Faculty Annual Funds, Grants, and Awards

Active Awards

• Presentation of scholarly research as a paper or equivalent, (e.g., a poster, round-table, panel paper, or musical or other artistic work) to one’s academic peers or equivalent. 
• Participation in a panel, workshop, institute, etc. that requires significant scholarly preparation. 
• Scholarly activity that has been peer reviewed or selected by a professional organization for inclusion in a conference program, e.g., invited paper, keynote address. 

Documentation of active participation must be attached to the application and should include: 1) a letter of invitation or acceptance of paper, and 2) a preliminary copy of the program, or 3) a web link to conference program with your name as a presenter. Faculty may submit an application and receive tentative approval prior to a letter of acceptance. Funds will only be disbursed once we receive the letter of acceptance and the conference program/weblink. 

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Scholarly Research Awards

• Research related to completing books, articles, reviews, reports, creative work (music, art, drama), scientific, technological projects or other types of scholarly research. This includes travel to archives, interviews, translations, purchase of essential research materials, stipends for research assistants, etc. Please give explicit reasons for travel to support your scholarship. 

Documentation in the form of a description with a timetable and estimated budget of the research project must accompany the application for a scholarly/research award. If funding is requested for an ongoing scholarly project for which the applicant has previously received a Faculty Development award, the applicant must include a progress report demonstrating that the project has entered a new phase requiring additional funding. Equipment and unused materials become the property of SMC. 

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Active Administrative Awards 

Only one active administrative award is fundable annually. 

• Fulfillment of major administrative commitments at conferences (e.g. officers in a professional organization hosting the conference, major symposium coordinator, etc.) 
• This work requires organizational work in advance of the conference and active duties during the conference. 
• This is not organizing one panel at a major meeting. 

Documentation of administrative work must be provided with application and should include the following: 1) email/letter of invitation, or 2) web link, and 3) correspondence or outline regarding administrative work. 

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Active Pedagogical Development Awards 

• Participate at workshops or conferences where faculty are receiving substantial training to improve student learning and their teaching effectiveness. 
• This is not course development. 

Documentation of pedagogical development must be provided with application and should include the following: 1) email/letter of invitation, or 2) web link, and 3) outline of substantial training. 

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Passive Awards

• Attendance at conferences or symposia

Documentation of passive participation must be attached to the application and may include: 1) a receipt for registration, 2) confirmation of travel. 

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Faculty Eligiblility

1. Faculty on the Rank and Tenure roster, including faculty on reduced services plan, academic administrators with faculty rank, and faculty on reassigned time or sabbatical. 
2. Adjunct faculty (both salaried and per-course) who have a contract to teach 3 courses a year and who have completed teaching at Saint Mary's College at least seven full-credit courses or their equivalent prior to applying for funds. 
3. The following faculty members are NOT eligible: faculty contracted on a per-course basis teaching less than 3 courses, faculty on leave of absence, and faculty emeriti.

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Award Amounts

• Pre-tenured faculty: Funds are limited to $2,400 per individual per academic year. Active awards and scholarly research projects are funded up to the annual cap. Administrative awards are limited to $1320 per year. Passive awards have a $600 maximum per year. 
• Tenured faculty: Funds are limited to $2,200 per individual per academic year. Active awards and scholarly research projects are funded up to the annual cap. Administrative and Pedagogical awards are limited to $1200 per year. Passive awards have a $600 maximum per year. 
• Adjunct faculty:  Funds are limited to $2,100 per individual per academic year. Active awards and scholarly research projects, are funded up to the annual cap. Administrative and Pedagogical awards are limited to $660 per year. Passive awards have a $300 maximum per year. 

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Application Procedures

1. Applications must be submitted (via eGrants portal found on your MYSMC homepage) to the Director/Office of Faculty Development by the 20th of each month (August to May) and must be submitted prior to the proposed activity. Applications for retroactive funding will not be considered. Applications for funding of summer activities (May 20 to August 20) must be submitted before May 20. Funding for activities occurring before July 1 will come from the current academic/fiscal year allotment. Funding for activities after July 1 will come from the following fiscal year allotment. 

2. Use of eGrants required. The application process is completed online and supporting documentation is also attached (as pdf files). If you have more than one form, you can put them altogether in one PDF file and attach. Applications must briefly describe a) the proposed activity, b) its relevance to applicant's scholarly development or teaching, d) if classes are to be missed, how they will be covered, and e) the estimated expenses including transportation, lodging, meals (up to the annually determined per diem), and appropriate registration fees. When transportation is by personal automobile, give mileage and consult with the business office for the current mileage rate. If you are paying fees in another currency, please calculate the exchange rate. 

3.  Membership fees in professional organizations are not typically paid through this fund unless this generates a substantial reduction in meeting registration fees. We do not cover any expenses that journals/publishers charge for publication fees.

4. If applicant is receiving funding from another source for the activity, this information and the amount received must be included in the application. 

5. So that all qualified faculty may benefit from limited funds, applicants are urged to economize to the extent possible. 

6.  In general, expenses for funds awarded are sent to faculty after they have submitted all receipts for their expenses, through an Expense Report that is submitted to Faculty Development. If some funds are expended before the event (e.g., travel arrangements, registration) those funds can be reimbursed before the event, as long as all appropriate receipts and an Expense Report are submitted (Note: a hotel confirmation sheet is not an expense receipt) to Faculty Development. In this case, no more than two Expense Reports can be submitted, which means faculty must make sure they are keeping and organizing all appropriate receipts to be submitted after the event. 

7. Faculty may request advance funds with the Application. Checks or E-checks will be disbursed to the recipient approximately 30 days before the funded activity. Faculty cannot use their P-Cards to pay for expenses. For the academic year, all expenses must be turned in by June 30th – we cannot reimburse expenses with next year’s funds. Research projects by faculty and/or students may qualify for certain exceptions to the normal timeline for reconciliation of advanced funds and will be handled on a case-by-case basis. 

8. For a cash advance of the awarded amount, the request is to be included within the Application. The advance must be reconciled with an Expense Report and receipts (reflecting deduction of the award) and submitted to Faculty Development no later than 30 days after the event. This to comply with College policy as it relates to IRS requirements, and to avoid being considered a taxable fringe to the recipient. (Should less than the award amount be spent, a check for the difference owed to the College is to be attached to the Expense Report). 

9. Applications for a Declining Balance Credit Card (which can be preloaded up to the amount of the award) may be found on the Purchasing website. The user will be emailed a statement with the posted transactions and have 15 days to review, attach all receipts and submit to Faculty Development. If additional cash is spent then faculty also need to complete an Expense Report, with those receipts attached, to receive reimbursement for those expenses.

10. Purchases of equipment or software are not to be made out of pocket, but through the College’s procurement policy. Such requests need to be made to the Faculty Development Office who will work with the faculty and appropriate College department for purchase and approval. Attach approval of any exceptions made to the reimbursement request. 

11. If the expense report is not received 60 days post event/conference, the award will be rescinded. The money will return to Faculty Development to enable other faculty to apply for funding. 

12. Any unused portion of the award must be returned to the Office of Faculty Development, documented on your Expense Report. If the recipient of an award must cancel plans, the award in full must be returned immediately. 

13. If the project or activity results in a publication, applicant must acknowledge the support of the Faculty Development Fund of Saint Mary’s College. 

14. If you are traveling abroad, you must submit a Travel Risk Assessment application in conjunction with your Faculty Development Fund application. TRA committee meets once a month. Funds cannot be approved or released without TRAC approval.