Professional Development Grants 

As a faculty member at Arkansas Tech, do you have a research idea, an academically creative idea, or professional enhancement activity that you think would be great if only you could afford it? The Professional Development Grant Fund has been established at Arkansas Tech University to enhance these kinds of endeavors through Professional Development Grants (PDG). These grants are not the same minigrants as the ones that are described on the Faculty Research page. Professional development grants may be in larger amounts than those typically awarded through the minigrant program. The projects that PDGs attempt to make possible may be larger in scope, involve more people, and cost more money than those aided by minigrants.

Activities that have a benefit primarily to students or administration are funded elsewhere. You may want to contact Academic Affairs at (479) 968-0319 for further information about funding for student research projects or administrative activities such as faculty recruitment or accreditation. The Professional Development Grants are primarily oriented towards faculty development.

We've already enumerated the three categories that can be funded under Professional Development Grants, but maybe we can illustrate a bit more. The (1) research activity would be one that fits the usual research paradigms of historical, descriptive (broad term), or experimental cause-and-effect research. These types of research are usually reported in refereed journals or a professional conferences--and we want to promote those. But we are also promoting (2) creative activities such as songs or symphonies, poetry, prose, or visual art media that might be created by some of us who have some special talent. We also welcome proposals for (3) professional enhancement activities such as inviting the head of the Environmental Protection Agency or the Secretary of Education for faculty lectures or concerts by the Dallas Brass which motivate music faculty and incidentally their students for a long time afterward. Finally, we fund (4) faculty travel to conferences and workshops. All four venues are equally welcome.

Faculty development grants are to benefit faculty. These funds cannot be used to fund travel by students, former students, professional staff, adjunct faculty, or other non-faculty members. However, grants may be used to fund the travel for outsiders to our campus in order to interact with faculty and make a presentation.

Some of the paperwork for the PDGs is similar to that requested for the minigrants, particularly where the venue is research involving human subjects, and in those cases the forms and procedures at http://www.atu.edu/research/human_subjects.shtml should be filled out, submitted to the University Ethics Committee, and followed. Please fill out only those parts that are needed for your type of activity (research, creative, professional enhancement).


It should go without saying that activities not related to the teaching and/or research mission of Arkansas Tech University will not be funded by Professional Development Grants. Examples of such unacceptable uses of funds include hotel night beyond the conference dates, unjustified hotels in locations within a reasonable drive from Russellville, rental cars which are not justified on a cost saving basis, or conferences in areas outside of the faculty member's area of research or teaching, political activities.

All tenure-track or tenured Arkansas Tech University faculty are eligible to apply.  There are now three Professional Development Grant review cycles with deadlines of October 1, February 1, and April 15.  The forms listed below are required for submitting an application.

Cover Page for Grant Proposal (Microsoft Word format)

Guidelines for Professional Development Grants (PDF format)

Sample Budget Form  (Microsoft Word Format)..


Questions? Contact any of us.

Professional Development Committee members

Chris Giroir
Chair, 2011 - 2012
880-4047

Rebecca Shopfner
968-0207

Edwin Cuenco
880-4042

Marc Fusaro
968-0688

Scott Jordan
968-0657

Susan West
356-6205