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Academic Leaves, Grants, & Fellowships

Aside from my salary, is there any money to support my work?

Yes. In addition to money available from the University's Office of Research Administration, your Faculty, and many external agencies, YUFA has bargained for nine funds expressly to support the professional work of YUFA members.

One of these funds is disbursed each May - the Professional Expense Reimbursement.

Three of the funds are given to the Faculties / Library or academic units to distribute. They are: 

• Faculties / Library Research Grants ($325,000 per year)
• Junior (Untenured) Faculty / Librarian Fund ($110,000 per year)
• Conference Travel Fund ($280,000 per year).

To find out more about these funds, ask your Chair, Dean, or Executive Officer.

The remaining five funds are described in more detail below.

What is the Professional Expense Reimbursement (PER)?

It's a grant deposited each May in your research account, which can be used to buy products and services required to carry out your professional responsibilities, e.g., books, software, supplies for artists, research travel, and Internet connections. Note that purchases become the property of York University, though in practice, they are for your use exclusively.

The PER in 2009-2012 is $1450 annually. Research Accounting will require your receipts. To get a form, contact your Department or Faculty office or York Research Accounting.

What is the YUFA Junior Faculty / Librarian Fund?

This fund supports the research of untenured faculty and the research and professional development of untenured librarians, to the tune of $110,000 a year. Every November Deans, the Principal, and the University Librarian send notices inviting applications.

For which of the five other sources of YUFA support can I apply?

Applications for these funds go to YUFA for adjudication by joint committees of YUFA and Employer representatives. Each is described further below.

What does the Leave Fellowship do for sabbaticants?

It provides peer-adjudicated grants for people on their second or subsequent sabbatical. You're eligible only if your sabbatical will be for a full year, not if it's for 6 months. For more information, click here.

Tell me more about the Teaching-Learning Development Grants.

You can apply for up to $2500 (or $5000 for a group project). Eligible expenses include workshop organising, technical assistance, research expenses, speakers' expenses, conference travel, and convening conferences. Expenses for computer hardware or creation of a traditional textbook are a lower priority. Routine development of course materials and inviting guest lecturers to individual classes are ineligible.

A committee evaluates applications, consisting of a 1000-word statement plus budget, for: whether they'd improve the process of teaching (rather than disciplinary competence); how clearly they describe the project and its planned outcome; their value to other instructors; their innovation and feasibility; and the suitability of their budgets.

Among the projects granted awards in the last few years are:

• Gyrontonic / Gyrokinesis Training (Fine Arts),
• York Vision Science Summer School (FSE),
• New Pedagogies for the Anthropology of the Senses (LA&PS).

For more info, click here.

What about the Release-Time Teaching Fellowships?

You can apply for a reduction of up to half your normal course load to develop innovative teaching and learning projects or enhance your teaching skills (as opposed to your disciplinary competence). To be eligible, a project must go well beyond what developing a new course normally entails. Projects involving creating a traditional textbook are a low priority.

The fellowship doesn't come with any money, but you may apply for a Teaching-Learning Development Grant (above) at the same time.

The criteria for evaluating these applications are much the same as for the Grant proposals. The 1000-word statements are reviewed for: whether they'd improve the process of teaching (rather than disciplinary competence); how clearly they describe the project and its product; their value to other instructors; and their innovation and feasibility. You'll also need letters of support from colleagues.

Projects for which Release-Time Teaching Fellowships were awarded recently include:

• Developing a Canadian Health Service Financial Management Casebook (Health),
• To restructure the archaeology curriculum within the Anthropology Dept. (LA&PS),
• Formalizing applied research opportunities in neuropsychology and management of cognitive disorders (Glendon).

For more info, click here.

What are Educational Leaves?

These leaves provide teaching / equivalent release-time so that members (except CLAs) can participate in programs of study for professional development or increasing breadth of qualifications. Leave can be for part of a year, a full year, or more than a year.

A committee assesses your 3-page application for its timeliness, feasibility, and anticipated benefits to you and the Employer. Your application must include supporting documentation, e.g., enrolment in workshops, and letters of admission to formal programs. You'll also need a letter from your Dean / Principal / University Librarian assessing your application in terms of the academic needs of your home unit, Faculty, or the University. Finally, where appropriate, you'll need letters of support from colleagues.

Recent examples of projects of study are:

• Continuation of Studies at the doctoral level in Humanities program ( Libraries),
• Enrollment in writing workshops (LA&PS),
• Psychoanalyst training (Education).

For more info, click here. 

And the Research Development Fellowships (RDFs)?

RDFs provide tenured faculty and librarians, who have at least 5 years full-time service at York, with up to a full-year's release time. The time is to be spent completing a project that has been stalled by heavy service, teaching, or professional responsibilities. Applicants are eligible even if they qualify for an imminent sabbatical.

A committee assesses applications, which include the amount of time requested, a description of the project and its methods, an explanation of its significance, a timetable, one letter from a referee familiar with the work and research area, and another attesting to the factors that delayed the project.

Some project delays cited in successful applications have included work as Chair, YUFA Executive Officer, editor of a journal, president of a large professional association, and Chair of a committee undertaking extraordinary tasks.

For more info, click here.

When are the deadlines?

Exact deadlines are announced annually: click here. In fairness to everyone, late applications will not be considered.

More info?

• Your Collective Agreement, clauses 19.19 (educational leaves), 19.29-19.33 and Appendix L (support for teaching & research), 20.07 & 20.17 (sabbatical support), and 25.08 (PER)
• YUFA Leaves & Fellowships

Version: January 2010