Faculty Retraining and Renewal

The Retraining & Renewal Grant Program is dedicated to the maintenance of academic excellence. In keeping with the conditions and intent of the legislation that supports this program, "the purpose of this comprehensive program is to increase the flexibility and effective use of existing faculty personnel in the University of Wisconsin System." 

The overall philosophy behind the faculty retraining/renewal program is to minimize the fiscal implications to the participant, thereby encouraging rather than discouraging participation in the program.

Criteria

• The following are eligible to apply; assistant professor, associate professor, full professor, associate lecturer, lecturer, senior lecturer, and distinguished lecturer.
• Development of scholarly resources of faculty members in fields of study allied to those in which they have their primary academic preparation in order to increase the ability of their institutions and units to adapt to changing curricular, student, and societal needs and to contribute to the continued professional growth of faculty.
• Continued development and renewal of the expertise of faculty members in their fields of primary academic preparation in order to increase the ability of their institutions and units to adapt to changing curricular, student and societal needs.

Considerations

• First consideration is quality of the proposal and second consideration will be based on seniority. Programmatic and institutional need/goal considerations may override this preference, however.
• Proposals may contain requests to pay for fees and tuition for courses at accredited institutions that the faculty member takes as part of the retraining/renewal program.
• A faculty member may also request support to pay for registration fees, participation fees, etc., at professional workshops, seminars, institutes, etc.
• Proposals may request funds to buy course-related books and supplies.
• Supplies and equipment funds may be requested, if necessary for the successful completion of the project. Ordinarily, capital equipment purchases and purchase of equipment that should be supported by the department are not eligible for funding under this program.
• Funds for travel may be requested if it can be demonstrated that such travel is critical to the retraining/renewal project. If the faculty member is within commuting distance, a reasonable amount to cover commuting expenses may be requested. If the location of the program is beyond commuting distance, a faculty member may request one-round trip payment to the location during the period of the project. Other trips must be paid for by the participant.
• If the retraining/renewal program takes place at a location beyond commuting distance from the faculty member's home, living expenses may be requested. However, institutional policies may limit the amount granted if the faculty member is also receiving a salary.
• If salary is requested, fringe benefits and taxes will be deducted from the dispersed amount.
• Support for travel to and attendance at professional meetings may be requested, if it can be shown that such participation is a critical part of the individual's retraining/renewal program. Retraining/renewal funds ordinarily will not be used in place of institutional travel money for attendance at professional meetings.
• Faculty retraining/renewal funds will not be used to support faculty proposals whose primary object is to allow an individual to complete a terminal degree.
• Proposals linked with sabbatical leaves of absence will not be supported.
• Each recipient will be requested to submit a final report to the Faculty and Academic Staff Development Board assessing the impact of the project by June 30 of the fiscal year funded.

Application Process

Update as of 6/3/24: The funding for these grants has been suspended until further notice. 

Expense Information 

Funding is contingent upon available budget for the fiscal year and the balance available from earlier rounds.

• If your plans are “tentative,” apply for the earliest round available as the unused award can be returned.
• FASDB cannot retroactively fund expenses for expenses not within the dates of the round awarded.
• Expenses must be processed within 30 days after your activity. 
• If your activity is after June 1, please expense anything that can be expensed before that date. Submit the rest of the expense as soon as possilble upon finishing.

Review Process

Proposals will be evaluated on a competitive basis by the Teaching Committee of the Faculty/Academic Staff Development Board. The following criteria will be used by the selection committee to determine funding. Please try to address each one in turn:

• Is the departmental or institutional or program goal which the proposal addresses clearly stated? That is, what classes or programs will directly benefit from the proposed activity?
• Is the enhancement of individual/professional goals clearly stated?
• Does the proposal answer the question of who will do what, when, where, why, how and with a detailed budget?
• Does the proposal answer the question: Why can't this proposal be funded with existing departmental or college funds?
• Is the proposed activity to be conducted within the time frame of the funding period?