Professional Development: Workshops + Special Projects Travel
Professional Development for Faculty and Instructional Academic Staff
The Workshops and Special Projects Travel Program supports opportunities for faculty and instructional academic staff to enhance their effectiveness in meeting current and changing needs and roles in higher education. Professional development opportunities contribute to the enhancement of teaching, advising, research skills, and institutional management.
Award:
The program will support travel to workshops and training sessions for faculty and academic staff to assist them in developing or improving skills for implementing the use of new learning materials and techniques in instruction, research, and institutional management as well as to provide opportunities to participate in established programs for such training. Proposals promoting an appreciation of culture and other forms of diversity are encouraged. Proposals for repeated attendance at the same event annually have a low priority for funding. Average awards under this program are approximately $800 and no single award may exceed $1,500.
Funding will support proposals focusing on activities in the following areas:
- Travel support to learn new skills required to meet a current academic challenge or to develop skills and gain the experience necessary to assume an expanded or different role within the university community.
- Travel for workshops and specialized training. Routine travel to professional meetings will not be funded by this program; however, specialized workshops or training sessions associated with annual professional meetings may be supported with appropriate documentation.
- Note: Assistance for travel for the purpose of presenting research findings to one’s peers at a professional meeting is available from existing department/college funds for those in a college. For those not in a college, the Travel Support for Scholarly Presentations program is available and administered through ORSP.
- Project support to develop and implement a project, campus workshop, or webinar incorporating significant professional development. These projects and workshops should provide opportunities to develop new skills and/or knowledge that prepare faculty and academic staff for career advancement, new assignments, or performance of current assignments with greater expertise. For example, a department or unit may schedule a workshop bringing in an expert in a specific field to provide training to members of the entire department, or a unit or a number of departments or schools may do so.
Eligibility:
Faculty and instructional academic staff with at least a .5 FTE appointment are eligible to apply.
Applicants will not normally receive more than one grant per year under this program. Departments or units and colleges must contribute support to the cost of the proposed professional development activity, but no specific dollar cost-share amount is required. Applicants will be expected to make a personal contribution to their travel expenses if department/unit, college, or ORSP funds are not sufficient to cover proposed expenses.
If more than one person is included in the travel request, special justification regarding the need for multiple participants must be provided in the narrative.
Deadlines for Application:
Submit your proposal to the chair (or equivalent) by the first working day of each month. Proposals may take up to 6 weeks for processing and review. Proposals submitted after travel has occurred will not be considered.
Application Process:
The Workshops and Special Projects Travel application is processed in BP Logix and accessed through the Professional Development Programs form.
Go to the eform for additional application information. Note: You will need to select “Workshops and Special Projects Travel” from the “Program” dropdown menu at the top of the eform.