HART Funds (Annual Research and Travel)

Hamilton Annual Research and Travel (HART) Funds for Faculty

 

Beginning in 2023-24, the College will provide faculty members with Hamilton Annual Research and Travel (HART) funds to support their professional travel and scholarly/creative work. Funds may be used to directly support pedagogical and scholarly or creative activities that promote a faculty member’s intellectual enrichment and allow you to grow as a teacher-scholar. These funds can be used to support attendance at professional conferences or other travel related to one’s research. During this pilot period, unspent HART funds at the end of the fiscal year will not rollover to the subsequent year. HART funds can be used during periodic leaves and do not affect eligibility for Grants Activity Fund or Gertrude F. Bristol sabbatical support.  Faculty members who anticipate that their research and conference/travel costs will exceed the $4,000 HART allotment may seek supplemental funding through the Faculty Teacher-Scholar Award Program.

Who is eligible?

Faculty in tenured, tenure-track, professor of instruction, physical education, special appointment, and visiting positions (as defined by the Faculty Handbook) of half-time or greater, will be allocated $4,000 of HART funds in each fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). Faculty with professorships providing endowed funds for research and travel, pre-tenure faculty with startup funds, and faculty holding postdoctoral positions with a dedicated research allowance will be eligible for one conference trip, up to $4,000 from HART funds annually. Normally, lecturers are not eligible for professional development funds; however, you may reach out to your associate dean to explore options for support. Emeriti faculty are eligible for up to $2,500 reimbursement annually for a professional conference at which they are presenting their scholarship.

What expenses can I use my HART funds for?

All funds allocated to individual faculty members (HART funds, startups, professorships, postdoctoral research expenses, etc.) are to be used to support the development of your pedagogical, scholarly and/or creative work. Expenses must follow our spending policies in order to be paid or reimbursed. Please review the funding sources and spending guidelines for specific details and restrictions.

Due to the volume of end of fiscal year processes, new requests to purchase goods or services received by the DOF after May 31 will be posted to the subsequent fiscal year.  All other receipts or final documentation must be turned in to the Business Office by mid-July, or the expense will be posted to the subsequent fiscal year.

How do I use my HART funds?

To use HART funds, faculty can simply log their uses in the appropriate faculty travel or research forms. Approval from your Associate Dean is no longer required, but spending will be reviewed for tracking purposes.  By submitting a request, faculty are affirming that the requested support is consistent with Hamilton and DOF spending guidelines. Please note when logging your use of funds, the travel and research forms will ask about professional development associated with this activity. Responses will be used for donor relations reporting through Advancement. A donor support response is required when submitting a travel or research form.

Please refer to the spending guidelines for steps and policies related to travel as well as purchasing small or large dollar items.   

What if I anticipate that my professional development needs in a given year will exceed the $4,000 allowance?

Faculty members who anticipate that their research and conference/travel costs will exceed the $4,000 HART allotment can submit a Supplemental Funding Request (check the appropriate box on the Research or Travel form). In addition, each year, the Dean of Faculty invites proposals for competitive awards that may supplement HART funds.  Please visit the Development Awards page for more information and specifically see:

Faculty Teacher-Scholar Awards

The Dean of Faculty invites faculty to submit proposals for Faculty Teacher-Scholar Awards supporting course and pedagogical development; research and creative work; and international and domestic research travel. Proposals are reviewed biannually on December 1 and March 31.

Faculty pedagogical awards for supplemental teaching enhancement 

Pedagogical awards are advertised each spring for summer and/or academic year support. The deadline for applications is March 31. More information can be found at this link. Awards include:

• FYC Course Development Award
• The Class of 1966 Career Development Award
• The Class of 1963 Faculty Fellowship
• Dean's Pedagogical Development Award