The Tufts University Alumni Association sponsors an annual Alumni Professional Development Fund to support the career growth of alumni from all of Tufts schools. The Fund is managed by the Office of Alumni Engagement and Alumni Career Services. Alumni volunteers and Alumni Career Services staff read applications and select recipients.
The application process is competitive, and support through the fund is not guaranteed with your application. For the 2023 Fund, recipients must complete their activity anytime between March 1, 2023 - February 28, 2024. Funding is not available for an activity that has already been completed.
Application details, qualifying activities, timeline and profiles of past recipients are available here.
Deadline: January 31, 2023
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Application Details
Application details:
- Application Form with answers to the questions listed below.
- Resume: Complete applications must include a resume. Instructions for including the resume are listed on the application form.
Accommodations: If you would like to request an accommodation in submitting your application, please contact Nicole M. Anderson in Alumni Career Services at nicole.anderson@tufts.edu or +1 617 627 5741
Questions: You will respond to four questions.
- Please provide a brief but detailed description of the activity for which funds are being requested. If your activity is sponsored by an organization, please provide relevant supporting information about the sponsor (for example, is the sponsor accredited, etc.)
- How will this funding change the trajectory of your career? Why is this particular opportunity important for you to break into or advance in your chosen field?
- What steps in your career and/or education have led you to this particular opportunity? This can include course work, activities, jobs, volunteer work, etc. Demonstrate your commitment to this opportunity.
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Why have you turned to Tufts for help in funding this activity? Are there additional resources (such as employer funds or scholarships) that are available to you? What other alternatives have you explored?
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Qualifying Activities
Alumni are encouraged to apply for financial support for their professional development needs. We fund a range of activities. Average awards are approximately $750; we will consider requests for larger amounts, but individual awards will not exceed $2,500.
Activities that qualify for funding:
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Professional organization involvement: membership dues, registration (including travel, lodging, meals) for conferences, workshops or trainings
- Education and training: coursework and/or requirements for certifications and licensures, and continuing education
- Preparation and practice for graduate school application
Activities that do not qualify for funding:
- Tuition and administrative fees as part of a degree program in which you are currently enrolled
- Compensating subjects for research activities
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Timeline for the Fund
Below is the timeline for the application cycle.
December 2022 - Professional Development Fund begins accepting applications for activities that will occur in 2023.
Accommodations: If you would like to request an accommodation in submitting your application, please contact Nicole M. Anderson in Alumni Career Services at nicole.anderson@tufts.edu or +1 627 627 5741.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 31, 2023
February 1-28, 2023: Committee reviews applications. Recipients of awards from the Professional Development Fund are selected.
First week of March 2023: All applicants to the Professional Development Fund are contacted. Those who were granted funds for 2023 will have five (5) business days to formally accept their funds.
March 1, 2023 - February 28, 2024: Recipients work with the Office of Alumni Engagement to receive funds and submit proof of completion and a testimonial about their experience. Tufts will ask for the right to use testimonial statements in future promotional and informational materials.
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Past Recipients
See how the Alumni Professional Development Fund has supported Tufts alumni with their career growth and professional development.
Congratulations 2022 Fund Recipients!
Mary-Isabel Aromando, J89, Yvane Ngassa, A21, Michael Shah, EG13, EG17, Jonathan Jacob Moore, A17, Joayne Larson, J97, Laurel Bliss, A20, Max Greenhouse, A16, Deniz Whittier (Gecim), AG16, Isabella Molina Kiser, A21, Raveena Longia, A19, Allentza Michel, A15
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Volunteer to Review Applications!
Alumni volunteers participate in reading applications and selecting recipients for the Alumni Fund. This volunteer opportunity requires little time, about 7-10 hours in February. Read profiles of past recipients and view the timeline and deadlines to determine if this is the volunteer opportunity for you.
Contact: If you are interested in being a member of the selection committee or giving to one of the funds, contact Nicole M. Anderson in Alumni Career Services at nicole.anderson@tufts.edu.
Advancing Your Career
With the help of the TUAA's Professional Development Fund, alumna Caitlin Quinn, A11 was able to present her research to her industry at the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam. Caitlin was able to use the conference to not only present her research, but bring visibility to her area of study at this critical point in time. At the conference she gathered insights into the AIDS and HIV work of her research peers, as well as the cutting edge advances in her field.
Of the opportunity the Professional Development Fund gave her, Caitlin had this to say: "Thanks to Tufts, my passion for global health began - and now, seven years after graduating, TUAA has invested in my development as a global health professional. I feel so privileged to be a lifelong member of the Tufts community, which continues to nurture and invest in the success of its alumni. This conference represents a point of growth in my career, which I could not have achieved without support from Tufts."
- nicole.anderson@tufts.edu
- 617 627 5741