UBC faculty and staff can access professional development funds to support career growth.
Funding to help grow your career
These funds are intended to encourage and support your professional development. It includes learning activities that will enhance your knowledge, skills or performance, as well as to support your career growth at the university.
Eligible claims
Funds can be used for a variety of professional development activities based on your learning goals and career path.
The funds aren't intended for job-required expenses such as job-required training, professional memberships or ongoing accreditation. These expenses should continue to be paid by your department. The professional development funds provided to you through this program are not taxed and as such, should not be used towards an educational tax credit on your personal tax return.
Faculty members, please refer to Faculty Professional Development Reimbursement Fund.
Examples of eligible claims
- books, journals, subscriptions
- registration fees for courses, workshops, exams, webinars, and conferences
- professional memberships and certifications that are not required for your job
- one-on-one career coaching fees, when provided by an ICF – credentialed coach
- travel and accommodation for out-of-town conferences, as per Policy FM8 – Business Expenses (pdf) and related documents
Faculty members, please refer to Faculty Professional Development Reimbursement Fund.
Examples of ineligible claims
- activities or travel to fulfill required work-related responsibilities
- local travel expenses
- academic student fees
- application software or licensing
- home phone, data or internet plans
- fixed assets (e.g. laptops, mobile phones, e-readers, office equipment).
Faculty members, please refer to Eligible Expenses section in the Faculty Professional Development Reimbursement Fund guideline.
If you aren't sure whether an expense is eligible, please e-mail UBC's professional development funds team.
Funding details by employee group
The funds are negotiated as part of the collective agreement bargaining process for most employee groups.
Before submitting a claim, review the details below for your employee group to:
- find activities typically covered by the fund.
- find your individual claim limit each year.
- access your claim form.
Faculty with tenure, on tenure-track, as well as Sessional Lecturers with continuing status
Faculty who are Sessional Lecturers without continuing status
How to submit your claim
In light of current events and cancellations, we ask that you make sure any upcoming activities that you book are 100% refundable.
Human Resources is accepting professional development fund claims by email submission. Do not submit the original paper claim by Canada Post or campus mail.
- For staff, please email your PD claim to pd.funds@ubc.ca
- For faculty, please email your PDR claim to faculty.pd@ubc.ca
If you're attending a workshop offered by HR at UBC Okanagan, please follow the standard PD fund reimbursement procedures as outlined on the PD Fund claim form.
Preparing your claim
- Prepare your completed claim form, receipts, backup documentation, and approvals as one (1) combined Adobe PDF file attachment.
- Use the PDF file name format: first name, last name – PD claim (e.g. John Smith – PD claim.pdf )
- Provide only the first 4 digits of your employee ID on your claim form in order to protect your personal information.
- Include e-signatures on the claim form (preferred method). As a back-up alternative, HR will also accept your manager’s approval by email when included with your claim submission.
- Retain the original paper claim and receipts. These documents will be required later for UBC audit purposes and you must be able to provide the original form and receipts if requested.
- Email to the correct mailbox: Staff, submit your PD claim to pd.funds@ubc.ca. Faculty, submit your PDR claim to faculty.pd@ubc.ca
- Use the email subject line: first name, last name – PD claim (e.g. John Smith – PD claim )
About your reimbursement
Funding is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once your claim is processed you’ll receive an approval or confirmation email. Unless otherwise noted, it may take up to 15 business days to process your claim.
- If you paid out of pocket, you'll be reimbursed by direct bank deposit.
- If your department paid on your behalf, your department will be reimbursed by journal voucher transfer.
- If the funds are for a professional development workshop offered by UBC's human resources department, the PD fund coordinator will arrange payment for the workshop on your behalf.
Other learning activities
For UBC courses or programs eligible under the tuition waiver benefit, maximize your waiver benefit before making a claim from your professional development funds. Looking for other learning opportunities? Visit the workplace learning page to learn more.
Questions and contacts
For staff employees, if you have questions about these funds or your eligibility, please contact Magdalena Brown, Workplace Learning Associate, by emailing professional development funding or by calling 604 822 6314.
For faculty members, if you have questions about your funds or expense eligibility, please email faculty.pd@ubc.ca