The seventh cycle of grants to help retirees pursue projects related to their scholarship has been funded by Provost Karen Hanson and UMRA. All faculty members, profes­sional and administrative and civil service retirees from the Twin Cities and coordinate campuses of the University are eligible to apply for the grants (up to $5,000). The deadline for applications is December 15, 2015. Awards are announced by the Office of the Vice President for Research by March 1, 2016. Grants begin April 1, 2016, and end on June 30, 2017.

Eligible expenses include travel and per diem costs related to conference participation, stipends for undergraduate and/or graduate research assistants, photocopying, the purchase of books, computer, software, and other relevant costs. Ineligi­ble expenses include salary for the applicant and institution­al overhead charges. UROP, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, has agreed to fund the cost of undergraduate assistants who work with grantees. Details about UROP are in the guidelines.

Over the past six years, about 80 faculty and staff with diverse interests have received grants. Visit grants-retirees to read the abstracts of the professional development projects.

If you have questions, contact Janice Hogan [jhogan@ umn.edu] or committee members Judson Sheridan, Rich­ard Caldecott, Calvin Kendall, Kim Munholland, Joanne Eicher, Russell Hobbie, Craig swan, John Adams, Paul Quie, Hal Miller, John Howe, Roger Clemence, Bob Holt, Louis Janus, Donna Peterson, Dick Poppele, and Kathleen O’Brien.

—Jan Hogan, chair of the PDGR committee