Committee on Teaching and Faculty Development
Call for funding applications, 2025
Due Sunday, January 25, 2026 by 11:59 pm EST
COTFD is pleased to open the 2026 applications for faculty funding. Please read the information and updated instructions below.
What’s available?
COTFD offers funding in two different categories:
- Research/Scholarship) (fellowships and grants)
- Pedagogy (fellowships, grants, and professional learning communities)
More specific details for each are linked on the Google Form applications.
What’s the difference between a fellowship, a PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY, AND A grant?
- Fellowships and Professional Learning Communities provide general stipend funding. Fellowships are reported as income and are taxable. No budget justification required.
- Grants are awarded for assistance with the acquisition of specific materials/resources or professional development activities. Grants are typically not reported as income and are not taxable. Budget justification is required.
Who is eligible to apply?
All (1) full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty and (2) unit faculty (teaching faculty and core adjunct faculty) may apply for COTFD Fellowships and Grants.
All awards are contingent upon continued employment for the next academic year at Siena University. Special consideration will be given to first-time applicants.
Can I apply for multiple fellowships/grants?
While you may submit applications for multiple projects, you may receive funding for at most one project per academic year. You must submit a separate application for each project. Do not submit multiple applications per category. Projects submitted in the same academic year must be considerably different (i.e., please do not submit the same project to multiple categories). Do not submit multiple applications per category.
While you may apply for funding offered by both CoTFD and DAC, you may receive only one award per academic year.
What kinds of projects are EXCLUDED from COTFD grants?
- Assistance to complete advanced degrees or participation in specialized training programs;
- Costs to travel to a Siena-sponsored course offering in a foreign country;
- Development of a new course without the incorporation of specific pedagogical innovations;
- Equipment already available on campus;
- Materials or resources not directly related to methods, techniques, or innovations of pedagogy.
- Materials or resources that are typically funded through departmental, School, or other University budgets;
- Personal supplies;
- Previous work, training, or development;
- Previously acquired materials or resources;
- School or University needs;
- Travel that does not include a formal opportunity for faculty development
- Travel undertaken before January 31 of the application year.
What’s the timeline?
| December 3, 2025 | COTFD funding applications available |
| January 25, 2026 by 11:59 pm | All COTFD funding applications due via submission of Google Form (see below) |
| Late February 2026 | Notification of funding awards by the GFC |
| June 1, 2026 | Funding available |
| After completion of the fellowship or grant period |
Recipients are required to submit a summary of the research or creative activity to the Faculty Support Services Office by January 29 of 2027. Recipients may also be asked to present at a COTFD event during the following academic year. |
How do I apply?
All applications must be submitted via the relevant Google Forms.
How are the funding applications evaluated?
COTFD subcommittees anonymously evaluate proposals and report recommendations to the GFC. Deliberations about decisions are confidential. However, in order to prevent duplication of awards across all funding sources on campus, the COTFD and other funding committees will discuss decisions.
What does a successful funding application look like?
Examples of successful applications in each category, shared with permission
Remember that specific application instructions have changed over the years!