SHASS Travel and Discretionary Annual Fund
About the SHASS Travel & Discretionary Annual Fund
The Dean’s Office is excited to make available annual funds to all full-time faculty, instructional staff, and non-academic staff. We are committed to supporting systematic investment to make SHASS a rewarding place to work, learn, grow, and teach for all. These expenses should support professional activities related to your work.
Applying
How to apply
Expenses are to support your career and contributions to the SHASS community. Requests must be made to the section or department heads and the relevant director of finance and administration.
Tenure and tenure-track faculty can access up to $3,000 per year. All other staff can access up to $2,000 per year.
Lecturers must have completed a minimum of three semesters of teaching at SHASS before they are eligible to submit a proposal. Staff must have completed six months.
Eligibility criteria
All faculty ranks, academic and instructional staff, and non-academic staff (administrative, research, and support staff) are eligible. You must be considered full-time by MIT. Current chair holders are not eligible.
Conference travel must be sponsored by a professional society.
Important dates
You can apply year round for this fund.
Additional guidelines and resources
Additional guidelines
Prior approval must be obtained from either the department head or the director of finance and administration. Retroactive approval for travel or other items is expressly prohibited.
Unused funds in given years cannot be “carried forward” to subsequent years.
Roles and responsibilities
The individual applying for funding is responsible for:
- Ensuring that proposals are not personal in nature and have a clear and justifiable connection to your professional activity.
- Consulting with the assistant dean of finance and administration with any questions related to this policy.
The department leadership is responsible for:
- While units will entertain requests throughout the year, units are to provide the Dean’s Office with a funding request twice per year with a brief note justifying their approval of such activity.
- Ensuring and evaluating connection to professional activity.
- Appropriate tracking of requests.
- Raising questions about whether expenses are allowable with the assistant dean of finance and administration.
The Dean’s Office is responsible for:
- Fund the Travel & Discretionary Annual Fund through transfers to the approving unit.
- Audit approvals to ensure written approval was granted prior to expense or travel initiation.
- Review the program for effectiveness, impact, and inclusivity.
