Support for Research, Travel and Professional Development

Travel Support

The College of Arts and Sciences offers faculty travel funds to supplement university and department funding for research and creative activity. 

For 2024-25, the College will support faculty travel to a conference to these levels:

  • $425 Travel in the United States and Canada
  • $625 Other international travel
  • $850 Travel by untenured Assistant Professors

Please note the deadlines and procedures listed in the application. 

Faculty Travel Application

Faculty Professional Development Awards

We are not accepting applications for Faculty Professional Development Awards at this time, but we hope to announce a new round of funding in the near future.Thanks to a generous repeat gift from the Game Above organization and the "Faculty First" Initiative, the CAS Dean's Faculty Professional Development Awards (PDAs) will once again provide grant funding to support faculty professional development activities. 

The EMU AAUP contract defines professional development as "activities undertaken by Faculty to enhance their delivery of classroom instruction and/or expand their professional knowledge base" (MP 551, p. 144). Therefore, awards will be granted for activities leading to professional development in the areas of teaching as well as scholarly and creative activity.

PDAs will provide funding for activities including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Attendance at workshops designed to enhance teaching or research effectiveness
  • Travel to research sites to collect or analyze data
  • Consumables and equipment
  • Computer software and software subscriptions
  • Costs associated with conducting research or publishing research/creative activity
  • Curriculum development
  • Interdisciplinary projects
  • Hosting faculty professional development events on campus

The funds do not support the following:

  • Conference travel to disseminate scholarly or creative work
  • Computer equipment
  • Individual commercial enterprises
  • Catering for events
  • Release time

Application requirements:

Proposals should be a maximum of two pages, single-spaced and include a clear and succinct vision statement describing the intent and scope of the project, as well as a brief description of how the project will address one or more of the criteria listed below:

1. Include a budget with a proposed timeline, a description of how funds will be used and other funding sources procured or requested as part of the budget.
2. Awards will range from $200 to $5000 and will be distributed across a wide range of funding amounts.
3. Encouragement of applications from all levels of funding needs.
4. Requests may be fully or partially funded.
5. PDAs may also be combined with other funding sources.
6. The deadline for submission is March 1, 2024 with awards to be announced towards the end of the month.
7. The grant period will be from April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025.
8. If awarded, a final report will be due to the Dean's office by September 1, 2025, describing how the PDA funds were utilized, as well as an assessment of the project.  Previous recipients who did not submit a final report for funded projects are ineligible for a second award.  

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. How the project increases the faculty member's skills and effectiveness as a teacher.
2. How the project increases the faculty member's skills and effectiveness as a researcher.
3. How the project increases the faculty member's skills and effectiveness as a creative professional.
4. Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received PDA funding. 

Please contact the Dean's Office if you have any questions. 

Faculty Professional Development Award Application

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