Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698060507699.pdf (Liberia)
The Association of University Teachers in Akureyri Professional Development Fund (SFHA) Grant allocation1 ________________________________________________________ 1.

Applicants 1.1 Who has the right to apply for a grant from SFHA a) Any member of the Association of University Teachers in Akureyri (FHA) may apply for a grant from SFHA.
To be awarded a grant from the Fund applicants must meet two conditions: i) Applicants must have paid their union fees for 6 consecutive months before the application deadline, as specified in Section 2.3, item d. ii) During the same six-month period, a member must have at least 49% employment rate on average.

b) The University of Akureyri.

For further details see Section 3.. 2.


Members of the Association of University Teachers in Akureyri 2.1 Projects eligible for funding Since the objective of SFHA pertains to the systematic professional development of members of FHA, cf.

paragraph 1, Article 3 of the Fund's resolutions, projects will only be funded if they are related either to the work or professional field of the applicant.

For example, grants will be allocated to cover the costs of: a.

Tuition fees; b.
Tuition fees; b.

Course fees; c. Conference fees; d. Sabbaticals and leave from studies for which the employer in question will not be covering all travel expenses; e. Research collaboration with universities and research institutes; f. Research, educational2- and study visits.

g. Other travel expenses, e.g.

train and air fares and/or driving expenses, hotel and accommodation expenses.

This includes local transport in the case of a trip to and from a final destination, e.g.
airport or train station to the final accommodation.

The maximum payment for such local transport is kr.

10,000 for each trip.

Driving between Akureyri and Reykjavík/Keflavík whether travelling by taxi or private vehicle, will be funded up to the same amount as the University of Akureyri is paying for an airline 1 These rules were originally approved on 11.

January 2017.

On 12 December 2017, sections 1.1, 2.1, 2.3 a) and 2.3d), 3. and 4. were amended.
On 15 February 2019, sections 1.1 ii) and 2.2 were amended.

On 19 August 2019, sections 2.1 g), 2.2, 2.3b) and g) amended.

On 9 mai 2022, section 2.2 were amended.

2 Educational visit has a formal program with a minimum of 8 hours of education and has a supervisor's confirmation of participation and the purpose of the trip.
1 ticket, other driving within Iceland will be funded up to the same amount as the cheapest public transport fare Not eligible for funding: • Public transport within cities or municipalities • Car rental • Loss of wages • Study materials • Food • Tourist excursions • Hobby courses The board of the Fund shall judge in case of any doubt.

2.2 Grant sum The maximum grant sum is ISK 650,000 per 18 months.
The maximum grant is based on a 100% employment ratio during the 6 consecutive months before the application is submitted.

Members of the FHA with a 49% employment rate or more receive grant according to their employment rate.

This 18-month period shall begin with the first grant payment.

Grants shall never exceed submitted expense claims.
If the Fund runs out of money or stands to do so, taking into account its income and anticipated financial commitments, the board may decide that applicants awarded lower grants shall take priority.

2.3 Application for and payment of a grant a) Grant application: Application forms, as well as information on the Fund rules, can be obtained from the Association's website www.fha.is.
Applications on the applications form must be sent electronically to the Fund to sfha@unak.is Care must be taken in filling in applications and the form must specify in detail how the applicant intends to use the grant, along with other information requested on the form.

If an application pertains to reimbursement of outlay costs, which are documented in a foreign currency, the applicant must indicate how much the outlay costs would have been in ISK.
b) Original copies of invoices: Payments from the Fund shall generally be dependent on provision of original invoices.

This means that a grant is generally not paid unless applicants can provide documentation to prove that they have already made use of the relevant item of expenditure, such as flights or accommodation.
c) Confirmation of the project: 2 As well as providing an invoice, the grant recipient must demonstrate that the grant is used to cover the costs of the project applied for, for example with a programme or list of participants.

Confirmation must come from parties other than the applicant.

It is therefore necessary to retain all relevant documentation.
d) Application deadline and payment of grant: The final deadlines for application, including submission of supporting documentation, are 1 February, 1 May, 1 September and 1 December each year.

Grants from the Fund are usually paid at the beginning of January, March, June and October each year.

A union member who fails to submit satisfactory documentation by the final deadline loses the right to have the application processed in the next allocation period.
Grant applications shall be submitted to the Fund within a year from the end of the project or beginning of formal studies.

A project is considered to be concluded if the ending is definitive, such as a completed course, completed conference, etc.

Once a grant payment has been transferred to the applicant's bank account, the applicant is notified by email.
e) Double payments or overpayments: If any mistake is made in processing a grant application or grant payment, the Fund's staff shall seek to correct the error as quickly as possible.

Applicants receiving a double payment or overpayment are required to notify the Fund of the mistake and repay the excess money to the Fund.
f) Information for the tax authorities: At the beginning of each year, SFHA will submit information to the tax authorities detailing grant recipients and grant sums in the course of the previous year.. 2.4 Interruption or discontinuation of Fund membership a) Parental leave: Interruption of membership due to parental leave does not affect eligibility for grants, as long as union fees are paid for the period of leave.

b) Unpaid leave: Members on unpaid leave may not apply for a grant.
c) Unemployment: On becoming unemployed, union members retain their rights for up to 12 months, as long as they continue to pay membership fees.

3.

Institutes 3.1 Membership of SFHA 3 The University of Akureyri and institutions associated with, which contribute to the Fund on behalf of their employees who are FHA members, are full members of SFHA.
3.2 Projects eligible for funding Funded projects must be compatible with the institute's objectives regarding professional development and are restricted to staff members for whom contributions are paid to the Professional Development Fund.
The AUT Professional Development Fund supports the following: a) Professional development strategies For establishing an effective process for creating professional development strategies within an institute b) Projects based on professional development strategies Grants are awarded to institutes to set up clearly defined working procedures in matters of human resources, cf.

the following categories in the handbook of the Icelandic Personnel Policy Department.

i. ii.

iii.

iv.

v. vi.

vii.


Staff policy Human resource analysis and forecasting Job analysis, competences, and job description Staff appraisal interview and performance evaluation Professional development Human resource standards Teamwork Funding is not awarded to projects that fall under an institute's regular operations – the project must constitute innovation.

3.3 Grant sum The board determines the sum to be awarded to institutes in accordance with the board's priorities in each case.
3.4 Application form A special application form is available on the Association of University Teachers in Akureyri website www.fha.is.

4.

Right to appeal Fund members who are dissatisfied with the Fund's handling of their grant applications and supporting documentation shall always have the right to refer their case back to the board of the Fund.

The matter shall then be addressed in the next board meeting.

5.
5.

Entry into force These rules are approved by the board of the Fund on 17 january 2023 and enter into force immediately.

On behalf of the board of 4 the Association of University Teachers in Akureyri Professional Development Fund 5