Activity Year 2024-25
This report reflects the awards made by our local Joint Labor-Management Committee for the most recent round of Individual Development Awards. The Committee was made up of Maryalice Citera (chair), Ken Nystrom, and Mark Rumnit for UUP, and Devon Duhaney, Anneliese Kniffen-Savchak, and James Burns for the Administration.
There was a total of $51,753.54 available for distribution in the activity period of July 2, 2024 – July 1, 2025. The committee reviewed a total of 79 separate applications (some members submitted applications for 2 projects) making 55 awards for these reimbursement grants. The IDA guidelines stipulate that the maximum award to any individual member can be up to $2,000, and that the first 15% of funds be earmarked for part-time members; the committee decided to set maximums of $1,200 for pre-tenure/non-tenure track members, and $825 for tenured applicants. Awards under these amounts reflect actual amounts applied for specific projects.
The IDA committee had to make very difficult decisions because the amount of funding did come close to covering all of the requests received. The priorities of the committee were to fund activities and endeavors that were directly involved in supporting original research and creative activities. We also prioritized presenting at conferences that involved the dissemination of research and creative activities. Coursework, workshops, and specialized training were also prioritized.
Attending conferences was given a low priority. Individuals attending a conference for a first time were prioritized. Individuals who had received prior year funding (especially over repeated years) were given the lowest priority. If funding to attend an annual conference had been repeatedly requested over several years by several members of a department, the committee felt that support for attendance should be provided by the university or the department itself. This was a matter of trying to support the most diverse individual development activities with the limited funding we were given.
We have received notice that we will have $51,949.88 available for distribution in the July 2, 2025-July 1, 2026 activity cycle, including $5,679.54 rolled forward that was left unspent from awards made in 2024-25. (This rollover amount is consistent with recent years, the result of members who change their plans after the awards are made.) We will be announcing an application process for the 2025-26 awards soon, so stay tuned!!
United University Professions