Faculty Scholarship Grants Application
General Guidelines for Faculty Scholarship Grants
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Grants are only awarded to full-time faculty members.
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Each full-time faculty member is eligible for one grant (either $500 or $1000 per academic year) AND one
release time grant (including online course development grants) per academic year. In the case of collaborative
projects in which two or more full-time faculty members at Avila University present original research at a
national conference (thus qualifying for the $1000 grant), the maximum award is $2000. Each member of such
a collaborative research project remains, like all faculty members, only eligible for one faculty scholarship grant
per year.
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Faculty should apply in the semester prior to that in which the activity will occur (although retroactive
applications will be accepted.)
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Only complete applications with the signature of the applicant’s dean of the college/school will be considered.
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Only typewritten applications will be considered. The applicant is welcome to make his or her own version of
this form. The applicant must simply follow the organization of the form and include all information requested.
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All applications must be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs before 5 PM on the deadline. No late
applications will be accepted for any reason.
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All decisions of the Faculty Scholarship Committee are final. Notification of the outcome of the Faculty
Scholarship Committee will come from the chairperson of the committee.
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No post-grant report is necessary once the applicant has received written confirmation from the chairperson of
the Faculty Scholarship Committee. The more detailed application replaces the old system of an application
and a post-grant report.
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Summer Grants: Faculty who plan to attend or present original scholarship at meetings held during the summer
after June 30 (i.e., after the conclusion of the academic year) may apply for a faculty scholarship grant in the
prior spring semester. Approval of a proposal ensures funding for attendance of such a summer conference, but
reimbursement, even for expenditures prior to the end of the fiscal year, will be delayed until after 1 July (i.e.,
the next academic year.) Such summer grants will count as the faculty member’s grant for the academic year in
which reimbursement occurred.
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In the rare case that all funds are not exhausted following the last deadline for grants of the academic year, then
the committee will solicit further applications from faculty members. The committee will communicate such a
call for further applications and the criteria for such applications to all college or school deans and other
avenues to inform the faculty as a whole.
Deadlines
DEADLINE
GRANT
Second Monday in
September.
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Faculty Scholarship Grants (Round I)
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Faculty Sabbatical applications.
Second Monday in
October.
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Faculty Scholarship Grants (Round II.)
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Faculty Scholarship Release Time Grants (Round I—Fall semester of the next academic year at
the time of application.)
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Online Course Development Grants (Round I—Fall semester of the next academic year at the
time of application.)
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Faculty Scholarship Grants (Round III.)
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Faculty Scholarship Release Time Grants (Round II—Spring semester of the next academic
year at the time of application.)
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Online Course Development Grants (Round II—Spring semester of the next academic year at
the time of application.)
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Faculty Scholarship Grants (Round IV.)
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Faculty Scholarship Summer Grants (i.e., those that take place after June 30 and before the first
faculty scholarship grant deadline.)
Second Monday in
February.
Second Monday in
April
Revised: May, 2006
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Criteria for $1000 Faculty Scholarship Grants
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$1000 Faculty Scholarship Grants will be awarded only for the presentation of original scholarship at a national
or international conference, exhibition, competition, festival, etc. Research or the research proposal must have
been formally peer-reviewed and accepted, or an invitation to participate must have been issued by the
sponsoring organization; $1000 grant applications must be accompanied by a letter from the organizer of the
event or a copy of the preliminary program. In the case of collaborative projects in which two or more full-time
faculty members at Avila University present original research at a national conference (thus qualifying for the
$1000 grant), the maximum award is $2000.
Criteria for $500 Faculty Scholarship Grants
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The general criterion for all grants remains the promotion of original scholarship that generates new knowledge
within one’s discipline. Thus, presentations of original scholarship at a national conference (i.e., those eligible
for $1000 grants) will generally receive preference over all the activities listed below (i.e., those eligible for
$500 grants.) The $500 grants are designed to support faculty members in the activities broadly defined below.
Note that priority will be given in the order in which they are listed. In the case of funding shortfalls when
applicants engage in similar activities, the committee may review past funding to encourage the broadest
participation of faculty members in scholarly activities.
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Presentation of original scholarship at a local or regional conference, exhibition, competition, festival, etc.
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Invitations to chair, comment, attend, or teach based on expertise.
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Committee work as officer or organizer at conferences, etc.
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Workshops or training that enhance professional abilities in an academic or community setting. Note: This
does not include seeking a degree that is necessary as a condition of employment at Avila. Faculty requesting
support for degree completion must apply directly to the Office of Academic Affairs for tuition reimbursement
and the dissertation sabbatical for degree completion.
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Research money for research expenses, such as travel, etc.
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Attendance at a conference as an observer.
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Purely institutional matters pursued by faculty members (i.e., activities related to program or university
accreditation, advising, administrative development, etc.) will be considered but only if focused on individual
faculty needs. Any such application must demonstrate that other funding is not available.
Revised: May, 2006
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Application
Part I: Benefit to the Individual Faculty Member
General Instructions: The application should be persuasive in nature—much like writing a nationally competitive
grant. The applicant’s name and division must be prominently displayed at the top of the application. All
applications must include the following information:
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1. Detailed description of the event (e.g., conference, exhibition, competition, festival, etc.)—emphasizing its
national or international character if applying for $1000.
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2. Detailed description of the faculty member’s role and interest in the event.
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3. Detailed description of the title of one’s work presented and how this work fits the event as a whole.
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4. Detailed description of the research behind the project presented.
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5. General Activity Information (e.g., conference, etc.)
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a. Name or title of event (e.g., conference title, etc.)
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b. Date.
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c. Location of event.
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d. Panel title relevant to applicant (e.g., title of panel featuring applicant’s proposed activity.)
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e. Date of applicant’s proposed activity within event.
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6. Most importantly, the overall benefit to the faculty member—in terms of professional goals, etc. must be
clearly stated.
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7. $1000 grant applications must be accompanied by a letter from the organizer of the event detailing formal
invitation to the event or a copy of the preliminary or final program.
Part II: Benefit to the Institution
General Instructions: This section of the application is needed for accreditation, the executive
committee, the board of trustees, auditors, etc.
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Basic question: How will the activity enhance the academic reputation of Avila University?
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Part III: Budget
General Instructions: A detailed budget with detailed information of alternative sources of support, such as
funding from outside the institution or internal departmental/divisional funding, etc. Receipts must be submitted as
usual with a summary of one’s expenses actually incurred in total before one will be reimbursed. All applications
must include the following budget information.
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1. Projected Budget for Activity
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a. Amount Requested (i.e., $500 or $1000)
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b. Program Fee
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c. Transportation Expenses
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d. Lodging Expenses
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e. Food Expenses (Note: Avila University does not reimburse the costs of alcohol, so detailed receipts
should be submitted for all meals).
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f. Other (Specify)
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g. Total Expenses (All costs incurred for the activity beyond those funding by a Faculty Scholarship Grant)
2. Sources of Funding for this Activity
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a. College/School or Department Funding
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b. Outside (e.g., grants, etc.) Funding
Part IV: Mandatory Signature of Dean of the College/School
General Instructions: All applicants must create a signature page as part of the
application.
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Dean of the College/School
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a. The dean of the college/school must sign and date the application in a space provided by the applicant on
his or her application.
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b. The dean of the college/school must indicate whether he or she does or does not recommend the
application. The applicant can simply use the old system of blanks below the chairperson’s signature
marked “Recommended” and “Not Recommended.”
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c. The Faculty Scholarship Committee welcomes any further comments from deans of the college/school
on the merits of the application, but they should be in the form of a formal letter of recommendation to
accompany the application.
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