PDGR: Make a gift today and double the value of your support
UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees (PDGR) program is an annual competition with applications for 2024 awards accepted until December 31. These grants support projects related to retirees’ research, instructional history or new scholarly and creative interests. Previous grants have covered topics such as art, statistics, social equity, science and medicine. Funding of up to $5,000 per grant is available.
Retirees from all five campuses within the U of M System are eligible whether they are members of UMRA or not. Visit the Grants for Retirees webpage to find more information about the program, including the instructions for applying for 2024 funding. Please consider making an application.
If you would like to make a financial contribution to the program, do it by December 31 and your tax-deductible gift will be doubled thanks to a $20,000 challenge grant from a generous anonymous donor.
Go to the PDGR crowdfunding page to make a gift online. Or, for information about making a tax-efficient gift from an IRA if you are age 70½ or older, contact Lynn Praska, Senior Planned Giving Officer, U of M Foundation, by email or by calling her at 612-624-4158.
Email John Bantle, MD, PDGR Committee chair, if you have questions or suggestions for the grant program.
News
Beginning January 1, 2027, the University of Minnesota is making updates to medical plans, the pharmacy vendor, and the Wellbeing Program incentive that apply to retirees and dependents enrolled in these plans.
The University of Minnesota has had a presence at the Great Minnesota Get-Together for 167 years. And on September 3, 2026, UMRA made its Minnesota State Fair debut to talk with fairgoers (on Seniors Day) about retirement and to promote opportunities to volunteer through our University Retirees Volunteer Center.
Like all of us, UMRA member Barbara Heinemann has been reflecting on 9/11 and life in the 25 years since then, with mixed feelings.
December 31 is the application deadline for UMRA’s 2027 Professional Development Grants for Retirees competition. Retirees from all five University of Minnesota campuses are eligible to apply. We invited Brad Hokanson, professor emeritus, UMN Department of Design Innovation, to tell us about the work supported by his 2026 grant to promote teaching creativity in high schools.
Meet UMRA member and volunteer extraordinaire Kay Louis. She devoted her career as an Extension educator — “bringing the University to the people” — to developing and providing programming for adults and youth.
The UMRA membership year runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership for 2027, it’s definitely time to do so!
UMRA has a Facebook group that is open to UMN retirees and others with close ties to the University, for posting messages about anything University- or retiree-related. Learn more.
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: