Professional Development Assignment (PDA) Application Logo

  • Professional Development Assignment (PDA) Application

  • Application Due Date: 8/1/2025 (must be submitted by 4:30 pm)

    According to Subvision 4.15c of the Faculty Handbook, only tenured faculty members are eligible to apply for Professional Development Assignments (PDA). A recipient of a PDA is ineligible for a subsequent PDA during the six academic years of active service following an award.

    The recipient of a Professional Development Assignment must abide by appropriate sections of the UNI faculty handbook, specifically Subdivision 4.15d.1 and 4.15d.2 which state "pursuant to state law and Board policy, the recipient of a Professional Development Assignment agrees to return to full-time employment for a period of not less than two years following the year of the award." "Failure to meet the conditions of Paragraph 4.15d.1 obligates the faculty member to pay the University an amount equal to all salaries and benefits received during the period of the assignment..."

    See additional PDA information here: https://provost.uni.edu/professional-development-assignment-pda

  • Faculty (Applicant) Information:

  • Previous PDA/SF Awards (if applicable):

    If you received a Professional Development Assignment or a Summer Fellowship from the University of Northern Iowa in the past, state the year of the award, Award Type (PDA or SF), the title of the project, and the outcome by indicating one of the following: publication, exhibition, performance, or presentation.

    (Provide most recent awards from within past 6 years, but no more than your last 10 awards).

     

    Examples:

    PDA, 2025, How Big Data is Causing Big Problems, Publication

    SF, 2025, Songs of the American MidWest, Performance

  • Project Proposal

  • Proposal components and evaluation criteria:


    Eligible Professional Development Assignment projects fall into one of three categories: 1) research; 2) creative activity; or 3) work toward a terminal degree.  All three categories are required to complete and submit an electronic Professional Development Assignment Application, which includes:

    • Previous UNI awards
    • Project Abstract (single spaced 350 words maximum)
    • Current Vita (five page maximum)
    • Proposal Components details (2500 words maximum)

    The following types of projects are not eligible for funding:

    • Curriculum development that is judged to be of a routine nature and thus an expected part of university teaching responsibilities;
    • Travel whose primary purpose is to broaden an individual perspective or to enhance classroom presentations.

    The recipient of a Professional Development Assignment must abide by appropriate sections of the UNI faculty handbook. In particular, the recipient of a Professional Development Assignment “shall agree either to return to the institution granting such assignment for a period of not less than two years or to repay to the State of Iowa such compensation as [the staff member] shall have received during such assignment.” (Iowa Code § 262.9(14))

     

    See additional PDA information here: https://provost.uni.edu/professional-development-assignment-pda

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  • Research project: Proposal Components

    Limit to 2500 words, including citations which can be single spaced. Format 1-inch margins, 12-inch fonts, 2500 words including references.

    • Context; Significance and objectives: What is the overall nature of the project? Specifically, what do you wish to accomplish? How does this project contribute to the scholarly discipline, your past research activity, and your career goals? How does your project fit within the established scholarly literature? Must mention how the project contributes to the improvement of the University and benefits the citizens of Iowa.
    • Methods and timetable: How will you accomplish the established objectives? What means will be used to evaluate completion of the objectives? Draw up a timetable that estimates yoru schedule during the assignment period. Indicate the status of Human Participant Review if needed for the project.
    • Dissemination and long-range importance: Describe specific plans for sharing the results of your research through scholarly presentations and/or publication. How will you build upon the results of your PDA work? Are there sources of external funding to expand the project?


    See additional PDA information here: https://provost.uni.edu/professional-development-assignment-pda

  • Creative activity: Proposal Components

    This can be any work of art/project, creative writing, music, theatre. Limit to 2500 words, including citations which can be single spaced.

    • Context; Significance and objectives: What is the overall nature of the project? Specifically, what do you wish to accomplish? How does this project contribute to the scholarly discipline, your past creative activity, and your career goals? How does your project fit within the established scholarly creative field? Must mention how the project contributes to the improvement of the University and benefits the citizens of Iowa.
    • Methods and timetable: How will you accomplish the established objectives? What means will be used to evaluate completion of the objectives? Draw up a timetable that estimates yoru schedule during the assignment period.
    • Dissemination and long-range importance: Describe specific plans to exhibit, perform, or publish the results of this activity. How does this PDA project fit into yoru future creative plans? Are there sources of external funding to expand the project?
       

    See additional PDA information here: https://provost.uni.edu/professional-development-assignment-pda

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