In 2025-26, UUP will be engaging in a round of Individual Development Award grants through our UUP/Jt. Labor Management IDA Program.
All SUNY Cortland UUP Represented Faculty and Professional Staff (full and part-time) are eligible.
Applications Accepted from January 5 – February 13, 2026
The State of NY/United University Professions Joint Labor-Management Committees allocated funding to SUNY Cortland for the Individual Development Awards (IDA) Program for the following period:
July 2, 2025 through July 1, 2026 — $$42,195.17
-Employees may request an award for up to two projects or activities within the time period, with a maximum total award of $2,000 per employee.
ELIGIBLE PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES:
IDA funds are intended to assist eligible employees in developing their full professional potential by enhancing teaching, research, improving professional knowledge and skills, and in preparing for advancement by reimbursing the following:
- Registration fees for conferences or workshops.
- Professional organization membership fees which are bundled with a free or reduced members-only rate for conference or workshop attendance expenses.
- Travel and related expenses (including lodging and meals (breakfast and dinner)).
- Tuition at the maximum allowable SUNY rate at the time of application, excluding associated fees.
- Fees for licensing or certification exam prep courses (e.g., USMLE Step 3 exam, medical board exam, or bar exam prep course, etc.). For reimbursement of exam fees, go to https://oer.ny.gov/nysuupclefr
- Fees for continuing education courses (e.g., CME or CLE courses).
- Entrance or access fees to institutions or archives that house materials which are related to, and the review or use of which is necessary, to complete the research or artistic endeavor.
Funds are also available for expenses related to professional development projects or activities that are not provided by the employee’s campus, department, program, or through other funding sources, including research materials, short term use of specialized equipment, services for skills, and costs associated with publication as follows (see attached guidelines for more specific requirements for these categories, as they may require supervisor approval and multiple bids or justifications):
- Consumable artistic or research materials, which are necessary to complete the research or artistic endeavor (e.g., reagents, antibodies, dyes, art supplies, sheet music).
- Fees for short term use of specialized equipment or skills (e.g., sound mixing/engineering, recording studio fees, videorecording and editing fees, performance space rentals, real time PCR testing, RNA sequencing).
- Costs associated with publication (e.g., copyright or licensure fees, journal page charges, and stipends or fees for indexers, proof reading, translations).
Guidelines
- All expenses must be incurred during the time period above. (If some activity dates are outside the period, only the portion within the time period can be funded.)
- Up to two eligible activities may be funded. Both activities may be placed on one application.
- Part-time employees are particularly encouraged to apply.
- The Cortland PDC may request additional information from any applicant as a condition for funding.
Application materials are attached and should be emailed to united.universityprofessions@cortland.edu and daniel.harms@cortland.edu, subject line IDA Application
- All attachment file names should begin with applicant’s last name
- Signatures from department chairs are NOT necessary for conference travel
Deadline: 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 13, 2026.
The Cortland PDC will review applications no later than March 15, 2026. Award notification will occur as soon as UUP is notified by the Office of Employee Relations. Requests for reimbursements must be filed by July 31, 2026.
For more information about the program, contact UUP Office, (607) 753-5991 or united.universityprofessions@cortland.edu.
In Solidarity,
Justin Neretich
UUP Cortland Chapter President
