Career Development Fund for Staff

Career Development Fund for Staff is sponsored by University of Michigan Human Resources. Offers financial grants to full-time regular staff for a wide range of learning opportunities to facilitate professional growth.

# Human Resources University of Michigan # Career Development Fund for Staff The Career Development Fund for Staff provides financial grants of up to $1,500 for full-time regular staff at every academic campus and Michigan Medicine to fund a wide range of learning opportunities. The goal is to help facilitate your learning, growth, and collaboration. ## April 2026 Update -Grant Announcements Made!

The 2026 Career Development Fund Grant Announcements were emailed on April 28. To check your status, please look for an email sent from [[email protected]](https://hr. umich.

edu/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5b282e2b2b34292f1b32353d34293e3a3f22293e2d323e2c75383436). Michigan Medicine employees, please check your quarantine folder. If you have never received a Career Development Fund grant, please consider applying during the next application period, scheduled for February 1-28, 2027.

## No-Cost Options for All Employees - Always Available! As a U-M employee, you have many additional learning opportunities. For example, you have access to resources for free professional development, including: * Organizational Learning * PMP certification - LinkedIn Learning offersPMP practice examsat no cost to help you prepare.

* CEUs and other professional certifications. Currently there are options for over 175 different credentials onLinkedIn Learning. * Google Career Certificatescurrently at no cost to staff Plus, you can also look into the Tuition Support Program.

Michigan Medicine employees: If you have an idea for a patient experience project, submit it to the Office of Patient Experience. Thank you for all you do to make U-M a great workplace and to further our missions of learning, discovery, and care.

FY26 Grants Timeline * Application Window: February 1-28, 2026 * Application Processing and Review: March - April 2026 * Award Notification: May 2026 * Award Disbursement: June 2026 * Participant Award Usage and Receipt Submission: July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 ## More Information for Applicants The information in this section provides more details on eligible activities and criteria.

Your application for an individual development grant should emphasize how your request will benefit your work experience.

Examples of Activities or Expenses Funded by CDF Grants Eligible activities for an individual may include: * Tuition for instructional classes or events at an accredited institution * Coursework to earn a degree or certificate * Costs for educational resources (books, computers, etc.) * Workshop or seminar or conference * Artistic or creative endeavor * Exploring tools, technologies, or other resources intended to enhance collaboration and workplace dynamics * Other work-related professional development activity Stories of Impact Webinar Recording and Quotes from Grant Recipients ## Watch the CDF Stories of Impact Webinar See the application in action and get inspired by stories of impact from past grant recipients.

“The CDF allowed me to attend a 2. 5 day workshop called "Understanding & Analyzing Systemic Racism". This workshop sharpened my professional and personal analysis and was a great vehicle for reflection and change.

I was able to walk away from the workshop with new knowledge and resources that will ultimately make my community engagement work on campus more impactful and culturally competent." - Elspeth M.

, Engagement Strategist, UM-Dearborn “Using the Career Development Fund, I completed a 10-week Accent Reduction Program with 10 hours of one-on-one coaching, which increased my awareness of my pronunciation patterns and provided practical strategies to improve them. As a Business Analyst, effective communication is essential to my work, and I now feel more confident. ” - Ruhsar K.

, Business Systems Analyst Senior, Quality Analytics at Michigan Medicine "The Career Development Fund made a significant difference in both my personal and professional growth by providing the opportunity to attend the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Conference. The experience was profound—it was a turning point in how I approach human resources.

I returned with renewed purpose, equipped with the tools, frameworks, and courage to lead with strategy, empathy, and innovation. The Career Development Fund is a transformative program, empowering individuals to grow their skills, unlock new opportunities, and turn potential into measurable success." - Qiana L.

Human Resources Manager for Faculty Affairs, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning General Eligibility to Apply * Eligibility for this award includes individuals who are regular full-time U-M staff members working at every academic campus (Ann Arbor, Flint, Dearborn) and Michigan Medicine who are in good standing, with one or more years of service by July 1, 2026.

* Individuals who are part-time, are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, or are employed by the university but not considered staff (such as student workers, post-docs, research fellows, faculty, etc.) are not eligible for this award.

Discuss career and professional development opportunities with your manager/supervisor or your union representative for what is available to you in your current position or review the details of your contract. * Individuals are eligible to receive grants one time from this award. If you received money from this grant in any capacity (as an individual or a team member), you will not be eligible to apply again at this time.

How to Apply, Suggested Guidelines for the Application and Key Updates * View thisCareer Development Fund how to apply PDF. * Watch the application tutorial video embedded on this page - it is the same video shared during the webinar Share how this professional development activity will support the university's missions.

Examples include how your request will: * Help you develop new skills that enhance your effectiveness * Inspire you to recognize your own and others’ values and talents * Help you establish connections to enhance communication * Enhance your creativity or problem-solving capacity * Build stronger work relationships and appreciation for one another * Build your capacity for leadership and achievement Share how this activity benefits your work experience or in such areas as: * Goals and initiatives for your department, school, or unit * Your current role, or a role to which you aspire * Emerging issues that will impact our institution * Development of your competencies * Collaboration, camaraderie, or interpersonal dynamics Your application should briefly explain how this professional or personal activity will help you do one or more of the following: * Establish connections that open new channels of communication * Enhance your creativity * Build stronger work relationships * Build your capacity for leadership and achievement * Streamlined Application Process * Fewer questions to save time for all applicants * Impartial Grant Selection Process * All applications meeting basic criteria will be eligible for a random selection to support an equitable and transparent process.

This approach comes with several key benefits: * Reduces Bias: Removing subjective elements from the decision-making process eliminates potential biases that may arise during traditional review methods. * Streamlines the Process: Chance-based selection simplifies and accelerates the grant awarding procedure.

* Increases Inclusivity: This method ensures that every application has an equal chance of being selected, fostering a more inclusive environment for all applicants. * Encourages Diverse Participation: By promoting transparency and fairness, we encourage a broader spectrum of individuals and organizations to apply, enriching the diversity of ideas and projects we support.

* Only individual development grants will be awarded in 2026: * This simplifies the award disbursement process and allows for more individual grants to be awarded. * Due to the high demand for funding, individuals are eligible to receive grants one time from this award. If you received money from this grant in any capacity (as an individual or team member), you will not be eligible to apply again at this time.

* Development activities must take place between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. ## When is the next application cycle? Applications will be open on February 1, 2026, and close on February 28, 2026.

Eligibility for this award includes individuals who are regular full-time U-M staff members working at every academic campus (Ann Arbor, Flint, Dearborn) and Michigan Medicine who are in good standing, with one or more years of service by July 1, 2026.

Individuals who are part-time, are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, or are employed by the university but not considered staff (such as student workers, post-docs, faculty, etc.) are not eligible for this award. Discuss career and professional development opportunities with your manager/supervisor or your union representative for what is available to you in your current position orreview the details of your contract.

Please carefully read all the eligibility information on this page. Confirm that your request meets the listed criteria and then apply. Follow these steps to access the application form: 2.

Enter your web login uniqname and password 3. Click the Apply button to start your application form Answer the form questions to confirm your eligibility, and summarize your request for a grant including how it would benefit you and the university. At the end of the application form, you may save a draft or submit it.

Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required, others are optional. For more detailed information, view a pdf guide for InfoReady applicants. ## What is the timeline for using the award?

If an application is awarded, the funds can be used for the activity submitted in the original application if the activity is completed between July 1, 2026- June 30, 2027 (FY27). ## Will I be taxed if I receive CDF award funds? Yes.

CDF funds are considered taxable income and are reported on the awardee’s W2. If an applicant receives an award, the Career Development Fund Administrative Committee will provide funds to cover the estimated additional taxes so the funds received by the awardee after taxes will be as close to equaling the requested funding amount as possible. ## Will I have to provide receipts, proof of participation, etc., if selected for an award?

Yes. All awarded individuals will have to provide proof of participation and all related receipts, as well as a brief essay describing how this opportunity had a positive impact for you. ## Are funds available for work required trainings and responsibilities?

No. CDF awards are not meant to replace departmental or organizational funding for items needed to fulfill employee work requirements/responsibilities. If work-related support is needed, we highly encourage you to reach out to your supervisor and departmental HR business partner for additional guidance. ## Are funds available for patient care improvement requests?

No. CDF awards are meant to help individual staff members grow and develop. We encourage you to share your ideas for improved patient care with your supervisor and the Office of Patient Experience to see if there is departmental or organizational funding to support these requests. ## Can the funds be used to pay for tuition or coursework?

Yes, while proof of participation is not required for the initial grant submission, the funds may be used to cover a portion of the course expenses. Proof of course registration and successful course completion (including a copy of the official transcript) will be required. ## Will every applicant be awarded?

Unfortunately, no. While we hope to award as many grants as possible, not every application will be awarded. ## When will I know if I have been selected? All applicants, whether selected or not, will hopefully be notified by the end of May 2026.

## If awarded, how will individuals receive the funds? Awards will be processed as an advancement via PeoplePay. Awardees will receive the funds in their paycheck.

Please note that to ensure compliance with tax implications and other financial restrictions on the funds, the Career Development Fund for Staff (CDF) has a process in place for allocating the funds directly to individual awardees, not through their departments. ## If awarded, when can individuals expect to receive the funds? Exact dates/times will vary depending on several factors.

The estimated timeline for receiving awarded funds is anticipated to be June 2026. ## If awarded, will any of my information be used or disclosed? Yes.

Personal and aggregated information will be shared with various key collaborators. Also, we may share some of the personal impact stories with our campus community. ## Why is the fund no longer awarding team grants?

The fund discontinued team grants to focus on development for individual staff members. This adjustment also helps to ensure more sustainable award distributions and equitable tax implications for all awardees. Many departments have professional development funds for team building or development types of activities and these would be more appropriately funded by non-taxable departmental resources.

Additionally, eliminating team grants streamlines the administrative effort and reduces the time to process grants for all individual recipients. ## Can I submit a late application after the cycle has ended? Unfortunately, no. We are unable to accept late submissions to ensure a fair and equitable process for all.

## If I miss this cycle, when is the next cycle? There will be another opportunity to submit applications for the Career Development Fund for Staff in fiscal year 2027 At this time, the exact dates have not been determined, but we anticipate opening the next application cycle in February 2027.

Information and Expectations for Staff Selected for Grants * Submissions are reviewed and administered by University Human Resources * Grant recipients will be contacted in May 2026. Those selected to receive grants can apply the award to development opportunities from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, as an advance for future learning opportunities.

* The distribution of grant awards will be processed as an advancement via PeoplePay * Those selected to receive grant awards will be notified about the specifics of their award * Participants will be required to submit proof of participation in the career development activity for which grant funding is provided within the fiscal year * Individuals are eligible to receive grants one time from this fund 2025 CDF Recap: Streamlines Process, Increased Interest The Career Development Fund for Staff saw significant growth and administrative improvements in 2025.

Following a transition of project management to UHR’s Organizational Learning, the program implemented InfoReady, a user-friendly grant management platform designed to simplify the application process. These administrative changes helped increase engagement, with the number of applications growing by nearly 10%. Further updates included shifting to a single, individual award category to improve efficiency.

To ensure fairness, the program introduced an impartial, random selection process to eliminate reviewer bias. This improvement drastically reduced the administrative time required for selecting grant recipients from approximately 1,300 hours to just 16 hours. * 993 eligible applications were received, an increase from 907 in fiscal year 2024.

* 196 awards were accepted across the organization, including 129 in Ann Arbor and 53 in Michigan Medicine. * The program’s website recorded 12,491 page views. * 448 staff registered for the "Stories of Impact" webinar.

See a PDF summary presentation of the FY 25 CDF Highlights. Did You Know? Arriving Home Honors Staff The image on this page is a glimpse of the sculpture Arriving Home, which honors 200+ years of staff contributions to the University.

Its purchase and placement were made possible by staff. Jagdish Janveja (BA 1963) and Saroj Janveja (BA 1968) funded a gift in appreciation of the University’s dedicated staff, whose commitment and strength galvanize our never-ending mission. A committee of Voices of the Staff members and colleagues in the President's Office along with the U-M Campus Planner selected the sculpture and its location near North University Ave.

The Career Development Fund for Staff provides financial grants of up to $1,500 for individuals at every academic campus and Michigan Medicine to fund a wide range of learning opportunities. The goal is to help facilitate your learning, growth, and collaboration. The fund was announced on November 17, 2022, to provide up to $200,000 in grants per year for five years.

More than 700 staff applied for grants in the first year, highlighting a clear need for more financial support for career development. In response, the Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer doubled funding for the remaining four years of the program. Fiscal year 2026 is the fourth year of the fund.

Summaries of the first three years are available here: * Summary of FY 2023- Year 1 * Summary of FY 2024- Year 2 * Summary of FY 2025- Year 3 This fund is administered by University Human Resources. An Evolution of a Voices of the Staff Initiative The Career Development Fund for Staff builds on the Voices of the Staff Career Development Fund.

The idea for the Voices fund came from Voices of the Staff alumni when asked to develop ways to celebrate the university's bicentennial. Additional Resources for Ongoing Learning The University of Michigan is committed to the growth and development of its people.

Examples of existing resources include: * Organizational Learning * Center for the Education of Women+ (CEW) * Tuition Support Program * UM-Dearborn Scholarships * First Aid and CPR training * Library Resources: news sources, e-books, and much more Memberships available at no additional cost to employees: * Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI) * #### Voices of the Staff Learn more * #### No-cost Development Options Learn About Organizational Learning * #### Check out the 2026 "how-to apply" guide Download the application guide PDF