Staff Development Fund (SDF)

The Centre for the Development of Staff and Academic Practice administers a small ring-fenced fund to provide financial assistance (a maximum of £300 per individual, subject to availability) to enable members of Aberystwyth University staff to take advantage of approved externally provided training or development.

Application Form

Guidelines

As a general rule, support is available under the following conditions:

The members of staff hold a contract of employment of at least 18 hours per week and for a period of at least six months. Staff on fixed term contracts will normally be expected to complete the training or development within their period of employment by the University.

The same, similar or equivalent training or development opportunity cannot be provided within the University.

The application must first be directed to the member of staff’s Head of Department/Service together with all relevant course information, prior to application for funding approval.

The training or development will be of relevance to the individual’s present post or anticipated career development within the University and is also likely to be of benefit to the work of the department as a whole. The Head of Department/Service will be asked to specify these benefits.

  • The member of staff must have obtained the minimum entrance requirements of the Examining Body concerned and may be asked to produce evidence of this.

  • The Head of Department/Service should confirm that this leads to an approved qualification or degree from a recognised professional or educational body.

It is also open to a Head of Department/Service, when discussing future training and development needs with a member of staff, to propose that he or she should pursue an approved qualification or degree under these arrangements.

Attendance at discipline-specific conferences will not be funded. However, staff attending external events (such as those provide by the Higher Education Academy subject centres) aimed at teaching development, may be supported, in part, on condition that participants then share this experience at least within their own departments and with CDSAP staff and present evidence that they have done so.

Where the Head of Department/Service wishes to propose that a member of staff should pursue external training or development, that satisfies the criteria, or supports an application from a member of staff, the University will make a contribution towards the costs of the specific training or development, subject to agreement with the Co-ordinator of the Centre for the Development of Staff and Academic Practice. The amount awarded will vary, depending on the availability of funding. The contribution from the Staff Development fund shall not exceed (a) £300 per annum and (b) 50% of the total cost per annum, the remainder to be supplied by the department.


These payments will cover:

  • Fees for evening or day-release classes or correspondence courses

  • Examination fees for not more than two attempts at each part of the examination

  • Admission fee for studentship of a professional institute where applicable (annual subscriptions not included)

  • Purchase of text books in accordance with the booklist issued by the educational institution offering the course

  • Costs of any residential components.

A record of the training or development, and of payments made to the member of staff, will be kept in the Centre for Development of Staff and Academic Practice and a copy sent to the Head of Department/Service.

Evidence of attendance and a copy of any qualification achieved must be submitted to the Centre for the Development of Staff and Academic Practice, along with short report on the training or development.

A member of staff may, subject in each case to the approval of the Head of Department/Service, be allowed a day release, not exceeding one working day in each week during the term time of the institution attended, for attendance at approved courses. Proof of attendance is required and this concession will be withdrawn if the Head of Department/Service is not satisfied with the progress being made.

In addition, where a member of staff is taking an approved course of study, s/he will, subject to progress satisfactory to the Head of Department/Service, be allowed a period of study leave not exceeding 10 days per annum, at the discretion of the Head of Department/Service and to be taken at times decided by the Head of Department/Service.

Where the training or development leads to a degree or professional qualification, or a postgraduate diploma: