Professional Development Fund Award Program
The current UCPEA contract provides $360,000 annually to be utilized by employees working in positions represented by the UCPEA in professional development (PD) activities (e.g., attending conferences/workshops, memberships for professional associations, etc.). For the current fiscal year (FY 2023), the maximum allocation per employee is $1,200 of which $500 can be used for professional membership dues. Funds must be used as a reimbursement (to the employee or the department) and cannot be used for license renewals, certifications, re-certifications, admission fees or standardized tests.
The Professional Issues Committee administers the fund and meets twice per month to review applications for funding. It is important to submit any application for PD 15 days prior to the activity or membership due date and submit the reimbursement 45 days after the PD activity date. Timely submission for reimbursement is very important to keeping an accurate balance of what is awarded versus what is disbursed. For the same reason, it is also important to let the UCPEA office know if your PD award is not used. If you submit for reimbursement (or expense reallocation) more than 45 days after the end of the PD activity date, you will be unable to utilize the awarded funds.
With the widespread usage of department Procards and Travel Cards, the reallocation of expenses has recently been used more frequently than reimbursements. Members are encouraged to reach out to the fiscal officer in their department as they plan on their professional development activities and/or membership dues for a professional organization. However, this does not affect the deadlines mentioned above.
UCPEA Members can apply for professional development fund awards via the UConn HR hosted SharePoint site accessible at https://forms.office.com/r/YyyXN9Z4wY or by clicking the button below.
