Faculty Scholarship Release Time Grant Application
General Guidelines for Faculty Scholarship Release Time 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 $1300 per year) AND one release time
grant (including online course development grants) per academic year.
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Release time is currently limited to one course (three or four semester hours.)
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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 in detail.
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PLEASE NOTE: Applications should be completed in Word and emailed as an attachment, first to the
applicant’s dean, for approval, and then forwarded by the dean to Elise Hiatt (elise.hiatt@avila.edu). Please
write “Faculty Scholarship Committee application” in the subject line of the email.
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Only complete applications approved by the applicant’s dean will be considered.
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All applications must be emailed by the dean to Elise Hiatt 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.
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The basic criterion for all grants remains the promotion of original work within one’s discipline. Faculty
Scholarship Release Time Grants are designed to allow faculty members the time for scholarship as broadly
defined below. Note that priority will be given in the order in which they are listed.
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Engage in original scholarship (i.e., research, writing, exhibition, or performance) at a national or international
conference, competition, festival, gallery, etc.
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Engage in original scholarship (i.e., research, writing, exhibition, or performance) at a local or regional
conference.
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Participate in committee work as an officer of a professional organization or as an organizer of a professional
meeting, conference, etc.

Develop a workshop or training program that enhances 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.

Revitalize of one’s knowledge base for teaching and research (i.e., the functional equivalent of attendance at a
conference as an observer.)
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Pursue purely institutional matters (i.e., activities related to program or university accreditation, advising,
administrative development, etc.) Such activities will be considered, but only if focused on the faculty
member’s personal professional goals. Any such application must also demonstrate that other funding is not
available.
Criteria for Faculty Scholarship Release Time Grants
Revised: September, 2010
Deadlines
DEADLINE
GRANT
Second Monday in
September.

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.)

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.)

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.)

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
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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. Specification of the semester in which release time requested.
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2. Detailed description of the activity for which release time is needed, including a timeline.
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3. Detailed description of the on-going scholarship that provides the foundation for the release time activity and
the place of the release time activity in the pursuit of this scholarship.
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4. Most importantly, the overall benefit to the faculty member—in terms of professional goals, etc. must be
clearly stated.
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?
Part III: Mandatory Approval by Dean of the College/School
General Instructions: All applicants must email application to their dean, who will forward the application to the
committee.
 Dean of the College/School
a.
The dean of the college/school must forward the application to the committee (to Elise Hiatt,
elise.hiatt@avila.edu), with a statement indicating whether he/she does or does not recommend the
application.
b.
The Faculty Scholarship Committee welcomes any further comments from deans of the college/school
on the merits of the application.
c.
The application must be received by the Faculty Scholarship Committee FROM THE DEAN by the
due date/time. No late applications will be accepted.
Revised: September 2010
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