Determining Resources Needed

The following set of questions will help you identify the costs of training. You will, of course, need to know what resources you require and their costs before you can create effective arguments and proposals for requesting funding. Knowing what your training goals are and what you need to meet those goals will also help you to match up with potential sources of funding. This set of questions assumes that the training will be ongoing and systematic, but many of the questions can be adapted so as to help identify the costs for training that focuses on smaller, short-term, contextual workshops.

Technology Resources

1. Will you offer equipment, hardware, or software as an incentive or reward? 
2. What additional equipment, hardware, and software will you need to conduct the training? 

   Budget Items: Desktop computers, laptop computers, printers, software, software licenses, and infrastructure costs

Human Resources

1. Will you need a director/administrator? 
2. What level of FTE will be required? 
3. Can a Graduate student direct the program? 
4. If so, what compensation will be provided? 
5. Will you require trainers? 
6. Will you need to train the trainers? 
7. What compensation will you offer?

   Budget Items: Salaries, stipends, teaching relief (faculty or instructor replacement costs), graduate teaching assistantship, tuition remission, etc.

Material, Services, and Supplies

1. Will you provide self-paced training tools and services? 
2. Will you develop tools and materials yourself?
3. How will you distribute help sheets and other information and materials (handouts, websites)? 
4. How will you promote the training program and recruit potential participants?

Budget Items: Online courses or training modules, books, videos, photocopying, web site design and maintenance, advertising, and miscellaneous office supplies

Technical Support

1. Can students provide the technical support you will need? 
2. How will they be compensated? 
3. Will you need an IT expert (full-time, part-time, consulting only)? 

Budget Items: Wages, salaries, consulting fees

Evaluation and Assessment

1. How will you track and evaluate the training?
2. Who will develop the assessment tools for the training, collect the data, and produce the reports?
3. How will they be compensated? 
4. What materials will be needed to complete the assessment? 
5. How often will training be evaluated and assessed

Budget Items: Wages, salaries, stipends, and/or consulting fees. Photocopying and miscellaneous office supplies.

Outsourcing

1. Will training occur on or off campus? 
2. If so, will you compensate participants for travel expenses?
3. Will you cover the cost of training workshops, seminars, or conferences? 
4. Will faculty be paid for time while attending training?

Budget Items: Travel, conference and seminar fees, and stipends.

Determining possible sources for funding

Department (Chair)

1. Is there existing budget for professional development? 
2. How is FTE negotiated in the Department (i.e., how much does it cost for a course down)? 
3. Is the Department able to provide release time for faculty and instructors? 
4. Can course credit or tuition remission be offered to graduate students?

College or School (Dean or funding administrator)

1. Does the Dean's office offer grants for professional development, faculty training, or for technology initiatives? 
2. Can research grants be linked to training initiatives?

University (Provost, university research office, information services, library, computing resource committees)

1. Does the research office offer development grants? 
2. Are there grants available through special initiatives (Technology Resource Fees, lab fees, etc.)?
3. Does the library or information services offer special grants or funding? 
4. Can research or equipment funding be linked to training initiatives?

Government Grants

1. Does the State (Department of Education) have grants or funding initiatives available? 
2. Does the US Department of Education have grants, contracts, or other funding opportunities available.

Corporations

1. What major corporations or industries function in you area? 
2. Do they have grants or funding available for higher education? 
3. What national corporations have grants available for higher education?

Foundations

1. Are there local foundations that offer funding for higher education projects?
2. What external funding sources have supported similar projects at other institutions? 
3. What national foundations fund and support higher education? Are you eligible to apply