Conference Fund for Faculty and Academic Professionals

A new Faculty Conference Fund (FCF) won in the most recent PSU‑AAUP contract negotiations expands access to professional travel beyond what individual IPDA balances can cover. It is available to both faculty and academic professionals. The annual funding pool provides support for members to participate in academic and professional conferences, symposia, workshops, exhibitions, and similar events, supplementing IPDAs when costs exceed individual balances.

What it covers:

All PSU‑AAUP‑represented members—including tenure‑line faculty, non‑tenure‑track faculty, researchers, and academic professionals—may apply, subject to program rules that limit applications to once every three years to broaden access. Funding supports travel‑related participation costs for scholarly and professional events, including conference registration, transportation, lodging, and other allowable expenses defined by Academic Affairs and program guidance.

Because the FCF is intended to ensure that members do not incur out-of-pocket expenses for funded travel, requests may be deemed ineligible if the total cost of travel exceeds available award limits or if the applicant has not identified additional funding sources (e.g., IPDAs) to cover the remaining expenses. 

How to apply:

Applications are accepted twice annually, with posted deadlines of November 1 and April 1 each year; awards are made from an annual pool of up to $200,000. Follow the application instructions posted by the Office of Academic Affairs under Faculty Development Funding; provide event details, justification of impact, budget, and any unit support, per the program page.