Lucy Mottram and Ifedapo Francis Awolowo are two of this year's recipients of a National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) by Advance HE, a prestigious individual award which recognises outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education.
Lucy Mottram is an Associate Head in the School of Health and Social Care and teaches on both undergraduate and postgraduate nursing courses. Lucy has led a major change in how Sheffield Hallam delivers clinical education. Her work is a centrepiece of Hallam’s strategic mission to Transform Lives, specifically through her pioneering leadership in Simulated Practice Learning (SPL).
Lucy’s excellence is best demonstrated by her response to the unprecedented placement capacity crisis during the pandemic. Without a national template, she conceived and implemented a standards-aligned simulated placement model for 3,000 nursing students across all fields, progressing from concept to delivery in just two months.
On the award, Lucy said: “I’m delighted and honoured to receive this award. It was such a lovely surprise, especially so soon after achieving my PFHEA earlier this year. I’m incredibly proud of the work I led on simulated practice learning for nursing students during the pandemic, and it’s wonderful to see that work recognised. I’d like to thank all my colleagues, especially the nursing simulation team, whose passion and commitment make such a difference to our students’ learning and future careers.”
Ifedapo Francis Awolowo is a senior lecturer in Financial and Management Accounting in Sheffield Business School.
In 2021, Francis led a major redesign of the Forensic Accounting module to make it more inclusive and relevant for a highly international cohort. By introducing global case studies and more active learning approaches, they dramatically improved student engagement and raised the module pass rate from 62.4% to 92.8% in a single year, with results remaining consistently high thereafter.
Francis also designed the Accomplished Study Programme in Research Excellence (ASPIRE), a national programme supporting Black students aspiring to doctoral study by providing culturally responsive mentoring, academic development, and tailored guidance. Delivered in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University and Advance HE, it created a sector-wide support network that helped students build confidence, strengthen their academic skills, and progress to PhD study.
On his award, Francis said: "Receiving the National Teaching Fellowship is a tremendous honour and a deeply humbling moment. I am profoundly grateful to my students, colleagues and mentors, and especially to Sheffield Hallam University for believing in me, championing my ideas, and creating the space to innovate. Their trust gave me the confidence to turn ideas into opportunities that have transformed lives. This recognition is a powerful reminder that when institutions invest in people and believe in their potential, extraordinary things become possible—even for those who were once overlooked."
Professor Liz Mossop, Vice Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Congratulations to all this year’s award recipients. This recognition reflects the outstanding contribution of colleagues whose commitment to teaching, student outcomes and the wider higher education sector continues to make a significant impact. Their achievements are a testament to the strength of our culture of excellence, innovation and dedication to transforming lives through education.”
The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) is a competitive UK-wide scheme which celebrates and recognises individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education.
Alistair Jarvis CBE, Chief Executive of Advance HE, said: “Congratulations to the recipients of the 2026 National Teaching Fellowships and Collaborative Awards for Teaching Excellence. They exemplify the dedication, creativity and leadership that underpin outstanding higher education.
“Through their commitment to students and continual enhancement of teaching and learning, they are making a significant contribution to their institutions and the wider sector. I am pleased to recognise their achievements and celebrate the impact they have made on students, colleagues and communities throughout the UK.”
The multi‑institutional National Teaching Repository (NTR) team, which includes Sue Beckingham, associate professor and the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Lead in the School of Computing and Digital Technologies, have also received Advance HE’s Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE).
The National Teaching Repository (NTR) is a distributed collective aiming to make excellent teaching-practice visible, citable and open access so it can improve student learning everywhere.
The CATE award recognises and rewards collaborative work that has had a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning.
