Professional Opportunities Development Funding
The GPSC recognizes that graduate and professional student education is advanced by events promoting the development of skills necessary to succeed in their fields of study. Therefore, the GPSC strives to support professional development initiatives of graduate and professional students through Professional Opportunity Development funding. Such initiatives and events include, but are not necessarily limited to academic seminars, conferences, meetings with industry representatives, etc. Any group of at least three graduate and/or professional students can apply to the GPSC for funding to support a POD event they are directly involved in planning. It is in your organization’s best interest to apply early because it may take up to two months to receive funding. Please see the evaluation process below for more information. Please refer to the following guidelines for details about this funding opportunity. Questions regarding any part of the application process may be directed to the GPSC Club and POD Funding Administrator at gpsc@email.arizona.edu
POD Funding Guidelines
Click or enter to reveal information below Click or enter to hide information belowAll applicants are responsible for reading all the information on this website before applying, and will be held to the standards elucidated. Please use the GPSC Club and POD Funding Flow Chart if you are confused about which type of funding to apply for.
- There is a maximum award of $1,500 allowed for any given event or project.
- At least three UA graduate and/or professional students must be directly involved in the event for which funding is sought.
- A graduate and/or professional student can only be directly involved in one successfully funded POD project or event per fiscal year. Directly involved is defined as being listed on a previously funded application.
- The event or project being funded must take place within six months of the application deadline.
- Speaker honoraria may be funded up to $500, with additional funding for travel and lodging as deemed reasonable. Honoraria should be based on the speaker, the number of anticipated attendees and the size of the event. Lodging may only be provided for the days the speaker is committed, plus one night. The funded amounts for speaker honoraria and lodging are determined on a case-by-case basis.
- Applicants should compare the current budget and event to past years’ events if applicable, including how and why the event and budget changed, but this does not guarantee that the event will be funded again.
- Events may be advertised on the GPSC calendar upon request since all events should be open to, at a minimum, all graduate and professional students.
- A follow-up report will be required of all recipients of funding. Information that should be included are amount of funds allocated and used, number of attendees, affiliation of attendees, program schedule, etc.
- Activities that could otherwise be funded through our Travel Grants program will not be considered for POD funding.
- The activity or potential activities must be in keeping with the mission of the University of Arizona and the GPSC.
- Acknowledgement of the GPSC’s support is expected on all announcements and public materials. The GPSC logo will be provided for use if funding is awarded.
- Allocated funds may only be used for the purposes for which they were approved by the GPSC.
- It is the responsibility of the organization to ensure that allocated funds are spent in accordance with University of Arizona and Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) policy.
- If the final cost of an approved item exceeds the budgeted amount, the GPSC will not pay the difference.
- As per the ABOR policy, UA Printing and Publishing has the first right of refusal for all large print jobs done by any club or organization at UA, excluding jobs done at Fast Copy. The GPSC will not be able to pay for items printed off-campus without prior approval from UA Printing and Publishing.
- The GPSC may fund politically oriented or religious organizations solely for the administration, execution, or maintenance of non-partisan/non-political/non-religious programs, services or special events deemed beneficial to the student body by the GPSC Appropriations Committee. For purposes of organization funding, "political" is defined as "having to do with the organization of individuals who seek to control or influence the action of those who manage the affairs of the state." "Religious" is defined as "having to do with an organization of individuals combining a particular system of faith and worship recognized and practiced by a particular church, sect, or denomination." The Committee funds only secular, non-sectarian activities.
- The GPSC Appropriations Committee reserves the right to transfer a POD Funding application to a Club Funding application.
- If the final cost of an approved item is less than 90% of the originally budgeted amount, then that organization will be required to reimburse the GPSC the difference. If an organization fails to reimburse the GPSC, that organization will not be eligible to apply for a future POD grant until reimbursement is made.
How to reimburse GPSC
Write a check for the difference, amount of award less amount expensed. Make the check out to "The University of Arizona" and write "GPSC Club and POD Funding Refund" in the memo field. You can either hand deliver the check to the GPSC Club and POD Funding Administrator at the GPSC Office located in the Student Union, Room 323A, or you can mail the check to the GPSC mailing address posted below.
The University of Arizona
PO Box 210017
Student Union Memorial Center
Administration Office, Room 403
Attn: GPSC Club & POD Funding Administrator
Tucson, AZ 85721
POD Funding Evaluation Criteria
Click or enter to reveal information below Click or enter to hide information belowApplications will be judged by the GPSC Appropriations Committee on whether they are worthy of funding depending on how well they follow the aforementioned guidelines, and based on the following criteria:
- How complete and detailed the proposed budget is on the application. For example specific costs of items, plane ticket, local hotel’s price per night must be itemized (i.e. hotel cost = $278.50, NOT $300).
- How well the item or event educates, enhances, or enriches UA graduate and/or professional students, and the University community.
- The extent to which the event advances the academic or professional development of graduate and/or professional students.
- The quality of the application and faculty letter of recommendation.
- The financial status of the organization and its effort to seek alternative funding. GPSC funding is intended to be supplemental to a group's fundraising efforts, not a guaranteed base. The GPSC Appropriations Committee gives preference to organizations who seek alternative funding and priority may be given to students in programs with fewer resources.
- How the event compares to the previous years' events if applicable. Applicants should address how successful the event was last year and to what extent the program and schedule changed and why.
The potential positive impact of the event on the professional development of the graduate and/or professional students involved, the benefit to the University community, the range of appeal of the event, and the originality of the event are key factors in evaluating all applications for funding. The GPSC Appropriations Committee will pay particular attention to the degree to which graduate and/or professional students are involved in the planning and implementation of the event. Requests that accurately and clearly reflect the resources needed to hold the event or carry out the project for which funding is requested will be viewed positively by the GPSC Appropriations Committee. Applicants are advised to specifically address the aforementioned criteria in the Event Description in the POD Funding application.
POD Funding Application Requirements
Click or enter to reveal information below Click or enter to hide information belowThe GPSC supports the sustainability initiative at the University of Arizona to eliminate paper applications. Application packets must be submitted electronically through our online POD application webform. It must be received by 5:00pm (AZ time) on the deadline date to be considered. In the event that a given deadline does not fall on a business day, applications must be received by noon of the first business day following the posted deadline. All subsequent communication with applicants will be through email. No physical copies or email application of any material will be accepted.
The application packet consists of:
- The completed POD Funding Application, containing contact and financial info, event synopsis, and proposed budget.
- A letter of recommendation from a UA faculty member (scanned copy is acceptable).
- A brief biography of any invited speakers.
- A list of at least three graduate and/or professional students directly involved in the planning of the event and the number of semester/credit hours they have completed at the University of Arizona, signed by all the students listed (scanned copy is acceptable).
- A statement signed by all students mentioned above stating that they are in good academic standing.
- Please complete the appropriate club funding application form and all the required information as a single PDF. No upload may exceed 4 MB.
POD Funding Prohibited Items
Click or enter to reveal information below Click or enter to hide information belowThe GPSC will not fund the following items:
- Food and refreshments
- Philanthropic events
- Academic materials used for tutorial purposes
- Mailings for organizational minutes
- Awards, trophies, gifts, and gift cards
- Entertainment not open to the entire student population
- Reimbursement for a charge that would be payable after the use of the good or service is incurred by an organization (e.g. monthly phone bill, cable TV charge) except for travel costs.
- Alcohol
POD Funding Evaluation Process
Click or enter to reveal information below Click or enter to hide information belowFollowing each deadline, the GPSC Club and POD Funding Administrator reviews and prepares all POD Funding applications. The administrator then provides them to the GPSC Appropriations Committee, which is chaired by the GPSC Treasurer, for review. The GPSC Appropriations Committee reviews the applications and votes to fully, partially or not fund applications based on whether or not they met the aforementioned criteria. Departments or organizations that do not receive POD Funding may reapply.
The GPSC Treasurer and/or Club and POD Administrator conveys the recommendations from the GPSC Appropriations Committee to the GPSC General Council for their approval. A simple majority of the GPSC General Council is needed to confirm the GPSC Appropriations Committee’s recommendation. Decisions of the GPSC General Council are duly notified to the applicants by the GPSC Club and POD Funding Administrator. As the GPSC currently represents a broad spectrum of academic areas, members of the GPSC Appropriations Committee do not vote on applications from people that they know.
Depending on the date of receipt of the application and the total number of applications submitted that round, it may take up to four weeks to receive a funding decision. Questions regarding any part of the application process may be directed to the GPSC Club and POD Funding Administrator.
POD Funding Appeal Process
Click or enter to reveal information below Click or enter to hide information belowGroups who apply for POD Funding may appeal a funding decision if they wish. Follow these guidelines and steps:
- All appeals shall be submitted in writing to the GPSC Assembly Chairperson within 10 working days of notification regarding a funding decision.
- An appeals committee shall be formed by the GPSC President consisting of the GPSC Appropriations Board Chairperson and two other GPSC members.
- The appeals committee shall review the appeal and forward their decision to the GPSC Council for a final decision.
- All appeals must be initiated by the original POD funding applicant, and a representative of the applicants must be notified of the GPSC meeting where the appeal shall be heard.