Request for Proposals for Universities to participate in the Transforming Energy Access – Learning Partnership (TEA-LP)
The Transforming Energy Access – Learning Partnership (TEA-LP) which is funded by the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DfID) and overseen by the Carbon Trust, aims to support the development of postgraduate academic curricula at African higher education institutions to bridge the skills gap in Africa’s rapidly-growing energy access sector. Growing the clean energy access sector in Africa will require people with the skills and competencies to develop innovative solutions and sustainable business models that will allow electricity, from new, clean and decentralised (including off-grid) technologies, to be supplied to consumers at affordable rates. A scoping study was undertaken during the inception phase of TEA, which identified two key challenges countries are facing in providing the necessary skills and expertise:
- There are key gaps in offerings for professional development of local talent, particularly at a junior level, preventing young entrepreneurs from being able to enter the sector.
- There is a mismatch between graduates being produced by higher-education institutions, and the skills and multi-disciplinary competencies needed in the workplace. There further remains limited tertiary-level offerings with a specific focus on energy access, despite the significant growth potential of the sector.
TEA aims to address both of these challenges through two complementary programmes: Off Grid Talent Initiative (OGTI) and Transforming Energy Access – Learning Partnership(TEA-LP). TEA-LP thus invites proposals from African universities to receive financial and technical support for the development of energy access themed curricula, at postgraduate level, with a view to developing graduates with the skills and competencies to help grow the energy access sector. Proposals can be submitted for the development of a postgraduate module or course that adds a new disciplinary focus to an existing academic programme on energy access, or for the development of a new multidisciplinary postgraduate degree programme (by coursework) on energy access. Note that joint proposals between one or two institutions are also eligible for the development of full degree programmes. Please note that preference will be given to universities based in DfID priority countries.
Selected universities will receive financial and technical support and work in partnership
with the University of Cape Town to develop their curricula. TEA-LP will run from July
2019 through September 2021, by which time the new curricula should be finalised and
accredited (or in the process of receiving full accreditation), and ready to be rolled out
for new students.
Contextual definitions
1. A postgraduate module or course refers to a single taught component/ subject of the
curriculum for a postgraduate degree programme.
2. Multidisciplinary postgraduate degree programme by coursework refers to the full curriculum, across multiple semesters, and disciplines, for a postgraduate qualification. It consists of multiple courses (taught modules/subjects) across disciplines, plus a dissertation or research project.
Funding Amount
An overall amount of £600,000 is available as financial support under TEA-LP, to be allocated directly to at least six partner universities.
Eligibility
Responses to this call are invited from departments and faculties at registered public or private African universities with some experience in one or more of the many disciplines relevant to the energy access sector, including (but not limited to):
➢ Engineering
➢ Renewable energy
➢ Commerce
➢ Policy and governance
➢ ICT
➢ Social science
Proposal process and key dates
A two-stage selection process will be undertaken, with the following timeframe
How to Apply
Please submit expression of interest by 27 March 2019 to leslie.ashburner@uct.ac.za
Questions
For queries about the EoI, please contact leslie.ashburner@uct.ac.za before 19 March 2019
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