The Affiliated Faculty Professional Development Fund (AFDF) supports the scholarly and creative activities of the affiliated faculty members of Emerson College. The Office of Academic Affairs administers the fund.
FY2026 Calendar
Note: Due dates that fall on a weekend or holiday will be deferred to the following business day.
January 17, 2025
AFDF is announced
March 17, 2025
AFDF applications are due via Google Forms
After March 17, 2025
Committee evaluation of all proposals and recommendations to the Provost regarding proposal support and level of funding
By May 5, 2025
The Provost, in consideration of the recommendations provided by the AFDF Committee, will make final selections and award determinations. The Provost will notify the committee in writing, electronically, about the final awards.
By May 16, 2025
AFDF recipients are notified that they are receiving the award.
July 2025 through June 2026
Approved projects conducted
June 15, 2026
Last day to request reimbursement for eligible expenses in Workday.
November 1, 2026
Final report due for projects conducted during FY2026.
Eligibility
To be eligible for these funds, the applicant:
- Must be a member of the Affiliated Faculty of Emerson College, American Association of University Professors (AFEC-AAUP);
- Must have taught at least one course during each of the prior three consecutive years, including the current academic year (2024-2025); and
- Must be slated to teach at least one Emerson course in the Academic Year for which the AFDF award will be granted (2025-2026).
Types of Activities Funded
- Travel and expenses leading to scholarly, peer-reviewed publications
- Travel and expenses leading to the production of creative and artistic works such as media productions, creative writing, performances, screenplays, exhibitions, audio and music productions, etc.
- Travel and expenses related to refereed conference presentations of scholarly or creative activities
- Travel and expenses related to presentations to industry-related conferences and conventions
- Expenses for attending seminars and conferences related to new course development
- Expenses for attending faculty development seminars and conferences to improve teaching skills
Types of Activities Not Funded
- Activities that are already defined as part of affiliated faculty members’ expected duties and responsibilities.
- Activities for which the affiliated faculty member is already receiving compensation, course release, or some other form of College support.
- Additional salary or compensation for Emerson faculty and staff.
- Retroactive expenses and activities
Criteria & Considerations
- Applications must be complete, clearly written, compelling, well defined and easily understood by all of the reviewers.
- Applications that are incomplete and do not follow directions may be disqualified.
- While applicants may apply for consecutive year awards, the committee will evaluate proposals that are a continuation of any previously funded projects to determine if funding is appropriate.
- Support for travel from the AFDF should be for activities that directly advance proposal activities.
- Applicants are required to submit a report of their project after completion.
- Applicants must be slated to teach at least one Emerson course in the academic year for which the AFDF award will be granted (2025–2026).
AFDF Application Form
ORCS utilizes Google Forms for AFDF applications. Completed Google Form applications must be submitted by the date listed in the calendar above.
Review and Selection of Applications
The AFDF Committee will review applications and make recommendations to the Provost regarding proposal support and level of funding. The Provost, in consideration of the recommendations provided by the AFDF Committee, will make final selections and award determinations.
The AFDF Committee
Applications will be reviewed by the Affiliated Faculty Professional Development Fund (AFDF) Committee (“the Committee”) consisting of five (5) adjuncts, three of whom will be elected by the affiliated faculty, and two of whom will be appointed by the Provost. Members serving on the committee are not eligible to apply for awards from the Fund in the year(s) on which they are reviewing applications.
Post-Award Management
AFDF funds awarded for a given fiscal year can only be utilized between July 1 of that year and June 15 of the following year. An example of the award cycle can be seen in the calendar above.
Expense reports for reimbursement must be initiated by the award recipient in Workday. ORCS will provide guidance on this and other processes as needed, and can also assist with vendor contracts, student hiring, and Workday Marketplace purchases.
Expense reports and purchases must be initiated by June 15 during a recipient’s award cycle, in order to receive payment by the end of the fiscal year (June 30), unless other guidance is issued by Finance. Any funds unused after June 30 shall revert to the College.
All publications resulting from the AFDF should contain the following acknowledgment: "This research [or project] was supported in part by a grant from the Emerson College Affiliated Faculty Professional Development Fund."
All capital equipment purchased with AFDF funds are property of the College, and shall remain at the College if a faculty member leaves. Applicants should consult the Academic Affairs guidance on Faculty Travel and Research Spending before expenditures are made, in order to ensure proper procedures and criteria are met. You may also contact ORCS with questions about allowable costs. It is the applicant’s responsibility to know and follow the College’s financial policies. A list of common budget items and whether they are allowed will be provided with your award letter.
Final Progress Report Requirement
Recipients of Affiliated Faculty Professional Development Fund grants must submit a final progress report by November 1st of the year their grant period ends. ORCS will email AFDF recipients with the link to the reporting form prior to this due date.