Professional Development & Education Sessions
The Dalhousie Faculty Association supports members in their professional growth through both professional development funding and education sessions organized by the DFA.
This page outlines the Professional Development Allowance (PDA) available under the Collective Agreement, as well as training and educational opportunities for DFA members.
Professional Development Allowance (PDA)
As a member of the DFA, you are entitled to a Professional Development Allowance, as outlined in Clause 32.19 of the Collective Agreement.
This allowance helps cover professional expenses related to your academic work. Members may apply once per year between April 1 and February 28 for reimbursement of eligible expenses.
Annual PDA Amounts
- 2023–2024: $838
- 2024–2025: $859
- 2025–2026: $881
Eligible Professional Expenses
The Professional Development Allowance may be used for expenses related to your professional responsibilities, including:
- Membership fees for professional or learned societies
- Subscriptions to professional or learned journals
- Purchase of books related to research or scholarly activity
- Purchase of equipment or other research-related items
- Registration fees for scholarly conferences
Expenses must relate to the member’s responsibilities to the University and must not already be reimbursed through other university sources.
How to Apply
PDA claims are processed through Chrome River. You must log in to Dalhousie’s SharePoint system first.
Access the Chrome River expense portal
Applications must include receipts and relevant supporting information. Claims are reviewed by the appropriate Faculty-level committee and approved reimbursements are processed by the Board.
Clause 32.19
The Board recognizes that Members face various expenses related to their occupation.
For the fiscal years 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26, the Board agrees to reimburse Members for allowable professionally related expenditures that are not otherwise reimbursed by the University and that relate to the Member’s responsibilities to the University.
Allowable professionally related expenditures are limited to membership fees for professional and/or learned societies, subscriptions to professional and/or learned journals, purchase of books, equipment, and/or other items related to the Member’s research or scholarly activities, and registration fees for attendance at scholarly conferences.
Members may apply once during the period from April 1 to February 28 for reimbursement up to the annual maximum and must provide receipts and relevant information regarding their application.
DFA Training & Education Sessions
The DFA also offers training and educational sessions to support members throughout their academic careers.
These sessions may include topics such as understanding the Collective Agreement, tenure and promotion preparation, workload and employment rights, and navigating academic processes and university policies.
Information about upcoming sessions, new resources, and member education opportunities will be posted here.