External partners

Association of University Administrators (AUA)

The AUA exists to advance and promote the professional development of all who work in professional services roles in higher education and to be an authoritative advocate and champion for the sector. The NTU AUA branch coordinator is Baljinder Johal.

CRAC

CRAC is an independent organisation dedicated to career development and active, career-related learning. Its work includes creating innovative career development programmes for those in formal education, teachers, careers practitioners, graduates in employment and experienced managers. CRAC is also the UK's leading expert in the field of career development for postgraduate researchers and manages the Vitae Programme on behalf of the UK Research Councils.

Higher Education Academy (HEA)

The HEA's mission is to support the sector in providing the best possible learning experience for all students. Its strategic aims are to:

• identify, develop and disseminate evidence-informed approaches
• broker and encourage the sharing of effective practice
• support universities and colleges in bringing about strategic change
• inform, influence and interpret policy
• raise the status of teaching.

JISC

JISC is a standing committee of the post-16 education sectors in the UK. It is also a standing committee of the UK post-16 funding bodies (further and higher education) and research councils. It's responsible for funding information and communications technology (ICT) services and providing strategic guidance, advice and innovative opportunities to use ICT to support learning and teaching, research and administration. A wide range of information about the projects JISC supports, resources and publications are available through its website, including podcasts of interviews with senior figures from education, research, and other areas.

Midlands Staff Development Partnership (MSDP)

MSDP acts as a channel of communication and cooperation on higher education staff development activities within the Midlands, and provides a forum for discussion and dialogue with the Leadership Foundation and other bodies. MSDP is linked nationally to the Staff Development Forum and covers a wide range of issues and open to all higher education staff groups, although events specifically for academic staff are the remit of the region's M1-M69 Group. Each institution within MSDP provides a training event with free access available to other MSDP member institutions.

• Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)
• CPLD is an accredited centre for the delivery of ILM qualifications.
• Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations.

Staff Educational Development Association (SEDA)

SEDA is the professional association for staff and educational developers in the UK, promoting innovation and good practice in higher education.

SEDA offers useful publications on learning and teaching, and its activities are clustered into five main areas:

• professional development
• conferences and events
• publications
• research
• Services to members.

Vitae

Vitae is a national organisation championing the personal, professional and career development of doctoral researchers and research staff in higher education institutions and research institutes. It plays a major role in the drive for high-level skills and innovation and in the UK's goal to produce world class researchers through its focus on four main aims which are:

• championing the development and implementation of effective policy
• enhancing higher education provision through sharing practice and resources
• providing access to development opportunities and resources
• building an evidence base to support the researcher development agenda.

Vitae builds on the work and activities of the UK GRAD Programme for postgraduate researchers and UK higher education Researcher Development (UKHERD) network for research staff.