Professional Development Fund
This Professional Development Fund (PDF) supports several areas of professional development for language instructors. All applicants should indicate clearly how this presentation will positively impact language instruction, and/or enhance existing or future language courses here at NU. The PDF supports the following areas of professional development:

1) Language instructors’ travel to professional meetings such as the ACTFL conference and participation in programs that benefit a lecturer's professional development (for example special workshops in technology, pedagogy, or linguistics) are eligible for PDF.
a) Applicants may expect travel reimbursement of up to 80% (but not to exceed $800 per request) if they deliver a paper or perform some equivalent function (give a talk, lead a discussion or a panel) at the professional meeting in question. Only papers with direct bearing on language pedagogy, as opposed to other forms of scholarly research, are eligible for support.
b) Applicants may expect travel reimbursement of up to 60% (but not to exceed $500 per request) for attendance at conferences or professional meetings at which they do not present, and for travel to programs or workshops that benefit a lecturer's professional development as a whole. This support is given to lecturers who a) need experience at conferences to be able to move on to the paper-presenting stage, and/or b) would benefit (for their programs as well as themselves) by scrutinizing new textbooks and other materials that may be available at conferences.
c) Support for travel to programs which benefit a lecturer's professional development such as special workshops in technology, pedagogy, or linguistics, also falls under this category. These requests may be funded up to 60% (but not to exceed $500 per request).

2) Language instructors may also apply for funds to support presentations tangentially-related to language teaching (i.e., presentations not directly related to language pedagogy) at conferences to which they have been accepted. Applicants should indicate clearly how this presentation will positively impact language instruction, and/or enhance existing or future language courses here at NU. Grant requests may be up to 80%, with a maximum of $200. Applicants are encouraged to solicit matching funds from their programs/departments, as well as from WCAS. These awards of support will be made as long as there are sufficient funds available, and those presentations directly related to language pedagogy have been funded.

The availability of the PDF does not alter the expectation that departments will share the cost of travel. Lecturers applying for travel subsidies through the CLI are encouraged to check with their department first about possible support through their department. Those PDF requests that fall within the guidelines found on the CLI webpage and that are for amounts of $100 or less will be funded at 100%, provided funds are available.

Applicants may be full-time or part-time lecturers in one of the language departments but must have at least one year of employment with Northwestern.

If there is an unusually large request for travel reimbursement in any given year, preference will be given to lecturers delivering papers at a conference or professional meeting. The final decision lies with the CLI Funds Request Committee.

What is supported?
Travel costs (flight, taxi, car, bus) Applicants are expected to make their travel arrangements well in advance and to check out several airlines to take advantage of the lowest fares. CLI will reimburse the lowest advertised fare only.
Hotel costs Applicants are expected to share their rooms with other conference attendees if at all possible.
Conference registration fees

What is excluded from support?
Meal expenses
Personal expenses such as hotel phone bills, conference purchases, etc.

How to apply for support?
There are two steps: Pre-approval of travel costs and reimbursement of travel cost:

Pre-approval of travel costs
In order to ensure a fair allocation of the fund, lecturers are asked to fill out a request for reimbursement by the deadlines. In order to be reimbursed for any travel, your request must be pre-approved. Please note, however, that the submission of a pre-approval form does not guarantee funding; the decision for financial support lies with the CLI Funds Request Committee.

Once you have filled out the pre-approval form, send it to the Treasurer of the Council on Language Instruction (John Paluch, Treasurer, CLI, Department of German, Kresge Hall 2-375). The CLI Funds Committee will then let you know how much of your request can be honored.

Reimbursement of travel costs
During your travel, please collect all of your receipts. CLI cannot reimburse you for costs for which you do not have a receipt. Once your travel is complete, fill out the reimbursement form and attach all your receipts. In addition, fill out a University travel reimbursement form which you can obtain from your departmental assistant.

Once you have filled out the all forms, send them to the Treasurer of the Council on Language Instruction (John Paluch, Treasurer, CLI, Department of German, Kresge Hall 2-375). It will take at least two to three weeks to process your request.