PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS FOR RETIREES:

A CALL FOR PROPOSALS

DEADLINE:  DECEMBER 15, 2008

In recognition that funding sources are often unavailable for retirees who wish to continue their professional work, the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Retirees Association (UMRA) are pleased to announce a three year program of awards to support retirees who require financial assistance to pursue projects related to their research, instructional, or other work history, and that contribute to the educational, scholarly and academic missions of the University.  The funding for these awards comes from the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, the Senior Vice President for System Academic Administration, the Vice President for Research, the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School and UMRA.  Grant support has also been provided by a number of college deans.

All faculty, professional and administrative, and civil service retirees from the Twin Cities and Coordinate Campuses of the University are eligible to apply for these grants. Ten grants of up to $3500 will be awarded in each of the three years. It is expected that work supported by a grant, even if part of a larger, multi-year undertaking, will be completed within a year’s time. Successful applicants will be eligible to reapply after a one-year hiatus.   

Applications should include: 1) a front page headed: Application for a Professional Development Grant for Retirees, University of Minnesota, and listing the applicant’s name, date of retirement, University position at retirement, U.S. mail and email addresses, and date of submission; 2) a two to three page description of the project to be undertaken, the expected outcome, the resources and methods to be employed, a project timeline, and the relationship of the project to the applicant’s professional activities; 3) a single page budget detailing expenditures to be covered by the grant, as well as other sources of project support, whether from personal resources or other funding agencies; and 4) a Vita of no more than two pages.  Applications should include an indication of willingness by the applicant’s home department or unit to receive and dispense the grant funds.

Projects might be part of an ongoing professional activity, but proposals for developing new interests arising from an applicant’s area of expertise are also encouraged. Expenses eligible for support include, but are not limited to, travel, conference attendance, research assistants, photocopying, and the purchase of books, software, and other materials. A list of seven illustrative examples of grant proposals appropriate for consideration is attached to this announcement for information.       

A committee appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School will review all applications and submit recommendations for funding to the Dean, who will announce the awards on or about March 1, 2009. Awards will commence on April 1, 2009, and end on June 30 of the following year. Within two months of the grant’s end date, awardees should submit to the Graduate School Faculty Grants Office a 2-3 page description of activities conducted, achievements realized under the terms of the grant, and a chronological history of expenses incurred. All publications or other project outcomes should acknowledge the support provided by the Graduate School and UMRA. Nine copies of the grant proposal should be submitted, by December 15, 2008, to:  

           Faculty Grants Office, University of Minnesota Graduate School
           420 Johnston Hall
           101 Pleasant St. SE
           Minneapolis, MN 55455

Questions concerning eligibility or other related issues should be directed via email to any one of the following members of the UMRA Small Grants Committee: John Howe at howex002@umn.edu; Marty Dworkin at dworkin@umn.edu; Dick Caldecott at calde004@umn.edu; Kim Munholland at munho001@umn.edu.  

ILLUSTRATIVE GRANT TOPICS 

1. One of the most challenging questions in biology is how cells in a multi-cellular organism communicate with each other so as to coordinate their activity. A retired microbiologist who has closed his own lab needs to spend ten days with a colleague at Indiana University to examine how two closely related species of a social bacterium are able to distinguish themselves from each other, using time-lapse photo microscopy and fluorescently labeled cells. The grantee requests funding to cover air transportation to and from Bloomington and per diem expenses during his stay.
   
   
2. A Religious Studies scholar wants to continue a research project on “Religious Pluralism in the Twin Cities.” She needs to hire a research assistant to assist in conducting site visits and interviews with a selected list of Jewish, Protestant, Islamic and other congregations. Projected outcomes would be a co-authored paper and a handbook of religious congregations in the Twin Cities.
   
   
3. Journals published by major professional organizations such as the American Physical Society require publication fees which may amount to as much as $780 for a five page article. As a retiree, professor “A” no longer has access to departmental funding to cover the fee and requests a small grant to cover the cost for a recently completed article.
   
   
4. Among the issues continuing to vex the political process at state and local levels in Minnesota is the role of party caucuses in the electoral process. Caucuses are increasingly under fire as unrepresentative and outdated instruments of party activity in the nominating politics of the state. A social scientist wishes to examine the history and current status of party caucuses in Minnesota and develop recommendations for reform. Funds are requested to support an undergraduate research assistant to help with library research and assist in conducting interviews with party officials and political observers. 
   
   
5. Professor “A” is continuing research that requires the use of Mathematica, a symbolic algebra program. His research is done at home because he no longer has a departmental office. The University has a site license for Mathematica, but only for use on computers owned by the University. Professor “A” seeks funds to purchase a university-owned computer to run the software.
   
   
6. Professor “B” has been invited to present a paper on the North Carolina Lumbee Indians at the bi-annual conference of the Southern Studies Group of the European Association for American Studies. She requests support to cover travel to Thessalonica, Greece, where the Southern Studies conference will be held, plus conference fees and per diem expenses.
   
   
7. A retired Professor of Agronomy is working toward completion of a book titled, “Grass 08—Our Growing Resource.” The book examines the many grasses and legumes that co-habit in a wide diversity of conditions and gives special attention to the move from cultivation to grazing, the development of unique machine-harvest equipment, the search for energy feed stocks, and changing grass amenities for rural, suburban and urban communities. The proposal requests travel support for site visits and consultations essential to completion of several chapters of the book.