The Dean’s Office, in collaboration with the Professional Development Committee, will consider requests for conference participation for 2021-2022, with $1000 guaranteed and a possible maximum of $1300 available on request. Faculty who choose to participate in conferences this year may not participate in the Faculty Flex Plan. Please make your requests by November 1, 2021, if at all possible. Faculty who need to make changes should contact the Dean’s Office no later than January 1, 2022. If you have other sources of funding (grants, start-up, or endowed professorships), or if a conference offers any sources of funding for applicants, please plan to use to those sources first. Please fill out the funding request survey here.

When requesting reimbursement, please complete and submit a check request, located on the Business Office website, along with scanned copies of your receipts within 90 days of conference participation. If receipts are not submitted within 90 days, reimbursement may be delayed.

The last step after conference attendance is filling out the Faculty Good News form which can be found here.

For 2021-2022, faculty may opt to participate in the Flex Plan, which will allow faculty to be reimbursed up to $1000 for a number of non-travel-related expenses related to scholarly and creative production. For this year, the Flex Plan will replace Small Research Grants. Faculty who elect the Flex Plan will not be able to participate in conference travel reimbursement. See the Flex Plan document for examples of reimbursable items and an FAQ. Please fill out the survey by November 1, 2021. 

Sabbatical leaves allow faculty members to engage in scholarly activity that will contribute to their long-term effectiveness as teachers and scholars at Ursinus and in the academic profession. Typically, tenured faculty members are initially eligible in their seventh year of full-time service at Ursinus to submit an application for sabbatical leave. Please see the Faculty Handbook for more details. The Office of the Dean will send yearly announcement of application deadlines. Submit an application.

The Pearlstine Fellowship is a fund to advance the scholarly agenda of faculty, including the scholarship of teaching and learning.

For the 2022-2023 academic year, the committee welcomes applications in support of projects that will substantially advance a faculty member’s professional trajectory. The committee welcomes first-time applicants. While the first priority will be tenured faculty, nontenured faculty will also be considered. The Pearlstine award may be used during a scheduled sabbatical and may supplement external grants for research to make a leave possible. Selection will be based on the applicants’ proposal and the relation of the project to the three-year professional plan. If a course release is requested, please explain why teaching relief during the 2022-2023 academic year is necessary to the completion of the project. Pearlstine funds may not be used to defray living expenses while away from campus. Pearlstine Fellowships may not support research travel until current restrictions are lifted. (9/14/2021)

The operation of the Fellowship program will undergo periodic reviews, and, if adjustments are recommended, they will be undertaken in consultation with the Dean and the President. Application deadline: April 1. Submit an application.

The Roger P. Staiger Faculty Development Fund in Chemistry provides funding for the grant. One grant will be awarded each year to a faculty member in chemistry. Application deadline: September 1. Submit an application.

These grants fund students in the humanities division who assist a faculty member in their scholarship, providing an opportunity for students to share in the scholarly work of professors. Grants of up to $500 per project are available to pay student assistants. Applications are due September 30 for the fall semester and February 1 for the spring semester. 

In the event of unusual expenses exceeding $1000, there are a few Supplies and Support Grants available that support faculty members needing supplies, materials or those with other needs to conduct their summer research or creative projects. Grants must be used to support direct expenses. Some examples: lab supplies; art supplies; specialized software; data sets, analysis, or processing; professional services (e.g. editors, translators). Include an itemized budget. Funding may not be used to support conference travel. The maximum amount awarded is $2,000. Application deadline: March 15. Submit an application.

 

The fund generates funds for small awards on a competitive basis to faculty to support laboratory research projects in which both faculty and students participate. Funds may be used for the purchase of capital equipment, chemicals and general supplies. Application deadline: May 1. Submit an application.

The College has a number of other sources to support your teaching and scholarship. Please consult the attached chart for a list and watch your email for deadlines.