The Center for Faculty Development & Advancement’s (CFDA) Tenured Faculty Professional Development Fund augments tenured faculty members’ existing sources of professional development funding. Support is provided by the CU Denver Office of Faculty Affairs and the Office of the Provost.

This fund facilitates participation in opportunities that support the faculty members’ career growth in the category of research and creative activities. Examples include but are not limited to: 

• Travel to conferences 
• Travel for the purpose of interviews, archival visits, etc. 
• Publication fees 
• Statistical or indexing support 

Note: This fund is restricted to tenured faculty on the ["Downtown"] Denver Campus.

Pre-tenure faculty can apply to the CFDA’s Early Career Professional Development Grant. Instructional, Research, and Clinical (IRC) faculty can apply to the CFDA’s IRC Faculty Professional Development Fund. Thus, with the addition of the Tenured Faculty Professional Development Fund, all CU Denver faculty are eligible for small professional development funding through the CFDA. 

Maximum amount awarded 

Applicants may request up to  $1000 from the Tenured Faculty Professional Development Fund. Applicants may receive money from this fund once per academic year.  

Faculty members who received financial support from the Tenured Faculty Professional Development Fund in the previous academic year must wait until Round 2 to apply.

Total amount and schedule  

The CFDA Tenured Faculty Research & Creative Activities Grant offers a total of $20,000 in funding per year. There will be two rounds of applications and funding during each academic year. 

Academic Year 2025 Deadlines:

Round 1 Deadline: January 17, 2025, 5:00pm. A total of $10,000 will be awarded in Round 1.
Round 2 Deadline: February 28, 2025, 5:00pm. A total of $10,000 plus any funds remaining from Round 1 will be awarded in Round 2.

Notes:

• Applicants will receive a verdict on their application within two weeks of the application deadline. Fund transfer requests will be made as quickly as possible following the decision.
• Funds must be expended within the fiscal year in which you have been awarded as no funds will rollover. The means you must spend the grant funds by May 1st of the fiscal year.
• The University's fiscal year begins July 1 and coincides with the academic year (meaning July 1st is the beginning of the fiscal year).

Matching Requirement 

An equal match is typically required. Matching funds may come from the applicant’s department, college, professional organization, or a grant.  

Matching requirement is waived for the cases where the faculty member does not have professional development (PD) funds available for the academic year from school or department sources, or from grants.

Preference  

Preference will be given to cases in which: 

• The faculty member is speaking or presenting at a professional conference. 
• The faculty member lacks sufficient departmental PD funds despite having not spent any PD funds in the semester. 
• The faculty member has less funding allocated or available to them than other faculty requesting funding at the same time. 
• The faculty member does not have significant opportunities for external grant funding available to them. 
• The faculty member did not receive funding from the Tenured Faculty Professional Development Fund in the previous academic year.

Decision-Making Body 

The CFDA will maintain a group of rostered, tenured faculty members who have received funding from the Tenured Faculty Professional Development Fund in the previous year. During each round of funding, applications will be vetted and selected for funding by one member of this list plus the CFDA Director.

Applicants Provide 

• Brief description of the PD opportunity in the application form, with a link to the event’s site if applicable. 
• Short discussion of how participation benefits their career. 
• List of other conferences they are also attending that academic year 
• Brief budget, including funds from other sources and requested funds for the proposed travel 
• Completed Chair/Dean/Associate Dean Approval Form indicating support and detailing applicant’s funding situation in the academic unit. 

Past Recipients

View lists of past recipients of the Tenured Faculty Professional Development Fund. Select an academic year:

Academic Year 2024