WIT Professional Development Fund

1. Submit your application by the deadline:
   • Summer (June)–perfect if you have professional development plans for the fall or spring
   • Fall (November)
2. Applications will be reviewed by the Professional Development Fund Committee and members of the WIT Leadership Team. 
3. Awardees will receive an award letter, including further instructions about how your department will be reimbursed for professional development costs.
4. Select a training, workshop, or conference of interest, and make arrangements and payment through your department.
5. After travel or training is complete, your department business office can submit a reimbursement request for the cost incurred, following the instructions in your award letter. Instructions will be shared with award winners. 
6. WIT funding will reimburse up to the approved amount set by the WIT Leadership Team.
7. Report Back

1. Application open window (dates may vary slightly some years due to holidays): June 1-30, November 1-30
2. Review of applications happens within two weeks of when the application closes
3. Award notification: No later than one month after the application deadline

Eligible Staff 

WIT Professional Development support is limited to University of Illinois staff members (permanent/non-visiting) with appointments of 50% or more. 

Allowable Use 

The awards may be used for University allowable expenses, including: 

• Conference, Seminar, Training, or Workshop registration fees, either on or off campus 
• Airfare 
• Travel expenses including Taxis, Trains, Buses, or Subways 
• Toll road charges or Parking charges 
• Lodging and Meals 

Award Limits 

• Each WIT Member shall be eligible to receive a maximum of one award every two fiscal years.
• Individual awards will not exceed $750, unless there are unusual circumstances.

Award recipients will be required to fill out a short survey about their experience and how they benefited professionally from the activity they used their funding for.  Recipients are expected to fill out this survey within 2 weeks of the completion of said activity.  

Optional: “Share Back” Activity  

Award recipients will also have to option to coordinate with the WIT Leadership Team to share what they learned to the larger WIT Membership in some form. This “share back” could take multiple forms (writing something for the WIT blog, giving a presentation, leading a discussion, etc) and can be decided after completing the funded activity. This is completely optional, but willingness to commit to completing a “share back” will be considered as part of the selection criteria when choosing award recipients.  

One way that recipients have shared back was by joining a WIT-moderated panel presentation at the IT Professionals Forum in November, 2025, discussing what they received the award for and how it benefited them.