More than five and a half million dollars and a position among Australia's top five universities has been awarded to UTS in the national Learning and Teaching Performance Fund for 2007.

UTS was included in the highest band for two of the four categories – Science, Computing, Engineering, Architecture and Agriculture (grant of $2,183,156); and Business, Law and Economics (grant of $2,372,294). An additional standard grant of $1million was awarded to UTS.

The University also performed well in the remaining two categories – Humanities, Arts and Education, and Health with results falling in the middle band of the fund.

UTS stands out for being the only member of the Australian Technology Network of universities to be included among the Nation's top five universities to be awarded by the Fund.

UTS Vice-Chancellor Professor Milbourne said the high ranking across six of the University's nine faculties was a testament to the hard work and high calibre of teaching staff at UTS.

"UTS is a force to be reckoned with for the quality of its teaching and learning," Professor Milbourne said. "Our dedication to providing students with the best of both academic and practice-oriented education sees them fare well in the competitive workplace and adds to UTS's reputation as an excellent university here and overseas.

"I am proud that UTS's largest faculty, the Faculty of Business, has been so well recognised in these announcements. Furthermore our Law Faculty for the past twenty years has forged a powerful niche here in Sydney, maintaining vibrant connections with its alumni and rivalling far older schools at the University of Sydney and University of New South Wales."

Professor Milbourne said the success of UTS's Science, IT, Engineering, Architecture faculties was well deserved.

"These faculties are highly innovative in the educational experiences they offer to students," he said.

"Teaching staff work tirelessly to maintain close ties with their associated industries – offering students the chance from early on in their studies to work in the field for top companies and quickly gain an edge in their professions.

"These well needed funds from the Government will be put to good use in further enhancing teaching and learning at UTS and ensure that our students continue to receive one of the highest university academic experiences in the Country."

The Australian Government introduced the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund under the Our Universities: Backing Australia's Future package of reforms and initiatives. The fund rewards excellence in learning and teaching for undergraduate students.