Three Funding Cycles
The Center for Faculty Innovation offers three funding cycles (fall, spring, and summer) for the Adjunct Faculty Professional Development Fund throughout the year. Eligible adjunct faculty can apply for up to $2,000 per academic year for professional development opportunities.
- These non-personnel funds can be used for teaching, scholarship, career planning, and leadership opportunities. Monies cannot be utilized for tuition.
- Each funding cycle includes a time frame for the application, the fund, and the conference/PD activity.
- For accepted proposals, funds will be transferred after the fund notifications to the recipient’s academic unit for the related professional development activity.
- After the PD activities/conference is completed, the fund recipients will submit a brief professional development activity report, which will be used later to share the impact of these monies on the recipient, student, programs, etc.
Review the fund eligibility and application details below. The brief application process requires applicants to indicate the following.
- They have discussed the application for funding with their AUH
- The AUH approves the submission
Fund Eligibility Details
Professional development monies will only be granted for activities that transpire in the future based on the funding cycle activity dates; therefore, these funds are not intended to reimburse faculty for past professional development activities.
Applicants may request monies only for singular events or activities; therefore, the applicant cannot lump multiple requests (e.g., two conferences) into one proposal.
Eligibility
- Funds are intended for adjuncts whose primary role at James Madison University is that of teaching.
- Adjunct faculty must have taught at James Madison University for one semester or more at the time of application.
- Applicants must indicate that (1) they have discussed the application for funding with their AUH, and (2) the AUH approves of the submission.
Not Eligible
- Those not eligible to apply are classified staff members, A&P faculty, emeritus faculty, visiting faculty, scholars in residence, and full-time faculty, as those terms are defined in the Faculty Handbook or university policies.
- Adjunct faculty recipients may only be granted and receive funds for one of the three funding cycles (fall, spring, or summer) during a given academic year.
- You may apply more than once if a fund application request is unsuccessful. However, you may only receive one approved funding in a given academic year.
- Example: If you applied and received funding for the fall 2023 cycle, you are not eligible to receive funding for neither the following spring and summer of 2024.
- Funding CANNOT be approved for travel expenses related to educational courses, such as attending classes associated with graduate or doctoral programs.
Application Process
The Spring 2026 funding cycle is as follows.
- Application window:
- January 19 - February 9, 2026
- Funding cycle/professional development activities must be between:
- March 2 -June 7, 2026
Process
- Candidate reviews the sample application questions
- Candidate discusses the application for the funding opportunity with your department's AUH
- Candidate submits the application through the link below by the deadline noted
- Candidate receives selection notification
- The recipient submits additional budgetary information to process the funds (budget org code and fiscal tech name) through a budget transfer to the recipient's department
- Due within a week of notification. No funds will be transferred until the survey is complete.
- The recipient submits a follow-up activity report survey (including a photo for sharing on social media)
- An email with a survey link is sent to the recipient after the PD activity period, and due within two weeks of the email date
- Lack of submission may affect future fund request
Please email your questions to cfi@jmu.edu.
Application Preview
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First & Last Name
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JMU Email
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College & Department
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Eligibility Questions include:
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Taught more than one semesters
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How many semesters you have taught at JMU?
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The PD activities during a specific time frame (please be sure these dates correspond with the open funding cycle)
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Confirmation of department approval
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- Indicate additional sources of funding - if any (confirmed or outstanding) that you have sought in support of this professional development activity.
- Total funding requested: Indicate the dollar amount of professional development funds that you requesting Funding ceiling is $2,000
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Itemized breakdown of funds: As possible, please offer an itemized break are down of expenses. (Example: “I am requesting $1,190 to attend a threeday Psychology conference in Chicago, IL. The estimated breakdown is as follows: $400 registration fee, $300 travel by air, $280 in hotel expenses, and $210 in meal per diems.”)
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For what activity or purpose will you utilize these professional development funds? (If requesting funds for conference travel, please provide conference name, dates, and location.)
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In the event that you are planning to utilize funds to attend a conference or institute, please indicate whether you (1) serve in a leadership role with the related association and/or (2) plan to present a paper, workshop, symposium, etc.
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In what ways will this funding request advance your teaching, career planning, research/scholarship, and/or leadership?
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Please specify anticipated outcomes and impact.
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Please limit your response to 150 words.
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- Attend a conference or institute: Specify whether attending, presenting or serving in a leadership role.
- Anticipated Outcomes and Impact: In what ways will this funding request advance your teaching, career planning, research/scholarship, and/or leadership?
- (Please provide detailed information and specify anticipated outcomes and impact. Please limit your response to 150 words.)
- Post Survey: By typing my first and last name below and submitting this application, I understand that if I am approved for funding, I must complete a post (follow-up) activity report survey, within the stated timeframe following the cycle activity date period.
