Give now to the PDGR program, and double your support
UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees (PDGR) program is an annual competition for grants to support projects related to retirees’ research, instructional history, or new scholarly and creative interests. Funding of up to $5,000 per grant is available. Retirees from all University campuses are eligible to apply.
If you have previously contributed financially to the PDGR program, thank you for your support. If you have not made a contribution or, if you would like to make another, you can do so via the PDGR crowdfunding page.
$10,000 challenge grant
Now is an especially good time to contribute because, until the end of 2024, we have a $10,000 challenge grant and all contributions will be doubled. Contributions are tax-deductible.
You can also make a tax-efficient gift from an IRA if you are age 70½ or older. To do so, contact Lynn Praska, senior planned giving officer, U of M Foundation, at [email protected] or 612-624-4158.
Previous awards have covered a diverse set of topics including immigration, U.S. election systems, Native American art, childhood tantrums, statistics, social equity, science, and medicine. See previous PDGR Awards for information about past projects.
Anyone with questions or suggestions for the grant program should email John Bantle, UMRA member and PDGR Committee chair.
News
The Campus Club’s Dale Shephard Room provided a perfect venue for nearly 30 UMRA members and guests to interact with University of Minnesota Vice President Chris Gade for UMRA’s first Campus Conversation. His presentation focused on the new vision and strategy for University Marketing Communications.
Meet UMRA member and photojournalist David Hansen. He devoted nearly 50 years working for the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station to promote University of Minnesota research discoveries, in pictures. “I loved my University work. Every day,” he said.
Professor Emeritus John Romano is the newest member of the University Retirees Volunteer Center Leadership Council. Throughout his University experience, he has been a leader among those providing mental health support for students on campus.
I grew up surrounded by positive people. My parents both lived to be 98, and I never heard either of them complain as they grew older. In that spirit, I’d like to share with you some thoughts on the advantages of getting older, as I experience it.
The Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) invites you to join retirees from across the country at the biennial 2026 AROHE Conference taking place October 6–8 in Gainesville, Florida.