Please read all guidelines before continuing.

TRI-COUNTY TECHNICAL COLLEGE MINI-GRANT GUIDELINES

What is the Mini-Grant Program?
The Tri-County Technical College Foundation has established the Mini-Grant Program to encourage faculty and staff members to participate in professional development activities. Grants are awarded based upon proposals submitted by individuals to the Mini-Grant Selection Committee. Funding comes from the Faculty/Staff Endowment Fund.

Who can participate?
All members of Tri-County Technical College faculty or staff, full-time, part-time, or adjunct are eligible to apply.

How are the mini-grants awarded?
A selection committee consisting of a chair and eleven members is appointed with campus-wide representation. Selections are made based on funds availability and merit of the request based on criteria listed below. An individual may receive only one mini-grant per academic year, and the amount of that grant cannot exceed $1,000. A mini-grant is either fully funded up to $1,000 or not at all. The mini-grant is awarded to a specific individual for a specific activity and cannot be transferred to another individual or exchanged for another activity. Grants may be written to benefit a group; however, one person should submit the grant and will be required to manage the funds. The person receiving the grant will not be eligible for an additional grant within the same fiscal year. Grants will not be made to fund completed activities from a prior fiscal year. Non-permanent employees may only apply for an activity that will occur during the same semester as the funding of the grant. Each mini-grant must have supervisor approval, and those benefiting from mini-grants must be Tri-County Technical College faculty and staff.

When do I apply?

By Sept. 15 for awards made by Sept. 30

Criteria used for selection

• Development of skills that relate to one's job duties or one's EPMS or FPMS professional development plan
• Connection to the College's strategic plan
• Recognition to the College (e.g. presenting at conferences and work-shops or receiving an award)
• Extent to which the activity relates to an upcoming accreditation
• Supervisor comments
• Employment status

Examples of Fundable Mini-Grant Activities
The mini-grant program will pay for you to improve a skill or expand a knowledge that will help you to do a better job at Tri-County Technical College. Activities that meet this requirement might include the following:

• On-campus professional development activities (Might include teleconferences; could be at the departmental or divisional level; must be a College-sponsored event for Tri-County Technical College faculty and staff)
• Attendance at workshops, conferences, seminars, and institutes sponsored by professional organizations, educational institutions, and companies
• Enrollment in courses that apply to an advanced degree or to one's EPMS or FPMS professional development plan
• Exemplary site visits to other colleges, to industries, or to training sites for business and industry

Examples of Non-Fundable Mini-Grant Requests
(These guidelines are for mini-grants only and do not necessarily apply to other College funds.)

• Software or other materials (e.g. departmental books, supplies, or equipment for instructional purposes. Software designed as a training tool would be fundable.)
• Certification exam fees
• Reimbursement for tuition for courses completed prior to mini-grant request (could cover courses currently enrolled in)
• Reimbursement for loans for courses completed prior to mini-grant request
• Attendance at meetings for the management of associations, i.e. when serving as an officer of an association
• Accompanying students to student association meetings
• Sponsorship of events/workshops of external organizations
• A conference associated with your hobby, not your job at Tri-County
• A presentation for non-Tri-County Technical College employees (Some may be invited IF the primary audience is Tri-County employees.)
• Training needed for a non-Tri-County Technical College job
• A program/presentation primarily for students
• Any project that will not result in increased skills/knowledge you can use at Tri-County

How do I apply?
Complete this online Mini-Grant Proposal Form. You will receive an email well in advance of the deadline with instructions on how to access and complete the form.