Faculty Development Fund Policies and Procedures
Policy
Policies and Procedures
Purpose
The Pratt Institute Faculty Development Fund (FDF) was established to provide financial support for the professional development and advancement of full-time faculty, staff who teach, chairs, and members of the adjunct and visiting faculty. An FDF grant may fund studio projects, travel, work on publications, research, interdisciplinary collaborations and curriculum, or other projects.
FDF grants fund projects that meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Production of original artistic, cultural, or scholarly content that contributes to professional development;
- Development or acquisition of professional skills (e.g., through participation in workshops or training);
- Interdisciplinary collaborations (e.g., in coursework or projects) within the Institute
The FDF offers two categories of grants: individual FDF grants and collaborative FDF grants. Joint applications by faculty may be submitted in the collaborative category.
This year’s FDF awards total $100,000, of which $80,000 is allocated for individual grants. A total of $20,000 is designated specifically for collaborative grants to encourage collaborative and cross-disciplinary initiatives at the Institute, including studio projects, research, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Eligible individuals may apply for one grant in any given year.
The FDF grants will be awarded on the basis of merit, as determined by the Faculty Development Fund awards committee, appointed by the academic senate. The maximum amount awarded for any individual grant is $5,000.
The maximum amount awarded for any collaborative grant is $7,500 per team. Application for a grant does not automatically result in an award, and the amount of an award may be less than the amount requested.
Awards will not be made for release time. All projects must be completed in addition to regular faculty responsibilities. The funds awarded must be used in support of the project that was approved. Projects must be completed, and a report submitted to the Provost’s office, by the beginning of the fall semester following the academic year the award is given unless a written request for extension has been filed and approved.
Elegibility
Applicants for both individual and collaborative FDF grants must be active members of the Pratt full-time, adjunct, or visiting faculty, Pratt chairs, or staff who teach during the awards period.
To be eligible, faculty must have completed at least two full semesters of service (the two semesters need not be consecutive).
Eligible individuals on sabbatical may apply.
Recipients of an award must wait for a period of three (3) academic years from award year before applying again. For example, if an applicant received an award in academic year 2018/19, they are not eligible to apply again until 2022/23.
The president of the academic senate is deemed ineligible during their term in office plus one academic year after stepping down from this position.
Application Process
All applications must be submitted through Google Forms by 11:59PM EST February 1, 2025. Late applications will not be considered.
View the Google application form
The application should be completed in a clear and concise manner. All proposals need to be submitted through the Google Form. Failure to do so will result in immediate rejection of your application.
Application for Project Grant Must Include:
- Project Abstract: A brief narrative that is 100–120 words for use in communication vehicles (e.g., website)
- A detailed description of the project, sufficient enough to enable the awards committee to understand and evaluate it (The project description should not exceed three pages. Supplemental materials that help to frame proposals in a larger context and/or visualize proposer’s work are encouraged and should be submitted in one PDF document not to exceed 10 pages. Please be aware that the committee members are from a variety of schools and disciplines. The applications should not include jargon or abbreviations of organizations and products.) Please use plain language, consider that your proposal will be reviewed by peers outside of your academic/professional discipline). For joint applications, reasons for collaboration and individual contributions of each proposer to the joint project should be stated.
- A clear statement of intention and significance to the applicants’ professional development and/or educational value of the project
- An itemized budget, which may not include funding for computer hardware/software, technology equipment, cameras, etc. that are currently accessible at Pratt. It is the responsibility of the applicant to properly research facilities at the Institute, and their availability
- A proposed project timetable
- Applicants’ résumé highlights (not to exceed two pages)
Credit
Work published or exhibited by the grant recipient should be acknowledged as being supported by the “Faculty Development Fund of Pratt Institute.”
PUBLIC PRESENTATION AND REPOSITORY
The grant recipients are strongly encouraged to present the projects supported by the Faculty Development Fund to the community. Suggested presentation venues include, but are not limited to the Research Open House, Center for Teaching & Learning meetings, Pratt Shows, and department events. Proposers will have an option of sharing their proposals with the community by depositing them into the FDF repository.