Conference Travel, Research, and Development Funds

Conference, Research, and Development (CRD) Funds Guidelines

• Conference Travel Guidelines

  Conference Travel Guidelines

  Please read the updated Travel Policy from the Finance Department.

  CRD requests must be submitted to the Dean of Academic Departments and Programs at least 2 weeks before departure. Travel arrangements made before approval may not be honored.

  The College will pay all reasonable expenses incurred for ground and/or air transportation. It is expected that faculty will avail themselves of the most economical and reasonable method of transportation.

  Faculty members are required to obtain original itemized receipts of expenses that exceed $25 per transaction (itemized receipts are required, however, for all cash transactions and personal credit card transactions regardless of amount). You may refer to the reimbursement guidelines for details. In reconciling your charges through the Workday system, you must scan your receipts and upload them in the "Expense Line" tab (not the "Attachments" tab) on Workday.

  With receipts, the maximum allowance for meals is $60 per day of travel, including tax and gratuities; $225 per night of travel, including tax, for room rent. For personal card mileage, please refer to the "IRS Standard Mileage Rate". This reimbursement rate includes gas and wear/tear. The Workday system keeps the rate current and so you do not need to calculate it by yourself. Additional room incidentals such as snacks and drinks are not reimbursable.

  If you travel internationally and it is not possible to obtain receipts for meals, the College’s per diem rate for meals is $45 per day maximum. Note that per diem is not available for domestic travel.

  When the activity is complete, send the DADP a short (250 words max) report describing the results of the activity and reconcile your expenses through the Workday system using your Research and Travel (R&T) activity number and your department cost center number. Please put “2026-27 CRD” whenever you see the “Memo” field on Workday. Expenses must be reconciled before the end of the fiscal year.

  To be eligible for CRD funding in future years, the report must be received, your FAS or CV on file must be current, all expenses for the current year must be reconciled, and your R and T account must be in good standing (zero or positive balance).

  For questions, please contact Dean Kara Doyle at dadp@union.edu or Emily Tong at tonge@union.edu.

• Research Guidelines

  CRD funds can be used to support faculty research in the following ways:

  Travel – Funded if it is necessary for the faculty member to work at a facility that has a unique piece of equipment that is necessary for the project, or to use resource materials, interview persons, etc., not located near Union College. If traveling by air, it is expected that applicants will make every effort to obtain the least expensive fares. Please refer to the updated Travel Policy for details.

  Food Expenses - Faculty members may request up to $60/day for food with receipts. Food expenses cannot account for more than 25% of the total research budget. This means that for a budget for $3,000, no more than $750 can be allocated for meal expenses. Note that the allowance is not intended to cover the actual cost of meals every day, but rather it is a subsidy in recognition of the fact that while traveling, meal expenses are higher than when living at home. Please refer to the updated Travel Policy for details.

  Research Assistants – Research assistants are fundable but generally not for the purpose of typing or other secretarial tasks. Projects employing student summer research assistants should normally first seek support from Union’s Summer Student Fellowship Program.

  Equipment, IT Support and Computer Software, Audio Visual Equipment – CRD funds may not be used for these purchases. Please apply for FRF and HFRF funds for these purposes.

  Faculty Summer Salaries – CRD funds may not be used for faculty summer salary.

  Release Time – CRD funds may not be used for course release time for faculty members.

  When the activity is complete, send the DADP a short (250 words max) report describing the results of the activity and reconcile your expenses through the Workday system using your Research and Travel (R&T) activity number and your department cost center number. Please put “2026-27 CRD” whenever you see the “Memo” field on Workday. Expenses must be reconciled before the end of the fiscal year.

  To be eligible for CRD funding in future years, the report must be received, your FAS or CV on file must be current, all expenses for the current year must be reconciled, and your R and T account must be in good standing (zero or positive balance).

  For questions, please contact Dean Kara Doyle at dadp@union.edu or Emily Tong at tonge@union.edu.

• Professional Development Guidelines

  Professional development activity is defined as any workshop, seminar, coaching, or other structured activity that will improve your ability to do your work (research, teaching, service) as a Union faculty member. The following categories of individual professional development activities may be funded using CRD. Faculty wishing to apply for CRD funds to pursue professional development opportunities not described here should first consult the Dean of Academic Departments and Programs for approval. Travel connected to professional development activity will be funded according to the updated Travel Policy.

  Academic success programs – Seminars, retreats, workshops, or other programs, normally offered by academic disciplinary or national organizations, and designed to develop productivity skills, time management skills, or other career skills including academic leadership. Examples might include the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)’s Faculty Success Program, or the Society for Women Engineers (SWE)’s Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering (ALWE) program.

  Writing or academic workshops and/or coaching – Seminars, retreats, workshops, or other programs, normally offered by academic disciplinary or national organizations, and designed to help faculty advance their scholarly work (for example, to develop grant or book proposals). If you wish to work with an independent provider such as an academic coach, the provider must have a certification or equivalent experience and a current W9, and be approved ahead of time by the Dean of Academic Departments and Programs.

  Pedagogical workshops or programs – Seminars, workshops, or retreats offered by organizations external to Union College and designed to develop pedagogical skills.

  Local Conferences/Support Groups – Up to $500 of CFD funds may be used to partially support local affiliation conferences or multi-institutional writing support groups that will directly facilitate progress in the applicant’s scholarship; the expectation is that other institutions with faculty attending will also contribute to funding the event.

  When the activity is complete, send the DADP a short (250 words max) report describing the results of the activity, and reconcile your expenses through the Workday system using your Research and Travel (R&T) activity number and your department cost center number. Please put “2026-27 CRD” whenever you see the “Memo” field on Workday. Expenses must be reconciled before the end of the fiscal year.

  To be eligible for CRD funding in future years, the report must be received, your FAS or CV on file must be current, all expenses for the current year must be reconciled, and your R and T account must be in good standing (zero or positive balance).

  For questions, please contact Dean Kara Doyle at dadp@union.edu or Emily Tong at tonge@union.edu.

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  This FAQ and the CRD guidelines will be updated as new issues surface. Send additional questions to Emily Tong at tonge@union.edu.

  What is CRD?

  CRD is Conference, Research, and Development funding for faculty. Available funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds have been allocated for the year.

  Who is eligible to apply?

  All faculty with R and T accounts may apply; in addition, Academic Affairs full-time administrators or librarians who teach at least one course a year may apply.

  What is the funding period and when can I apply?

  CRD funding follows the fiscal year, which spans July 1 to June 30 each year. It is available on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds have been allocated for the year.

  • You can apply for CRD funding for AY 2026-27 if you have submitted a Faculty Activities Sheet (FAS) or a current CV to fas@union.edu for the current academic year, have reconciled all your Union card charges on Workday for 2025-26, and have a zero or positive balance in your R and T account.
  • If you have already been granted conference travel funds for AY 2026-27, you may apply for more CRD funds up to the $3000 total.
  • If you need funding for an activity that spans the transition between fiscal years, contact Dean Kara Doyle at dadp@union.edu copying Emily Tong at tonge@union.edu to discuss.

  What is the maximum CRD amount I can apply for in a fiscal year?

  The maximum amount you can request within a funding period, i.e. from July 1 to June 30, is $3,000. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis as long as the funds are available. Multiple applications for the same fiscal year are allowed, but the total amount requested may not exceed $3,000.

  How soon will I get the approval?

  You may get the approval within a week if the information submitted is all clear with supporting documentation. Note that applications will not be approved if the faculty’s R&T account balance is negative.

  What activities are eligible for CRD funding?

  Faculty can use CRD to attend conferences (whether presenting or attending), do research in their field, and engage in professional development activity. Note: This funding cannot be used to purchase research equipment.

  What is the difference between CRD and FRF/HFRF? Can I apply for both?

  You can apply for both CRD and FRF/HFRF. It is up to you to decide how much CRD to dedicate to research activity in a given year. If you need additional funds to support research, apply for FRF/HFRF.

  CRD	FRF/HFRF
  supports conference travel, research, and professional development	supports research only
  apply at any time	one application round each term
  no research equipment/ computer/software purchases	supports research equipment/computer/software purchases
  applications assessed by DADP office	applications assessed by faculty committee
  eligible faculty can apply every year	faculty who have received FRF/HFRF funding three times in last five years must wait till spring round
  funds must be spent by end of fiscal year	funds available until spent
  administered by DADP office	administered by DADP office

  What professional development activity can be paid for with CRD funds?

  Professional development activity is defined as any workshop, seminar, coaching, or other structured activity that will improve your ability to do your work (research, teaching, or service) as a Union faculty member. Examples might include productivity coaching, faculty time management seminars, grant-writing workshops, book development workshops, faculty success programs, training in new pedagogical or research methods, education for course development purposes, training on research equipment, or leadership training. See the guidelines above for details. If you want to request CRD funding for another activity that you think would support your ability to do your work as Union faculty, contact Dean Kara Doyle at dadp@union.edu copying Emily Tong at tonge@union.edu to discuss.

  What should I do if I want to purchase research equipment, or if the CRD funding is not enough for my research project?

  In these cases, faculty may supplement CRD by applying for Faculty Research Funding (FRF) or Humanities Faculty Research Funding (HFRF). The maximum FRF/HFRF grant amount is $3,500 for each project or proposal. Faculty can apply for FRF or HFRF by the end of Week 3 of each term. The guidelines for FRF and HFRF still apply. For assistance with external grants, contact Mercedes Susi, Director of College Grants and Sponsored Programs, at susim@union.edu.

  Can I combine this year’s CRD funding with next year’s CRD funding?

  No. All approved CRD must be used by the end of June 30. If you need CRD funds for an activity that spans the transition between fiscal years, contact Dean Kara Doyle at dadp@union.edu copying Emily Tong at tonge@union.edu to discuss the best way to apply.

  Can I apply for CRD funding retroactively?

  No. You must get approval first before making any plans.

  How is CRD different from the Internal Education Fund (IEF)?

  Unlike CRD, the Internal Education Fund supports innovative or unusual class-related activity that enriches the student experience in a course being offered at Union. The IEF application process remains the same. The maximum amount is $3,000 and the application deadline is the end of Week 3 of each term.

  Can I apply for CRD, FRF or HFRF, and IEF all in a single fiscal year?

  Yes.

  What should I do after my activity is finished?

  You should keep all itemized receipts during the trip and reconcile them to your Research & Travel (R&T) account on Workday. Enter “20XX-XX CRD” (e.g. 2026-27 CRD) whenever you see the “Memo” field to let us know what expenses are under CRD so Emily Tong can reimburse the total to your R&T account. You should then submit a brief report (250 words max.) to Dean Kara Doyle at dadp@union.edu copying Emily Tong at tonge@union.edu. If you need detailed instructions on how to reconcile charges on Workday, please contact Emily Tong.

  How do I check my R&T account balance?

  Follow these steps:

  • Go to Workday. Enter “Budget to actual by cost center” in the search bar.
  • Enter your department’s cost center number. Select the latest month and FY. Click “Operating budget.”
  • Scroll down to the bottom and you’ll see the field “Worktags.” Enter your R&T account number.

  If you don’t know your cost center and R&T account number, please email Emily Tong at tonge@union.edu.