Unit 18 Non-Senate Faculty Professional Development Fund (U18 PDF) 

Annual CALL for Grant Applications

In accordance with the contract between the University of California and the UC-AFT, funding is available to support professional development activities that contribute to pedagogical expertise in the subjects you teach at UCSC. Any Unit 18 member who has an appointment during the current academic year (2023-24) is eligible to apply.

These funds may be used for professional meetings, conferences, workshops, and more -- anything that enhances a Unit 18 member’s professional development and pedagogy. Some previously funded activities from the U18 PDF include

• Attendance at the UC Council of Writing Programs Annual Conference
• Participation and presentation of UCSC's World Cafe Learning Program at the National Organizational Development Network Conference
• Analysis of gas in the sediments of the Elkhorn Slough: seismic surveys and coring
• Attendance and presentation at the International Congress of Central American Cultural Studies
• Attendance and presentation at The International Congress of the Hispanic Association of Humanities
• Foreign Languages in the Digital Humanities travel grant
• Attendance and performance at the International Society of Bassists 50th Anniversary Convention
• Supermassive Black Hole Conference travel grant
• Participation in International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences meeting
• American Council on the Teaching of foreign languages (virtual) conference
• American Anthropological Association’s annual (virtual) conference

Two types of grant opportunities are available: Small grants (requests for less than $900) and Large grants (requests for $900 or more). Small grants are approved throughout the academic year on an ongoing basis (i.e., you can apply for small grants any time during the academic year); large grant applications are reviewed once per year in April. The APPLICATION DEADLINE for large grants is midnight on the first Friday in April, which falls on April 5, 2024.

Funding is recommended to the university administration by the Unit 18 Faculty Professional Development Fund Council. Since funding is limited, the grants are competitive.

For further information or help getting started on the application process, please contact any of the members of the Unit 18 Council on Professional Development:

Download the U18 Professional Development Grant Rules and Guidelines: 2023-24 Unit 18 PDF Guidelines

Download the U18 Professional Development Grant Application:

Unit 18 PDF Application - Word (docx) Fillable Form

Unit 18 PDF Application - Adobe PDF Fillable Form

View or Download the Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)