Dependent Care Travel Grant Program
Overview
Paying out of pocket for additional dependent care costs associated with university-related travel is a challenge for many faculty. The primary objective of the dependent care travel grant program is to reduce the barriers to caregivers for attending work related conferences, workshops, professional meetings and research activities that contribute to their professional visibility, provide valuable networking opportunities, and aid in the progression of instructional faculty in their careers at Virginia Tech.
The benefits to dependent care support policies and programs such as this one go beyond individual impact. They also include improvements to the research profile and prestige of the college and university, enhanced recruitment of new faculty, and improved retention rates for existing faculty.
This program was developed by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and launched as a pilot program by three colleges in 2022. Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, the program will be managed centrally by the Office of Faculty Affairs, with support from each of the colleges (from private sources of funding).
Eligibility
Eligible faculty may receive as much as $1,000 per fiscal year (June 30-July 1) towards dependent care-related expenses above and beyond their regular dependent care expenses while attending professional academic events away from home, e.g., conferences, invited talks, on-site research, meetings with research sponsors, etc. Grant funding is limited to $1,000 per household per fiscal year and subject to other conditions described on the application form. Requests will be reviewed by the Office of Faculty Affairs in consultation with the faculty member’s college leadership, and are subject to eligibility and availability of funding.
Eligibility requirements:
- Full-time, regular instructional faculty members including tenured, tenure-track, continued-appointment, continued appointment-track, collegiate, of practice, clinical faculty, and instructors*.
- Faculty who have not met the household maximum of $1,000 in Dependent Care Travel Grant funding in the current fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
*Graduate students in the College of Science are also eligible to apply for this grant.
Process
Faculty member submits application form.
Application is reviewed by Faculty Affairs in consultation with college dean’s office
Notification of approval of application is sent to faculty member (usually within 2 weeks).
Faculty member completes travel.
Faculty member submits the DCTG Summary Report.
Funds are disbursed to the faculty member in the subsequent pay period.
Questions?
Email Rachel Gabriele, Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs