MAIN OBJECTIVES/GRANT CRITERIA

Improved Institutional Effectiveness:  The program should provide an opportunity for academic staff to enhance their effectiveness in meeting changing needs and roles in higher education.  This is a concern for higher education, for UW System institutions, and is a particular concern for individual academic staff members in their own career development.

Improved Program Quality:  Staff development opportunities should contribute to improving program vitality during a period of anticipated resource constraints and rapidly changing administrative and educational needs.

Individual Professional Development:  A staff development program should specifically enhance and refine those abilities most directly related to the mission and goals of the UW System institution with which the member is affiliated.

PRIMARY FOCUS

The primary focus of the professional development proposals should be on training and/or retraining to improve the effectiveness of the academic staff member in their current roles.  Often the proposals focus on training for a group of academic staff members performing similar roles to achieve cost savings.  Proposals for enhancing abilities that enable a staff member to compete for more responsible positions will be eligible for support, but will have second priority.  The program does not provide support for formal study leading to a degree, nor is it intended to be a UW tuition reimbursement program.  For details about the tuition reimbursement program, see Unclassified Personnel Policies & Procedures Chapter 12.07 at website address:   http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/polproced/UPPP/UpppTableofContents.htm.

GRANT CRITERIA 

The members of the Professional Development and Recognition Review Committee will determine whether the academic staff grant proposal fulfills the following primary criteria:

·         Reflects professional development to improve the effectiveness of the academic staff

·         Initiated by those academic staff who will be primary beneficiaries

·         Submission of separate proposals for each individual if travel is involved

·         Supports and enhances the mission and goals of UW-Madison

·         Improves program vitality to meet changing needs and roles in higher education

·         Positive effects on campus and units

·         Facilities and training locations are justified (i.e., sole provider of training/retraining only available at single locations; no locally known scientist, consultant, academician, etc.)

·         Reflects appropriate request for fund, i.e., travel expenses, conference fees, registration, food and lodging are within UW travel policies.

·         The average funded grant (from previous competitions) is between $500-$1,000 (UW System)  Grants in this range will receive higher priority.

·         Any individual will not receive more than one grant in any 12 month period.

The PDRC review committee will not approve:

·         Training that is a requirement of the current position, including training on equipment purchased by the department

·         Travel unless the department chair of director certifies that departmental funds are not available to cover the full cost of travel.  (See Proposal Cover Page)

·         Purchase of hardware, software (unless training software), certification/license fees, capital equipment and salary except for limited request for salary replacement needed to ensure essential services.

·         Tuition for formal study (i.e., academic semester) leading to a degree

·         Funding for multiple events/courses/seminars.

Limited budgets only allow for the funding of ONE event, course, or seminar.

The review committee will give weighted priority to proposals as follows:

1.             Requests to fund workshops on this campus having immediate impact on academic staff campus-wide

2.             Formal training or retraining in Madison not requiring travel

3.             Formal training or retraining at a location requiring travel

4.             Conference participation where the applicant is presenting (paper or poster) and/or participating in a workshop

5.             Conference participation where the applicant is not presenting.

The review committee will take into consideration these criteria:

·         The grant proposal MUST BE COMPLETE (Signed Cover Sheet, Proposal Body, Documented Budget Page, Supporting Documentation for Activity, Curriculum Vitae.

·         Clearly written.

·         Follows proposal submission procedures.

·         Significance within the academic staff member’s field.

·         Priority ranking of grant proposal by school/college or department.

·         Grant proposal reflects academic staff member’s intention to share information, new skill or knowledge with other academic staff on campus.

·        Strong letters of support from supervisors and chairs.