes and physical learning spaces; this will reduce the need for reactive adjustments and support a reduction in awarding gaps
  • Build a strong evidence base to measure impact on learning outcomes and awarding gaps, reinforcing adoption of inclusive practices
  • Design a training and support programme to help staff embed inclusive-by-design approaches as standard practice

This work will align with the Department’s major Part I reform and will help to ensure that inclusive teaching is embedded to benefit all students. 

School of Clinical Medicine

The School of Clinical Medicine will undertake a 1-year pilot of a new system across years 4-6 of the clinical course. This will aim to improve production of and engagement with Student Support Documents (SSDs) and produce cohort-specific guidance for staff, reducing the burden on students to self-advocate and helping staff to more easily understand student needs and adjustments. 

The pilot will: 

  • Introduce a basic level of inclusive design across years 4-6 of the clinical course
  • Encourage students to be actively engaged with production of their personal SSD, selecting the most appropriate action for their needs from a matrix of standard adjustments for learning and examining
  • Comparing student needs to teaching-site attributes, automatically generate optimised cohort-specific teaching advice for staff
  • Use an AI interface to create narrative guidance and allow staff to engage with practice enhancements more deeply  
  • Support development of an inclusive onboarding package for placements across clinical sites, to support student transition to clinical studies with equal access to training opportunities across the region

The long-term goal is a scalable system which could be adapted across the collegiate University. 

Natural Sciences tripos

Led by the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry with partners in all departments contributing to the degree, the Natural Sciences Tripos will undertake a 2-year pilot designed to strengthen and streamline inclusive practice across the entire NST course. 

The pilot will: 

  • Agree competence standards and learning outcomes across Departments 
  • Work across the Tripos to identify, map, develop, and rollout inclusive provision for all students, with an initial focus on Parts IA and IB and eventual expansion into Parts II and III
  • Develop baseline expectations for inclusive practice and a matrix of reasonable adjustments for need above the baseline
  • Create accessible induction resources and guidance for prospective and incoming students, to articulate the rich and diverse multi-disciplinary pathways available and support students to navigate these successfully
  • Expand on existing work to address awarding gaps and diversify assessment approaches
  • Provide bespoke training and resources for staff on inclusive educational design, creating accessible course materials, and inclusive laboratory practice

The project aims to improve the student experience in the short term, while reducing long-term workload for staff and students and maintaining our high educational standards. 

Phase two

Modern and Medieval Languages tripos

This ambitious two-year project takes a whole-system approach, focusing on designing, delivering and documenting inclusive teaching and assessment across the Modern and Medieval Languages (MML) Tripos.  

The pilot will: 

  • Map and evaluate current practice to define a baseline of inclusive provision
  • Develop accessible teaching materials, guidance and training for staff
  • Establish shared competence standards and learning outcomes across language and content teaching
  • Explore the use of technology (including AI and VR) to support inclusive learning
  • Build a sustainable evidence base, with outputs shared across the University

The project will be aligned with an ongoing Tripos review and will engage staff, students, and partners across the Tripos - including supervisors, Directors of Studies, and support teams - to ensure that inclusive practice is embedded consistently.

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences tripos

This two-year pilot will focus on strengthening inclusive education through students' relationship with their Director of Studies (DoS). By supporting students to better understand expectations, reflect on their learning, and identify support needs, the project will, over time, enable better integration of supervision and lectures and support a richer understanding of the student experience.  

The project will:  

  • Make it easier for DoSs to discuss paper level learning objectives with their students. 
  • Develop a shared framework and template to guide these discussions and support both students and DoSs
  • Give students more agency to navigate the learning expectations of a Cambridge education, and improve their transition into University from school
  • Support students to recognise personal strengths and weaknesses, and identify access needs or learning styles

 The pilot aims to formalise and scale effective practices within the DoS system, to address variability of student experience and contribute to a more coherent, inclusive educational environment.