Two Munster Technological University Teams Achieve National DELTA Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Posted: 11 June, 2026

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has announced the latest recipients of the Disciplinary Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) Award.

The latest teams to achieve the DELTA Award are:

• The Biomedical Science team, Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University
• The Department of Organisational and Professional Development, Munster Technological University

The DELTA Awards recognise discipline teams that demonstrate a sustained, embedded culture of teaching and learning enhancement, and that commit to an ambitious programme of further enhancement over a three-year action plan. Applications are assessed by an independent evaluation panel of national and international experts in teaching and learning.

The evaluation panel commended both teams for the strength and authenticity of their enhancement cultures, the central role of the student voice in their work, and the relationships they have built with students, alumni, professional bodies, and industry and placement partners. In each case the panel noted a clear disciplinary identity and an ambitious, well-considered action plan with the commitment and collaborative structures in place to deliver it.

Dr Alan Wall, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority, said:

“I want to congratulate the two teams at Munster Technological University on their achievement. The DELTA Award reflects a great deal of work by staff and students over a number of years and a clear ambition to keep building on it. Their achievements show the value of discipline-level leadership in shaping learning experiences and supporting student success. It also speaks to the strong and sustained commitment to teaching and learning enhancement that Munster Technological University has shown through the DELTA process over successive years.”

Dr Claire Gordon, Director of the Eden Centre for Education Enhancement at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Chair of the DELTA evaluation panel, said:

” It was a privilege to chair the panel and to see, at close quarters, the depth of thought and care these teams bring to their students’ learning. Both awardees demonstrated mature and reflective engagement with the DELTA Framework, strong evidence of student partnership and a clear commitment to sustained enhancement. Their practice offers excellent examples of how discipline communities can use evidence, collaboration and professional connections to support lasting impact for students, colleagues and wider professional communities. On behalf of the panel, my warm congratulations to them.”

The DELTA Awards are a key element of the national approach to recognising and supporting teaching and learning enhancement in higher education in Ireland. Awarded teams commit to a three-year enhancement action plan, developed through a structured process of reflection and consultation involving staff, students, and external stakeholders.

The successful teams will be celebrated at a prize-giving event later this year. The evaluation panel was chaired by Dr Claire Gordon and included Dr Iain MacLaren (University of Galway), Dr Ciarán O’Leary (TU Dublin) and Emma Muldoon Ryan (AMLÉ). The HEA is grateful to the panel for the time and expertise they brought to the evaluation process.

Further information on the DELTA Awards is available at teachingandlearning.ie.