EDGE Grant
What is the EDGE?
The EDGE (Educational & Development Grant for Employees) is a professional development grant available to University of Houston–Downtown full-time staff members who wish to attend job-related seminars, conferences, workshops, training sessions, or continuing education courses (excludes covering the cost of certification exams). This grant may not be used to pay for tuition for any for‑credit university courses, such as undergraduate or graduate coursework applied toward a degree program.
The University of Houston-Downtown Staff Council has established this grant award for its staff members as part of its ongoing effort to promote staff education and self-development. Funds for the EDGE are raised by Staff Council through fundraising efforts and generous funding from the Office of the President.
One grant will be awarded each month to an eligible full-time staff member that is valued at up to $1,000. Recipients are selected by the UHD Staff Council Staff Affairs Committee using a standard rubric. The award is non-transferable.
The applicant’s department business administrator will need to contact the current UHD Staff Council Treasurer to obtain instructions on how the funds will be disbursed. Funds will be forfeited if they are not used and processed by the end of the fiscal year.
EDGE Criteria
- Applicants must be University of Houston-Downtown full-time staff members with at least six (6) months of continuous employment.
- Applicants may not submit more than one application per month.
- Applicants may only be awarded once per fiscal year.
- Professional development date must be within six (6) months¹- of the application date.
- Both the professional development activity and the reconciliation of associated expenses must take place within the same fiscal year of the application submission.
- Applications will remain active until the listed professional development date has passed.
- Professional development opportunities must be approved by the applicant’s immediate supervisor. Applications without a supervisor’s approval will not be accepted.
¹-Note: Please be aware that applications received after February will have a reduced range of eligible dates due to the current fiscal year ending in August. Any funds not utilized before the fiscal year ends in August will be forfeited to Staff Council immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. This grant may not be used to pay for tuition for any for-credit university courses, such as undergraduate or graduate coursework applied toward a degree program.
A. No, as long as the first application remains active, no additional applications will be accepted.
A. The registration for your seminar and other related costs should be processed by your department business administrator who can contact the Staff Council Treasurer for cost center information to use on the voucher or P-card report.
A. Yes, your application will remain active and be evaluated each month until the seminar has passed.
A. Great question! If attending a conference or seminar, funds leftover after paying for registration can be applied towards any associated travel expenses. Any expenses that exceed $1000 will need to be covered by the recipient's department.
The EDGE Application
The application should be accessed via the DocuSign link below and fully approved by the first Monday of each month.
Once all approvals are completed, DocuSign will automatically email the application to the UHD Staff Council.
Applicants will be notified of the decision by the third Wednesday of each month.