Staff members who have applied for and received an IU Indianapolis Staff Council Professional Development grant are sharing how the funding has benefited them.

The grants, which are awarded throughout the year, support professional development activities that align with the IU Indianapolis Strategic Plan and contribute to the campus’s success.

Janet Panoch is a program management specialist with the Walther Supportive Oncology program in the IU School of Medicine and a researcher who focuses on improving patient-provider communication for surgical decision-making. She used the $400 grant to travel to the Osteosarcoma Conference in Atlanta in 2023.

Osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, is personal to Panoch. Her daughter was diagnosed with it at age 12 and experienced functional limitations for over a decade before choosing an above-knee amputation.

Janet Panoch, left, and research assistant Sabria Abufares at the 2023 Osteosarcoma Conference. Photo provided by Janet PanochAt the 2023 conference, Panoch presented a website that she had been working on for 10 years with input from survivors, parents and doctors. Osteosarcomadecisionaid.com aims to help people understand surgery options when a bone tumor is located near the knee joint.

“Being able to announce the launch of the site to my constituents was a huge deal,” she said. “It was a really important conference to unveil what patients, parents and health professionals have been working with me on for a decade.”

The comprehensive website includes links to research, patient stories, printable PDFs of different treatment options and more. The site has had over 4,500 visits from 70 countries, with requests for translation to Polish, Italian and French, Panoch said.

She encourages other staff members to pursue professional development and networking and to take advantage of funding opportunities, even if the amount of one grant does not cover the full cost of an activity.

“Last year we secured four grants to fully cover expenses for a research assistant to travel to a conference,” she said. “Those were small grants as well; $200, $300, etc., all coupled together, completely paid for the conference, and he has a little left over to potentially attend another meeting with me this year. So never be discouraged by the amount. There is funding out there.”

Amber Phillips, senior assistant director of financial aid and scholarships in the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, used the Staff Council Professional Development grant to attend a conference in Indianapolis.

“Even though the conference was local, the cost of the registration was $400, which was the exact amount of the grant,” she said. “Other eligible staff members also applied to help offset the cost, which allowed many in our office to attend.”

Phillips said the application process was simple.

“I had to write about what I was proposing to do with the money and how it would add value to my day-to-day work, because obviously they want to know how the funding is being used,” she said. “I remember it being pretty easy, and it didn’t take very long.”

While Phillips and Panoch both used their grants to attend conferences, the funding can also be used for meetings, certifications, training and other professional development opportunities.

Some of the grant guidelines are:

• Applicants must have completed one year of continuous service at IU Indianapolis by the proposal deadline.
• The professional development activity must occur no later than seven months after the awarding of the grant.
• The professional development activity may supplement or expand upon, but may not duplicate, any training/development currently available at IU Indianapolis in any form or through any office.
• The professional development activity must relate to the applicant’s current or future duties and responsibilities.

The next deadline to apply for a Staff Council Professional Development grant is April 1. The maximum award is $400.

Questions can be sent to scouncil@iu.edu.