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  4. Professional Development Grants

Professional Development Grants

Professional Development Grants (PDGs) fund professional development opportunities for full-time, continuing track faculty of all ranks.

Details

PDGs are available in these categories:

  • Course Development Summer Salary Grants: These $5,000 grants can be used to fund summer effort toward revision of a current course that requires updating or development of a new course important to a department or program curriculum. Grants are eligible to be awarded for first or second summer session, and faculty members awarded a grant for a summer session will be ineligible to teach during that summer session. Proposals for Course Development Summer Salary Grants will require endorsement by the faculty member’s chair or director, including affirmation of the importance of the proposed course development to the department or program curriculum. Faculty members are not eligible for more than one course development grant every three years. The application process for Course Development Summer Salary Grants opens in January each year and closes at 4 p.m. on the Friday before spring break.
  • Professional Travel Grants: These grants may be used to fund domestic or international travel to academic conferences or other travel related to the faculty member’s designated responsibilities. Proposals for Professional Travel Grants will require endorsement by the faculty member’s chair or director. Travel funds requested may not exceed $2500 per academic year. These grants have a rolling deadline; requests may be submitted at any time.
  • Professional Expenses Grants: These grants may be awarded for amounts up to $500 and may be used for professional expenses such as the purchase of specialized course materials or teaching equipment (e.g., books, software, some hardware other than computers). For more costly items, faculty should consider the Provost’s Rapid Advancement Micro-Grant Program (RAMP). Professional Expenses Grants maybe used to cost share the expense of equipment to which the faculty member’s department or program will also contribute. Faculty members are not eligible for more than one Professional Expenses Grant per year. These grants have a rolling deadline; requests may be submitted at any time.
Eligibility
  • All full-time, continuing track faculty members in Arts & Science are eligible to apply for Course Development Summer Salary Grants.
  • Full-time, continuing track faculty members in Arts & Science who do not have access to their own professional development funds will have priority for Professional Travel Grants and Professional Expenses Grants.
  • Faculty members who do have access to their own professional development funds may apply for a Professional Travel Grant or Professional Expenses Grant when their own funds are exhausted or in order to cost share an expense that outstrips their available funds.
Applications 
  • All materials must be uploaded to REDCap in PDF format.
  • Applications should consist of a proposal not to exceed one single-spaced page, a current CV, and optional supporting documentation (e.g., information on a professional development seminar the faculty member proposes to attend or an invoice/price quote for materials).
  • For Professional Travel Grants, a budget will also be required as part of the proposal. The budget should use Vanderbilt’s per diem rate for meals.
Approval Process 
  • The chair or director will be prompted to approve the application via REDCap after the materials are submitted. We strongly recommend that the faculty member have a prior discussion with their chair or director before submitting a grant application.
  • Grant proposals will be processed on a rolling basis; faculty members should expect a response within one month. Please consider lead time when planning your application. Funds for all grants must be expended within a single fiscal year.
  • All funding disbursement will be handled by the faculty member’s SAO.

 

Applicants should expect a response to their proposal within two weeks to a month.

Please direct all questions to Assistant Dean Angela Sutton.