Overview
The Research and Professional Development Pool is a consolidated account for full-time Royal Roads University faculty members.
The funds can be used for expenses related to scholarly advancement, including travel expenses, attendance at conferences, and travel and related expenses for research activities. This is identified in Section 31.6 of the RRU Faculty Association Collective Agreement (2022–2025).
This funding is separate from the Personal Professional Development Fund (Section 31.4) and the RRU Internal Research Grants.
Research and Professional Development Pool funding can be used to complement activities being undertaken under the Personal Professional Development Fund and/or the RRU Internal Research Grants.
Eligibility
To be eligible for consideration for pool funds, each full-time faculty member will be required to submit an annual professional development/research plan and application for funds by February 15.
Applications are reviewed by a panel that includes the Deans of each Faculty, the Vice-President Academic and Provost and three (3) Faculty Members, with a minimum of one (1) Faculty Member from each of the Faculties, as appointed by the Faculty Association. The panel will decide which applications will be approved, reduced, or rejected.
Generally, applicants may only hold one Research and Professional Development Pool award at a time.
Applicants may apply for further Research and Professional Development Pool funds, once they have submitted their final written report for the previous award.
In cases where the funds of a previous award are not going to be expended before the February 15 application deadline, yet before March 31, applicants may apply for a further award. The receipt of this award will be dependent on the committee receiving a final report for the award currently held by March 31.
Award value
The value of each award will normally not exceed $4,000.
The Research and Professional Development Pool Panel will adjudicate the awards, so the total amount awarded does not exceed the budget allocated for that fiscal year.
If the total amount of applications exceeds the funds available, the panel can reduce the amount of individual awards or select applications to be held as alternatives should additional funds become available.
Application deadline
Email applications by midnight on February 15 to the email address on the application form. When February 15 falls on a weekend or a statutory holiday, the application deadline is midnight of the next business day.
An annual professional development or research plan must also be submitted with the application form.
Incomplete applications, late applications or applications not submitted as instructed will not be considered.
Selection criteria
Recommendations for funds by the Research and Professional Development Pool Panel will be based on the following selection criteria:
- complete professional development or research plan and application form, including budget with budget justification
- quality of the proposed development activities or research, as reflected in the significance, strength and feasibility of the activities or research
- relevance of the activity to the applicant’s professional or research plan
- relevance of the activity to the university’s mandate
- furthering career credentials or promotion in rank
It is recognized that not all applications will meet all five selection criteria.
Award requirements
Recipients of funds must submit a final written report to the email address noted on the report template by March 31 of the fiscal year for which funds were received.
Duration of award
The term of the award is up to one year, ending March 31. All funds are expected to be expended by March 31.
If award recipients are unable to complete the research within one year, they may request a one-year extension with justification and with a revised timeline.
The award recipient must complete the extension request form, and submit it to the Professional Development Pool Panel by February 15. There will be no further extensions.
Any unused funds will be returned to the Research and Professional Development Pool.
Post-award project changes
Once awarded, any significant changes to the proposed activity in terms of subject matter and budget expense categories must be discussed with the chair of the Research and Professional Development/Scholarly Activity Pool Panel and may require approval of the panel as a whole.