The CIRTL Network
The CIRTL Network is a nonprofit consortium of 43 universities across three countries, hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, that delivers evidence-based teaching professional development courses, workshops, and mentorship programs for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty in higher education.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The CIRTL Network does
The CIRTL Network (Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning) is a nonprofit academic consortium founded in 2002 and hosted by the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It serves graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty — primarily in STEM disciplines — by providing professional development programming that builds evidence-based teaching knowledge, reflective practice, teaching mentorship, and academic career preparation. Its 43 member universities across three countries (USA, Canada, UK) each host a local CIRTL community, creating a distributed network model rather than a single centralized institution.
The network's product surface spans self-paced and synchronous courses (including The College Classroom, Mindset to Mastery, and Teaching-as-Research courses), short workshops, multi-week teaching institutes (e.g., Johns Hopkins Teaching Institute), postdoc mentorship programs (Postdoc Teaching Practicum), event series on career paths, and MOOCs delivered through EdX. Programming is delivered primarily over Zoom, with materials shared via Canvas LMS, registration managed through Qualtrics, and calendar integration across Google, Outlook, and iCal. Recent additions include AI-literacy offerings such as the UDL + AI Design Studio and Critical AI Literacy workshop. The network's underlying methodology is the Teaching-as-Research (TAR) framework and a four learning goals structure that has been refined over more than two decades.
CIRTL operates as a membership-based, grant-funded nonprofit rather than a commercial enterprise. Annual membership dues from 43 universities provide recurring institutional revenue, while primary program funding comes from the National Science Foundation, with additional support from Ascendium Education Group and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, plus in-kind contributions from member institutions and host infrastructure from WCER. Programming is free for members and alumni (with priority registration) and open to non-members via public online registration. There is no disclosed commercial revenue, no venture or private-equity capitalization, and no equity instruments; the entity is governed under The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
The CIRTL Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The CIRTL Network
- Legal name
- The CIRTL Network - Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning
- Website
- https://cirtl.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The CIRTL Network is a nonprofit consortium of 43 universities across three countries, hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, that delivers evidence-based teaching professional development courses, workshops, and mentorship programs for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty in higher education.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The CIRTL Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Faculty Development Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)
Keywords
Where The CIRTL Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The CIRTL Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Institutional Membership: The CIRTL Network operates as a membership-based organization with 43 university member institutions paying annual dues to participate in the network and access programming.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Institutional Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
The CIRTL Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The CIRTL Network is a nonprofit academic consortium of 43 universities across three countries that delivers professional development programming for future faculty in higher education. It offers evidence-based teaching courses, workshops, MOOCs, teaching institutes, and mentorship programs aligned with four learning goals: evidence-based teaching knowledge, community connection, reflective teaching skills, and career preparation. Membership is provided to institutions on an annual dues basis.
Product overview
The CIRTL Network is a consortium of 43 universities across three countries that provides professional development programming for future faculty in higher education. The network operates as a unified platform offering multiple interconnected program types: self-paced courses available year-round, synchronous workshops (one-part and two-part formats), structured courses (ranging from 5 weeks to 12 weeks), event series featuring alumni panels and career exploration, and intensive teaching institutes such as the Johns Hopkins Teaching Institute. Key programs include The College Classroom (12-week foundational course), Teaching-as-Research courses, Postdoc Teaching Practicum mentorship, and MOOCs delivered via EdX. Programming aligns with four learning goals: evidence-based teaching knowledge, community connection, reflective teaching skills, and career preparation. All offerings are delivered primarily via Zoom with accessibility features including live captioning.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The College Classroom A 12-week course providing an introduction to key learning principles and the basics of effective, evidence-based teaching practices for college classroom instruction, designed for future and current faculty.
Quantifiable outcome
- Skills learned during TYRIT program consistently resulted in implemented projects across multi-year timeline
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The CIRTL Network
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The CIRTL Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
The CIRTL Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and notable.
- Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER)coreWCER at University of Wisconsin-Madison hosts the CIRTL Network headquarters and provides institutional support and research collaboration.
- Inclusive STEM Teaching ProjectmajorMulti-institutional project focused on developing inclusive teaching practices across the CIRTL Network through the Faculty Inclusive Teaching Survey (FITS) Guidebook.
- NSF INCLUDES Aspire AlliancemajorNational initiative focused on increasing participation and success of underrepresented groups in STEM; CIRTL participates in collaborative inclusion initiatives.
- CIRTL AGEPnotableProgram focused on supporting underrepresented minority scholars in STEM through CIRTL programming and professional development.
- Postdoc AcademynotableDedicated programming initiative for postdoctoral scholars to develop teaching skills and prepare for academic careers.
- Member Universities (43 institutions)core43 universities across three countries participate as member institutions, each housing local CIRTL communities with unique programs and areas of expertise.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The CIRTL Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program: National initiative housed at AAC&U that prepares doctoral students for faculty careers through mentored teaching experiences at partner institutions. PFF overlaps with CIRTL's future-faculty development mission and graduate-student audience.
- ACUE (Association of College and University Educators): Provides faculty development programs and credentials adopted by hundreds of institutions. ACUE's course-based, evidence-based teaching framework directly parallels CIRTL's pedagogical training approach for higher-ed instructors.
- POD Network (Professional and Organizational Development Network): A national membership organization dedicated to the advancement of teaching and learning in higher education. Like CIRTL, POD serves faculty developers and educational developers through conferences, publications, and a professional community.
Regional players
- Harvard Bok Center for Teaching and Learning: Harvard's teaching and learning center provides evidence-based teaching development for graduate students and faculty. While institution-specific, it represents the in-house teaching-center model that competes with consortium-based networks like CIRTL.
- Center for Teaching Innovation at Cornell University: Cornell's centralized hub for evidence-based teaching practice, supporting graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. Like other university-specific centers, it serves as both a CIRTL-style pedagogical resource and a potential competitor to consortium-based models.
- Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning: University-specific teaching center offering pedagogical development, teaching certificates, and graduate-student programming. CIRTL@Stanford is a local node of CIRTL, making this a directly comparable institutional model that competes for the same learners.
Emerging players
- National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD): Independent faculty development organization offering online courses, webinars, and accountability tools for academic career success. Shares CIRTL's graduate-student/postdoc audience but emphasizes productivity and tenure success over evidence-based pedagogy.
- Coursera for Campus: Online learning platform offering universities scalable access to thousands of courses including pedagogy and teaching development. While broader in scope, Coursera for Campus competes with CIRTL MOOCs for the same graduate-student and faculty audience.
Broad incumbents
- AAC&U (Association of American Colleges and Universities): Larger membership organization advancing liberal education and undergraduate STEM reform across hundreds of institutions. AAC&U's PFF program and broader policy work intersects with CIRTL's future-faculty and evidence-based teaching focus.
- NSF INCLUDES Aspire Alliance: National NSF-funded initiative increasing participation of underrepresented groups in STEM faculty careers. CIRTL is a partner in this network, and Aspire's broader systemic-change agenda overlaps with CIRTL's inclusive teaching and AGEP programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The CIRTL Network social profiles
Digital presenceThe CIRTL Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The CIRTL Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The CIRTL Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The CIRTL Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The CIRTL Network
What does The CIRTL Network do?
The CIRTL Network is a nonprofit academic consortium of 43 universities across three countries that delivers professional development programming for future faculty in higher education. It offers evidence-based teaching courses, workshops, MOOCs, teaching institutes, and mentorship programs aligned with four learning goals: evidence-based teaching knowledge, community connection, reflective teaching skills, and career preparation. Membership is provided to institutions on an annual dues basis.
Is The CIRTL Network a public or private company?
The CIRTL Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The CIRTL Network founded?
The CIRTL Network was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The CIRTL Network based?
The CIRTL Network is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does The CIRTL Network make money?
One revenue line is on record: institutional Membership.
Who are The CIRTL Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program, ACUE (Association of College and University Educators) and POD Network (Professional and Organizational Development Network). Regional players are Harvard Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Center for Teaching Innovation at Cornell University and Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning. Emerging players are National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) and Coursera for Campus. Broad incumbents are AAC&U (Association of American Colleges and Universities) and NSF INCLUDES Aspire Alliance.
Does The CIRTL Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for The CIRTL Network.
What industry is The CIRTL Network in?
The CIRTL Network's product category is Higher Education Faculty Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADACAF, Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.