The Professional Development Grants for Retirees program has transitioned to a new, online-only application and review process. PDGR awards are available for all University faculty, professional and administrative, and civil service retirees from the Twin Cities and coordinate campuses (fully retired by July 1, 2018). The application period opened October 23, and the deadline for application submission is December 15.

Grants may provide up to $5,000 to pursue professional interests. This may include expenses for travel and per diem costs related to research trips and conference attendance; stipends for undergraduate and/or graduate research assistants; photocopying; and the purchase of books, computer, software, and other relevant costs of scholarship. The grants do not cover salary for the applicant or institutional overhead charges. A link to the new instructions for submitting applications can be found via the UMRA website: umra.umn.edu/Activities/Grants for Retirees/Application Instructions.

Abstracts of all the grants that have been awarded since 2009 are also posted on the UMRA website, at Activities/Grants for Retirees/Previous PDG Awards. It is an impressive list and shows the value this program has played in helping retirees remain actively engaged in their professional activities. The program has also become quite competitive, with 21 applicants last year from several different colleges and programs. Current funding allows us to award between 10 and 15 grants annually, depending on the amount requested.  

The funding for the program involves both the Office of the Vice President for Research and UMRA. We encourage UMRA members to make a tax-deductible contribution to this program. You may give by credit card online at give.umn.edu/giveto/SeptUMRA or by check payable to the University of Minnesota Foundation, UMRA Fund 4867, P.O. Box 860266, Minneapolis MN 55486-0266. You can also support this fund with a gift in your will or trust. For more information, please contact Lynn Praska, senior planned giving officer, University of Minnesota Foundation, at 612-624-4158 or [email protected].

—Dick Poppele, PDGR Committee Chair