Ways to enhance your application for the UVA Professional Development Award

2. Create Concise and Original Responses for Prompted Questions: Craft concise, original responses tailored to your professional development goals, avoiding copy-pasting and unnecessary repetition. Refrain from generic statements about networking or learning from experts; instead, focus on sharing tangible goals and outcomes that are specific. Emphasize quality over quantity in your written statements!

3. Highlight Unique Opportunities: We strongly encourage that you identify opportunities not available within your graduate/professional program, emphasizing why funds granted to you through the Professional Development award are necessary for your proposed activities. This funding award is intended to be utilized for a professional development experience that you wouldn't have had the chance to partake in otherwise. Make sure to exhaust all available financial resources before applying for the award.

 4. Go Beyond Attendance: Demonstrate how your participation at the proposed professional development opportunity will extend beyond mere attendance. Explain how your proposed activity will serve as a catalyst for growth in your overall development. Work to move past the confines of mere networking opportunities, personal development and professional growth.

5. Align Opportunity with Professional Development Pathway: This award is meant to aid you in your professional pursuits. Make sure to tell the story as to how this opportunity will align with your professional goals down the road! Describe how the skills and experiences you gain will contribute to your long-term career objectives.

6. Budget Template: Be transparent about the funding amount requested. We encourage you to identify expenses that will yield a budget up to $1,000.

7. Ensure your Reference Understand the Opportunity and your Long-term Goals: It is important that you and the individual writing your letter of support are on the same page about what you will be getting out of your professional development opportunity. It is critical for them to know the details and to articulate that in the letter!

8. Connect Short- and Long-Term Goals: Clearly articulate how the workshop, conference, or activity aligns with your short- and long-term career objectives, demonstrating its relevance to your professional growth. Make sure to highlight new opportunities that can be gained and map out the growth potential from these opportunities!