Lecturers' Professional Development Grants

Lecturers' Professional Development Grants acknowledge the many contributions of RIT’s lecturers, senior lecturers, and principal lecturers, providing funding for professional development activities that involve teaching, development, and/or creative endeavors. Examples of appropriate expenditures include participation/presentation at conferences, national professional meetings, pedagogical programs, or travel required to access resources at other institutions. Principal lecturers, senior lecturers, or lecturers may apply for grants up to $1,500 and must meet all eligibility requirements as listed below.

1. All full-time principal lecturers, senior lecturers, or lecturers with continuing appointment in Academic Affairs at RIT are eligible to apply, to be verified by the department head.
    
2. Full-time visiting lecturers at any rank are eligible to apply provided they have an appointment beyond one academic year, to be verified by the department head.
    
3. Priority will be given to full-time lecturers, senior lecturers, or principal lecturers who have not received a Lecturers’ Professional Development grant in the past.
    
4. Lecturers who have not completed previously awarded grant-funded projects or have not submitted an “Outcome Report” for a prior grant will not be eligible for a new grant-funded activity. 
    
5. Faculty may not submit more than one grant application (one project/activity) per academic year
   
6. Grant funds may not be used for activities completed prior to the award approval.
    
7. Hospitality requests should not exceed 10% of total budget.
    
8. Funding for software/hardware acquisition or other equipment, professional membership fees or licensure, certification, festival/screening fees, tuition, add-pay, faculty stipends, course release, or additional faculty salaries will not be considered.

• Call for Grant Proposals: Week of September 22, 2025
• Grant Proposals Due: Friday, October 31, 2025, 11:59 pm. Late applications will not be considered.
• Funding Decisions Announced: Early December 2025. Grants may not be applied retroactively to activities participated in prior to the award.
• Final Grant Outcome Report Due: 30 days after completion of grant-funded project

1. Review the sample application below prior to preparing your application. We recommend that you complete the application in a Word or Google document, then copy into the Qualtrics form.

• Sample Application
• Online Application (Qualtrics)

2. Have your department head complete and sign the "Department Head Verification Form". Grant applications submitted without this form will not be considered.
Step 1: Download the form (Word document)
Step 2: Prepare the form in its entirety.
Step 3: Submit to your department head for approval/signature.
Step 4: You or the department head should ensure the form is emailed to FCDS@rit.edu.  

Grant proposals will be reviewed by a faculty selection committee and recipients will be notified in early December.

If you are awarded a grant, you will receive instructions for accessing funds and reporting on the use of your grant in your award letter. If your grant is approved, the funds may not be used for projects other than what is submitted on the original application, and funds may not be reassigned to another faculty member or project. Use of grant funds must follow all RIT Travel Policies.

Grant recipients must complete an "Outcome Report" following the project completion. In this report you will share the impact of this grant on your professional development, your teaching, the broader campus community, and future success in your field or discipline.