Award Terms Of Reference

1. The grant is available to education graduate students as a source of funding to help support learning activities that enrich a student’s focus of study. Such learning activities include attending conferences, engaging in field research, or attending events that traditionally do not fall under the category of conferences or field research but are nonetheless of value to a student’s professional development.

2. Education graduate students are eligible for up to $400 per academic year (September 1 to August 31), pending available funds. Professional Development Grants will be allocated by lottery.

Eligibility

1. Proof that recipients are registered as full-time students in a Master or Doctoral program, in good standing (not on-leave or on extension of time limit), in the semester of application.

2. Students have a choice of applying for one  $400 grant or two $200 grants. A student can apply for the $200 grants at any time within the year. For example, one application can be at the start of a semester and the second application can be later in the same semester, or in different semesters. But once a student has received the maximum $400, (s)he is no longer eligible to apply until the following academic year. An academic year runs from September 1st – August 31st.

3. Proof of participation in the professional development event is required in order to receive funds.

Application procedure and deadlines

1. Applications must be received by the EGSA during the semester in which the professional development opportunity occurs. They must include the 2014 application form, confirmation of enrollment and documents outlined on application.

2. The final DEADLINE for submission is the last working day of the last month of each semester. This is to say, the last working day of December, April or August. Applications can be submitted to: info-edgsa@sfu.ca. 

3. Application approvals will be decided by the first EGSA General Meeting following the deadline. For example, applications submitted in the fall (i.e., December deadline) will be approved at the January General Meeting. Applicants will then be contacted by email as to the status of their applications.

4. The above, procedures 1, 2 and 3, explain the first step of having a grant application approved. The second step is to receive the funds for an approved application. To receive the funds, copies of receipts and proof of participation in the professional development event will be required. That is, we need receipts that put you at the event during that time.

5. Applicants will have one month from the time the ‘congratulatory’ email is sent to submit copies of receipts and all other supporting documentation. If this deadline is not met, then the application will be nullified and the applicant will not receive the grant.

6. Copies of receipts and all other supporting documentation are to be submitted to the attention of the EGSA treasurer.

7. Please note that while an application may be approved for $200 or $400, the eligible applicant will be reimbursed based on the submitted receipts (e.g., if receipts are less than $200, the grant will be for that lesser amount).

8. Once a cheque requisition has been issued to pay a successful grant applicant, the file will not be reopen to accommodate claims that the applicant has some extra receipts to submit. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all documentation is submitted at the same time.

9. If an applicant has graduated the semester immediately preceding the semester in which (s)he is to present at a conference and will not be enrolled as a student during the semester of the conference presentation, then such a student can apply for a PDG. For example, a student completes graduation requirements in November, consequently does not enroll in January, and presents at a conference in March.

a) This is not for students on leave.

b) Proof of having met the graduation requirements will have to be provided.

c) This is only for conference presentation. No other professional development activities are eligible.

d) All other terms of reference, eligibility requirements, procedure and deadlines apply.

Guidelines for PDG Committee

1. At the start of each academic year the EGSA will allocate funds for the PDG and the CDG. A suggestion is to divide GSS Caucus Funding in a 60/40 split: 60% for the PDG and 40% for the CDG.

2. Based on present GSS Caucus Funding of $10, 000, the PDG should receive $2000 per term ($6000 per year). PDGs will be allocated by lottery. If the approved applications total less than the $2000, then all approved applicants will receive funding by acclamation.

3. If a lottery is required, then a name will be placed in the draw for every $200 application. For a $400 application, the applicant will have his/her name entered twice in the draw (each name entry worth $200).

4. For a $400 applicant, the drawing rules are as follow: a) Each time the $400-applicant’s name is selected, (s)he will be entitled to $200. This is to say, the name has to be selected twice in the draw for the applicant to be entitled to the $400. b) If a $400-applicant’s name was selected only once, then (s)he will be notified that (i) the name will placed in the ‘B-List’ of runner-ups and (ii) they can apply for another $200 event in future semesters. But once a student has received the maximum $400, (s)he is no longer eligible to apply until the following academic year.

5. All unsuccessful lottery applicants will have their names placed in a ‘B-List’ of runner-ups. If a successful applicant cannot meet the proof of event deadline, then there will be a ‘B-List’ lottery to select a new winner.

6. Each semester will have a new ‘B-List’. This is to say, a runner-up list cannot be carried over to the next semester.

7. Once a cheque requisition has been issued to pay a successful grant applicant, the file will not be reopen to accommodate claims that the applicant has some extra receipts to submit. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all documentation is submitted at the same time.

Frequently Asked Questions

A) How often can I apply for a PDG?

ANSWER: You can apply as often as you like until you are successfully awarded the $400 maximum for the academic year (September 1 to August 31). Keep in mind that you are not guaranteed this money, since awards as based on lottery.

B) If my receipts fall short of the $200 or $400 grants, can I keep applying until I reach the $400 maximum?

ANSWER: NO. For example, you cannot continuously apply for $100, then $125, and so on. If you apply for one of the $200 grants and your receipts total $165, you lose the difference (e.g., $35), and can only apply for one more $200 grant. Similarly, if you are successfully selected for a $400 PDG and your bills amount to $300, you cannot apply for the remainder of the academic year. For this reason you are strongly encouraged to apply for events that will maximize your grants.

C) In #2 of “Eligibility,” can I submit more that two applications in the same semester: e.g., I will be involved in four professional development activities in the semester, so I want to submit four PDG applications, two for $200 and two for $400?

ANSWER: YES. But keep in mind that (a) once you have reached the $400 maximum you cannot apply for the balance of the academic year and (b) you cannot resubmit unsuccessful applications in future semesters.

D) In #5 – #6 of “Guidelines for PDG Committee,” if I am in the ‘B-List’ and I am not selected, can I resubmit my application for the same event in the future semesters?

ANSWER: NO.

E) In #1 of “Eligibility,” can I apply for a PDG if I’m enrolled in the semester when I’m ‘accepted’ for the professional development activity, but I’m not enrolled (e.g., on leave) during the semester that I actually partake in the activity?

ANSWER: NO

F) In #2 – #5 of “Application procedure and deadlines,” does this mean if I submit my application in October, for example, then I won’t hear about my status until January? And then I have one month to submit supporting documentation. So if all is approved, then I won’t see my money until February?

ANSWER: YES. The process can be as short as one semester or as long as two semesters, depending on the time when you submit your application.

G) Because it takes so long to hear back about the status of an application, can I keep applying for other PDGs: e.g., I submit a PDG application in November and, even though I won’t hear about it until January, I submit another PDG application in January?

ANSWER: YES. You can keep doing this, but keep in mind that (a) once you have reached the $400 maximum you cannot apply for the balance of the academic year and (b) you cannot resubmit unsuccessful applications in future semesters.

H) In #7 of “Application procedure and deadlines,” what if I lose some receipts, can I still be reimbursed without receipts?

ANSWER: NO

I) In #9 of “Application procedure and deadlines,” can I apply for a PDG if the conference is in a semester other than the one allowed; e.g., I complete my graduation requirements in the fall but the conference in not until the following summer?

ANSWER: NO

J) In #9 of “Application procedure and deadlines,” can I apply for a PDG for an activity other than presenting at a conference?

ANSWER: NO

K) In #2 of “Award Terms Of Reference,” it states “pending available funds.” What exactly does this mean?

ANSWER: It means two things. First, the EGSA is funded by the Graduate Student Society (GSS). At present, the EGSA receives about $10,000 per academic school year. However, this may change in the future, and this funding may increase or decrease depending on GSS budget allocation. Second, from time to time, the EGSA may need to allocate funds to other matters of importance to the EGSA community, which may impact PDGs.