Professional Development

  • Professional Development

Professional Development

 

The professional development of all faculty members is essential in the AAU’s quest for academic excellence. The active development of faculty members is needed to accomplish academic progress. Such development can be attained through active participation in activities such as the following:

  • Workshops
  • Seminars
  • Research
  • Lectures
  • Summer courses
  • Community activities
  • Conferences
  • Novel applications of instructional technology
  • Innovative projects for curriculum development

 

Applying for a Professional Development Fund 

The formal procedure for a faculty member to participate in any of these activities is as follows:

  • The faculty member submits an application to his/her department to get approval for the activity (see the relevant application form).
  • Approval from the College Council is also required before the faculty member receives final approval.
  • Approval from the University President.

 

Faculty Development Fund Proposal Guidelines

General

The AAU Faculty Development Fund (FDF) is administered as a competitive grants program. FDF awards are designed to help faculty conduct their proposed research. Submissions are limited to one proposal per principal investigator (or co-principal investigator) per competition. Funding of eligible projects may be requested.

 

Eligibility

A full-time faculty member may submit proposals, regardless of the number of previous FDF grants that they may have been awarded in the past, with the following restrictions applying:

  • An individual may not receive more than one grant in any one-year period and may not hold two FDF grants concurrently.
  • In order for an individual to receive subsequent FDF grants, the proposals must represent a significant new project, and the reporting requirements for the prior award must have been met.

Although the focus of the program is on individual faculty development, two or more eligible faculty members may submit a collaborative proposal, with the following restrictions applying:

  • One participant must be designated as the project director, and that person may not reapply to this grant program for a one-year period after an award is given.
  • Other members of a group award may reapply within the one-year period, but priority will be given to faculty who have not received a previous award, either individually or as a member of a collaborative group.
  • A subsequent award will not be made to any member of a group award for work that is in any way related to the original project, even though a different faculty member is designated as the project director.

 

Proposal Format

A complete proposal consists of the following four sections, in the order listed below. All figures and tables must be included in the eight-page proposal. Copies of surveys, tests, evaluation forms, or similar items, may be included as appendices, but are limited to five pages: 

  • A Cover Sheet’ containing a 100-200 word abstract of the project and the signature of the principal investigator’s Department Head.
  • Project Description’ (not to exceed eight pages). The content of this section will vary, depending on the nature of the project and the academic field of the applicant. Typically, the description will include a discussion of the nature of the problem to be investigated and its significance; the results of preliminary investigations, if any; goals and objectives; methodology, project design, or activities; and literature cited or bibliography. Also, include plans for the continuation of the grant activity.
  • Budget Amount and Budget Description’ of your budget needs (See ‘Budget Form’).
  • Curriculum Vitae’ of a maximum length of two pages.
  • Proposals that are late, incomplete, or in an incorrect format will not be reviewed.

 

Participating in Scientific Conferences

Regulations for Conference Participation

  • The faculty member should have worked at AAU for at least one year.

  • AAU’s name to appear along with the faculty member’s name (researcher).

  • The faculty member needs to apply as a sole author for a paper or to be the main researcher, which is accepted by the conference committee. In case the main researcher cannot attend, only the second author is allowed to participate provided a written approval from the main researcher is available.
  • The faculty member needs to have published (accepted for publication) two research papers in scientific refereed journals during his/her course of work at AAU and carrying AAU’s name.
  • The faculty member who has finished one year of service at AAU needs to have published one research paper during his/her course of work at AAU and carrying AAU’s name.
  • The research paper submitted to the conference must not have been presented at previous conferences or previously published in refereed journals.
  • The subject of the paper needs to fall within the conference topics.
  • The faculty member cannot participate in an overseas conference (outside UAE) more than once in an academic year.
  • The number of participants for a single conference cannot be more than two from the same academic department with priority given to date of acceptance of each paper.
  • The researcher should present a report on the conference proceedings and recommendations to the College Dean according to the applicable format.
  • The application needs to be submitted two months before the conference.
  • The conference must not be held during the final exams period.
  • The AAU President decides on cases and/or points not mentioned above.
 

Required Documents for Conference Participation

  • Recommendation letter from the College Dean to the AAU President to sponsor the faculty member at the conference.
  • Recommendation letter from the Department Head to the College Dean to sponsor the faculty member at the conference in question.
  • An application from the faculty member to the Department Head requesting approval to participate in a scientific conference.
  • Letter of acceptance from the conference to present the paper in the proceedings.
  • Information about the conference (Leaflet, etc.).
  • The research paper to be presented at the conference.
  • List of the papers published or accepted for publication, written by the faculty member during his/her course of work at AAU, carrying AAU’s name (Form R4).
  • List of conferences in which the faculty member participated during his/her course of work at AAU, sponsored by AAU (Form R5).
  • Registration fees receipt (if applicable).
  • Makeup classes timetable duly signed by the faculty member, Department Head and College Dean.
 

Expenses for Conference Participation

AAU covers the following expenses: 

  • Conference participation fees (if applicable)
  • A return ticket to the place of the conference (economy);
  • Applicable per diems; 1000 AED per day for North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong; 800 AED per day for the rest of the world.

The maximum amount should not exceed 10000 AED for North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong, and it should not exceed 8000 AED for the rest of the world.

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