Established in 2007 by the Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research, and the U of M Retirees Association, the PDGR program annually awards grants, up to $5,000, to help retirees pursue projects related to their scholarly and/or creative interests. 

This program is supported with an allotment of $45,000 per year from the provost’s office and funds raised by UMRA. Currently, we have the assurance of one or two more years of funding from the University. In addition, we have about $25,000 in the UMRA account with the University of Minnesota Foundation. This includes an initial investment of $10,000 by the UMRA board plus individual contributions from UMRA members that may be applied to the PDGR program. However, because we want to continue awarding 10 or more grants each year, we must prepare for the possibility of a future funding shortfall. 

We encourage UMRA members who have not yet made a contribution to this program to do so and, for those of you who have already made a contribution or pledge, to please consider adding to it. You may give by credit card online at give.umn.edu/giveto/SeptUMRA or by check payable to the University of Minnesota Foundation, P.O. Box 860266, Minneapolis MN 55486-0266. Be sure to indicate UMRA Fund 4867. You can also support this fund with a gift in your will or trust. For more information or if you have questions, please contact Lynn Praska, senior planned giving officer, University of Minnesota Foundation, at 612-624-4158 or LP[email protected].

We hope you will join us in supporting this program by making a tax-deductible gift.

Information about applying for a 2018-19 grant will be posted on the UMRA website in the coming months. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this program, please contact Dick Poppele, chair of UMRA’s PDGR Committee, at [email protected].