Professional Development Fund Guidelines

The Purpose of PDF Grants

Earlham College's Professional Development Fund (PDF) provides grants to teaching and administrative faculty for projects undertaken during the academic year or summer months. The purpose of PDF grants is to encourage and develop new professional skills, or the professional intellectual growth and improvement of Earlham's faculty by funding projects of a research or scholarly nature not normally part of a faculty member's duties at the college. Such projects arguably enrich not only the individuals supported, but indeed the college as a whole.

The Application Process

To apply for a PDF grant you must submit 6 copies of your proposal to the Provost's Office (Drawer 66) by the first Monday in February, before the summer or academic year for which you are seeking a grant. Proposals submitted past this deadline will only be considered after all timely proposals have been decided on. Proposals should include the following:

• the application cover sheet
  
• a 1-3 page description of the project you are proposing, and its benefit to you and the college
  
• a budget with the amount of the stipend and expenses you are requesting.

Any member of the Earlham College faculty may apply for a PDF grant. Small groups of faculty may also apply for a group award. The following points should be carefully noted:

• PDF recipients are expected to remain at Earlham for at least one year after receiving a PDF grant.
  
• Persons who choose to leave the college during the year following a grant award may be asked to return funds.
  
• Administrative faculty, and teaching faculty on sabbaticals, may request expense grants only.
• If you received a PDF grant in the past, you need to have submitted your final report in order to be considered for a new grant.
• People are encouraged to apply for a PDF as a back-up measure against other grant proposals. Should another source of funding come through, please let the committee know as soon as possible so that money may be reallocated to others.
• When there is not enough money to fund all credible proposals, preference may be given to first-time applicants over persons who have received grants recently. In other instances of competition for resources, proposals may be only partially funded. Stipends may be reduced.

PDF grants are intended to enhance a person's professional and intellectual growth in ways beyond the ordinary scope of one's contractual duties at Earlham. Grants may cover both a weekly stipend ($250/week for up to ten weeks) as well as project expenses such as books, travel costs, photocopying, postage, equipment etc. "Travel will be reimbursed as means to a larger end, not for its own sake. Please explain the purposes of proposed travel and draw a clear relationship to future work." Note that stipends are reported as taxable income; expenses are not.

Projects that have been covered:

• Stipend for a writing and research project
  
• Tuition for classes, workshops, training programs
  
• Money for travel research
  
  PDF grants do not cover:
• travel and expenses to professional meetings covered by Earlham's National Conference Travel Fund
  
• routine course preparation
  
• other work done as a part of your contractual obligation to Earlham
• both a stipend and daily expenses for the same period

NOTE: The PDF Committee adopted the following clarification in February, 2000:

"The committee does not support routine course preparation. However, it will consider proposals that involve the acquisition of new skills and types of expertise that may result in the fundamental restructuring of existing courses, or the creation of new courses, especially in response to institutional needs."

• to pay for third party services; including honorariums.
• to supplement sabbatical stipends. (However, expenses incurred during a sabbatical project may be requested.)

How much can I request? How should I estimate my expenses?

You may request the cost of expenses (travel, food and lodging, books, photocopying etc.) There is no set limit to the amount of expenses you may request; expense awards over the last two years have averaged $1,566. Expenses are not taxable but require that you keep a very careful record and that you submit a full account with receipts at the end of the award period.

You may request a stipend (as it were, "salary" or "allowance") of $250 per week for up to 10 weeks ($2,500 maximum). Over the last two years the average stipend award was $1,071. Stipends are taxable.

Anything else?

• You are encouraged to discuss your plans with the Associate Academic Dean and/or with other members of the PDF committee before you apply.
• Funds are limited, and it is very likely that not all requests can be granted. In some cases, partial awards may be made.
• A final report of your project is due no later than October 4 following awarding of grants. The report may be brief but should make clear what you accomplished. A complete account of expenses, with receipts, should accompany your final report.
• It is expected that any unused portion of an expense award will be returned to the college when you submit your final report.

PDF Committee members:

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This page last updated: November 13, 2007