Step 1: Become familiar with the program by reviewing the items listed on the page.
Step 2: Complete the VCCS Professional Grant Application Cover Page (fax only - must contain signatures.)
Step 3: Submit the VCCS Professional Grant Application (online only.)
Step 4: If accepted, return the Acceptance Sheet that will accompany your letter (fax only - must contain signatures)
Step5: Complete the VCCS Professional Grant Final Report Signature Page (fax only - must contain signatures.)
Step 6: Submit the VCCS Professional Grant Final Report Form (online only.)
Description of the Professional Development Grant Program
Purpose
Faculty professional development is essential for faculty and student learning. Awards for new and on-going professional development are available to all VCCS community college faculty. Opportunities for professional development grants will include the following areas:
Discipline development – builds knowledge and skills within the academic discipline or professional specialty.
Instructional development – improves classroom teaching, learning, and assessment techniques.
Career development – provides tools for effective personal planning to improve the quality of work and life.
Organizational development – enhances administrative and leadership skills to fulfill the institutional mission of the community college.
Funding
A combination of reassigned time and expenses is possible, depending upon the quality, objectives, extent, and benefit of the proposed faculty professional development project.
Maximum funding for faculty reassigned time is 8 credits @ $650.00 per credit. Most reassigned time is funded at 3 credits. Summer stipends are a flat $2500.00
Awarded funds will be transferred to the colleges for the grant recipients. For reassigned time awards, colleges will use the funds for adjunct replacement through the normal budget process. Faculty will coordinate reassigned time and grant specifics with their vice president and dean/supervisor. For reimbursement expenses, colleges will establish a budget account where faculty can be reimbursed for the expenditures related to fulfilling the objectives of the research. One proposal per faculty member will be considered in a review cycle. A maximum of one professional development grant and one workshop mini-grant can be awarded per faculty member per funding cycle. Note: if more than one professional development grant application (excluding workshop mini-grant applications) is submitted, both professional development grant applications will be disqualified.
Professional Development Grant Award Schedule
Note: When deadline dates fall on a weekend, the deadline becomes the next working day.
| Effective Dates |
Application Deadlines
(Online and faxed signature page) |
Acceptance Letter to VCCS
(faxed signature page) |
Final Report to VCCS
(Online and faxed signature page) |
| Summer Semester |
February 15 |
April 1 |
November 15 |
| Fall Semester |
April 15 |
June 15 |
March 15 |
| Spring Semester |
October 1 |
December 1 |
August 15 |
Review
Proposals will be reviewed for all of the above sections and ranked for those categories as well as scholarship and feasibility. Proposals will be considered through a “blind” peer review process established by the VCCS Professional Development Committee, which is representative of faculty throughout Virginia. Click here to view the Professional Development grants Peer Review Sheet. Questions regarding the process can be addressed to Ms.Nan Ottenritter nottenritter@vccs.edu .
Applicant Responsibility
A grant recipient who fails to comply with all requirements of the grant award, including filing the final report, will be required to return the full amount of any stipend and/or amounts awarded for expenses, and the college will be expected to return amounts awarded for reassigned time to the VCCS Professional Development Office. If additional time is needed to complete the grant and final report, the recipient must request an extension from Ms. Nan Ottenritter, VCCS Director of Professional Development.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about VCCS Professional Development Grants
Questions about the proposed project:
Are adjunct instructors eligible to submit a grant application?
Yes
Are classified staff personnel eligible to submit a grant application?
Classified staff may not be primary authors of the grant application but may be involved as collaborators and co-applicants.
What kinds of projects and other professional development activities are eligible for funding?
Grants supporting research projects and professional development activities advancing the mission of the VCCS are eligible.
What kinds of projects and other professional development activities are not eligible for funding?
Professional development activities typically funded by the college, such as tuition reimbursement travel to VCCS sponsored seminars and conferences and student activities costs are not eligible.
Can travel to a non-VCCS conference be a legitimate aspect of a grant application?
Conference expenses will be considered for funding if they are part of a larger research project or professional development activity beneficial to the VCCS. Applicants should demonstrate college match for a portion of the costs.
Can a trip overseas be a legitimate aspect of a grant application?
The approval of a proposal that involves overseas or extensive travel is dependent upon the purpose, methodology, and justification of travel costs in regard to faculty/administrative and student learning. When applying for a grant involving travel, make sure that your travel budget is well researched, detailed and realistic.
Would the design and development of a web-based course be considered a likely prospect for a grant?
Each application is considered individually based on its merits. However, in most cases, courses that are already available online (check VCCS Web Courses listing on lines – http://www.vccs.edu) are not likely to be funded for design or development unless there is a distinctive or innovative component of the proposal.
Which budgetary items will not be funded?
Computer software programs, textbooks, and other teaching materials will not be funded because they are a part of the instructional and professional needs normally supplied by the college. Equipment that is expected to be supplied by the home institution will also not be funded.
Are there guidelines for the best application of reassigned time for the applicant?
Reassigned time should be applied to endeavors outside the normal course of teaching and administrative responsibilities. It should be used to explore, experience, reflect upon, ingest, and apply new knowledge that you would otherwise not have had the time to pursue and/or apply. A request for three credit hours of reassigned time would be considered for grant activities that require at least forty-five hours of work.
Can I be awarded both reassigned time and an award for expenses?
A combination of the two is possible dependent upon the quality, objectives, extent of, benefit and cost requirements of the proposed professional development activity.
Can I apply for a second grant as a follow-up to my involvement in a first grant award?
If appropriate, a longer-term commitment is possible, especially when the applicant clearly defines the methodology. Include information on the intent to apply for a follow-up grant to help reviewers understand the proposal’s long and short-term goals.
Questions about the application:
What are “college contributions”?
Examples of college “in-kind” contributions include the following: copying, printing and clerical services; videotaping and photographic expenses; computer software, hardware, and other technological equipment; and use of a college vehicle for travel to a conference that is part of the project.
What are examples of “individual contributions”?
Research costs and the purchase of books, computer software, film, and other materials that are potentially applicable to classroom teaching and one’s discipline in the context of the project are legitimate individual contributions. Often the faculty applicant already owns materials that are relevant to the project and can therefore claim these as personal contributions.
What is meant by “evaluation of the project”?
The key factor to assessment is to describe the benefits of the project and your professional development as they relate to the education of your students. While often difficult to gauge, benefits may be shown through the following: modification of course content; documentation of “before and after grant” assessment of course content; student verbal and written responses to revitalized, new or expanded course offerings; and improved retention and lower attrition rates over several semesters of classes involved in a modified experience due to the grantee’s enhanced knowledge.
What types of dissemination activities and venues are appropriate?
It is important to share the results of your research with your students, as well as your colleagues. Appropriate vehicles for this include published information, your classroom, faculty/staff and division meetings and in-service activities, peer group meetings, local and national conferences, and seminars and professional meetings. The VCCS New Horizons conference, for example, has proved to be an excellent venue for sharing knowledge.
Is it a good idea to mention the service area for the grant proposal?
Since the award process is by “blind” peer review, the service area may only be included if it does not pinpoint the particular college of the grant applicant.
Do I have to correctly address every element of the grant application?
Absolutely. An application without all the elements correctly addressed is incomplete and will not be considered for funding.
How important is it that the grant application be well written and free of grammatical errors?
It is extremely important. The grant application is the only thing the committee members see as they make their decisions; it is the only indicator as to the likely success or value of the completed project. The applicant should proofread it carefully and ask a peer or a supervisor not connected with the project to read it for clarity, accuracy, and consistency.
How does the Professional Development Grant Committee go about reviewing the grant proposals?
The proposals are anonymous, allowing for a “blind” review by the committee. The Professional Development Grant Committee consists of two subcommittees, which consider grant requests from colleges other than their own. Committee members individually evaluate each component of the proposal, and then share their assessment with their subcommittee members. This may be accomplished through a combination of activities, often conference calls and meetings. The director of professional development or her designee participates in meetings and teleconferences to answer questions and/or provide necessary assistance.
I made a mistake and put the name of the college in the grant and it became ineligible. Can I resubmit?
Absolutely, you can resubmit for the next round of funding. Be aware that when a grant is submitted with the college name in the grant proposal it is deemed ineligible sometimes before the committee sees the grant. No other comments or feedback are given about the proposed grant once it is deemed ineligible. A resubmission does not guarantee grant acceptance.
Tips for Successful Applications
- Read through the entire grant application packet and instructions on this site.
- Review FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).
- Discuss the idea for your proposal with colleagues and with your Academic Dean.
- Have your Professional Development Committee member, Director of Grants, and/or a colleague read the first and second drafts of the application.
- Consult with colleagues who have been successful in receiving a grant and those who were not.
- Prepare a draft application and review it several times. Put your name and the name of your college only on the cover page of your proposal.
- Make it clear that what you are proposing is not considered part of your normal teaching and faculty duties.
- Work with your academic dean in preparing and submitting your final application.
- For faculty and administrative international exchanges, know about and, if possible, connect with the VaCIE-VCCS International Exchange program (information can be found at http://vacie-vccsinternationalexchange.org/
- If you are developing courses or programs, demonstrate knowledge of, and connect your proposal with existing policies and structures such as curriculum committees, experimental courses, or existing repositories for learning objects such as MERLOT.
- If you have questions that cannot be answered locally, email Ms. Nan Ottenritter, Director of Professional Development, at nottenritter@vccs.edu with your questions.
Once you have completed your grant project, you must file the final report of your project within designated time or you and your college will be asked to return the funds awarded.
Possible reasons for rejection of your application:
- Your name and/or the name of your college are on a page other than the cover page of the grant application. In this case, the application will not be reviewed and the applicant will receive a letter stating that the application was ineligible.
- The proposal is incorrect or incomplete.
- The proposal is not clear and concise. Do not assume the reader will understand acronyms, models, or what is routinely available in your discipline.
Download Template for your working document use.