Conference Attendance Funds

Conference Attendance Funds

By awarding these funds, we hope to foster new ideas and increase our advising community’s level of expertise. We hope to reach faculty and staff who advise undergraduates and are seeking to stretch in new directions. The funds are not intended to substitute for department-budgeted professional development, but to allow faculty and staff to explore new opportunities.  

Academic Affairs anticipates making 10 funding awards for events occurring during each academic year (ending June 30) through June 2027, for a total of 30 awards over 3 years. Awards are limited to a maximum of $3000. See below for details about application cycles. 

Awards are available only for these pre-selected events. 

  • UERU Annual National Conference (usually in January) 

  • NACADA National Conference (usually in October) 

  • NACADA Regional Conferences (usually in March/April) 

  • NASPA Student Success Conference (usually in June) 

Who is eligible? 

  • Faculty and staff who advise undergraduates. This includes faculty and staff in all schools, Student Affairs, the Provost’s Office, and other central units. Full-time students are not eligible.  

  • Available only for those who have never previously attended the event for which they are applying for funding.  

What criteria will be used in deciding whether to award funding? 

A key purpose of these funds is to foster new ideas about and engagement with advising and student support work across the University. Thus, the primary criteria utilized in decisions about funding will be whether the individual faculty/staff has attended selected conferences before. Moreover, we will consider whether many other faculty and staff from an applicant’s unit have been to a particular event recently or have received funding awards in prior cycles. We will aim to spread the funding across departments. In instances where we receive multiple applications from the same unit, we may consult with unit leadership as we make decisions. Individual advisors can receive funding only once during the 3 year cycle of awards.  

Current Application Cycle 

Applications are due December 4, 2024 by 5 p.m. (extended from Dec. 2) for funding for several events occurring in January - April. We anticipate making up to 6 awards total for these events. Decisions will be emailed December 9. These events are: 

  • NACADA Regional Conferences (Several occur in March-April, including events in Buffalo, NY; Memphis, TN; and Jacksonville, FL.) 

Click Here to Apply

Future Application Cycles 

  • Future funding cycles will be announced here on an ongoing basis. In general, applications will be due 3-4 months in advance to allow faculty, staff, and their departments to plan well. Awards will be divided roughly evenly across events, with some adjustments possible in response to interest.  

  • While we anticipate making 10 awards of up to $3000 each year, the number of awards may be revised. In particular, if we receive a number of requests for lower amounts of funding, we may grant a larger number of awards. 

Additional Information about Funding 

  • Funds are not promised until the awardee is notified in writing (i.e., via email). Academic Affairs will not reimburse or cover expenses incurred without prior confirmation that funding has been awarded In other words, do not spend money on an event or associated travel until funding is confirmed by email. 

  • The employee receiving funds will be responsible for making their own arrangements and for following University travel and procurement guidelines. The employee will access funding by submitting an expense report through Workday, charged to the worktags that will be provided. Note that expenses paid with personal funds (i.e. charged to a personal credit card) will be reimbursed after the completion of the trip, and within 30 days. See here for more information andirect specific questions about travel reimbursements to UVA Finance. 

  • Prospective attendees do not have to give a presentation at the event in order to receive funding. They can just attend the conference 

About the Selected Events' Host Organizations 

  • UERU is the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities, a consortium of R1 & R2 institutions. Formerly known as the Reinvention Collaborative. More at ueru.org  UVA is an institutional member of UERU, with registration benefits that extend to individual faculty and staff. 

  • NACADA is the Global Community for Academic Advising. Virginia is part of Region 2, but several regions are nearby. More at nacada.ksu.edu UVA is an institutional member, although there are no associated registration benefits that extend to individual faculty and staff. 

  • NASPA is the organization for Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education. Each summer, they host a combined Student Success conference that focuses on 3 areas: assessment/data, first-gen students, & dismantling systemic barriers. More at naspa.org.