The UWSA’s Staff Enhancement Grant (SEG) provides funding for Staff Association members to pursue personal skills development.
How it works
All UWSA members are eligible to apply for a grant, with the exception of current UWSA board directors.
You can request up to $500 for activities unrelated to job duties or business expenses.
The next deadline for SEG applications is June 1st, after which the UWSA Staff Enhancement Grant Committee reviews applications and recommends recipients for a Staff Enhancement Grant to the UWSA Board of Directors. The amount of each grant is up to $500 and we strive to fund at least 50% of each approved project.
Submitting a great application
To be considered for funding, your application should clearly demonstrate that your project/activity is:
- Hosted by a reputable organization or provider
- Clearly beneficial to you personally and to your community
- Unrelated to your job duties or business
- Realistic to complete within the timeline identified
- Budgeted appropriately, with an itemized budget presented
- Focused on learning and growing, not just doing (ex. Yoga teacher training may be considered but yoga classes/membership will not)
Please read the complete guidelines (below) before submitting your application. If you have questions about your application, please reach out to the UWSA team.
Ineligible Expenses
The following activities, items, and costs are generally not eligible for SEG funding:
- Private lessons where a group alternative is available
- Courses related to professional development or job training (incl. WATSPEED offerings)
- Subscriptions or memberships
- Physical items or products
- Travel related costs, such as mileage or accommodations
- Expenses related to personal business ventures or entrepreneurial training
- Tuition, exam fees, or other school-related costs
- Routine personal expenses (eg. home or vehicle maintenance, driver's licenses, etc.)
Thank you to the Staff Association for offering this grant!
This has been a truly memorable and enriching experience!
I developed new skills and confidence to challenge myself.
This is such a great opportunity to develop the skills of employees.
Fund guidelines
- The SEG provides reimbursement of expenses that will be incurred by a staff member in the pursuit of personal skills development.
- The maximum value of a grant is $500.
- The SEG committee will review the applications and allocate funds based on the overall merit of the objectives, activities, and benefits to the individual, as well as any potential benefit to a wider community. The community could be the University of Waterloo, or a community identified by the applicant.
- The SEG will not supplement or replace routine departmental training, unit development costs and responsibilities, or vacation expenses. Applications including costs to purchase physical items (including items such as tools, software, household items, etc.) will not generally be funded.
- Grant availability:
- Grants will be awarded based on availability of UWSA funds.
- No predetermined number of grants will be allocated in a year. It is possible that in some years no grants will be awarded.
- Grants awarded may depend upon the number of applications received.
- Grants will be funded in whole (up to $500) or in part.
- Preference will be given to individuals who have not received the grant in the previous five years.
- Funds awarded are to be used within six months unless specific arrangements are made with the committee.
- Funds are not awarded for activities that have already taken place.
- Examples of projects that have been funded include (but are not limited to) pottery lessons, stone carving, blacksmithing, and woodworking workshops, ASL courses, language immersion programs, and baking/decorating lessons.
- UW Policy 4 – Benefits to Faculty and Staff Undertaking Part-time Educational Programs provides free tuition to eligible staff enroling in UW degree-credit course. These staff may apply for SEG funding to help cover the costs of course materials.
SEG procedures
How to apply
- You prepare an application that covers the following:
- a detailed description of your proposed activity,
- the amount you're requesting from SEG funds,
- a breakdown of all related costs and a summary of support received from other sources, and
- how your proposed activity will benefit you as well as the wider community.
- You submit the online application by the due date.
- We forward completed applications to members of the SEG Committee.
- The committee reviews applications within three weeks of the deadline. You'll hear from us soon after that.
If your project is funded
- Within six months, you submit original official receipts and a report summarizing the activity and highlighting individual and community benefits.
- Once you've submitted your receipts and report, we'll reimburse you within approximately two weeks.
- The UWSA will retain records of applications where grants have been awarded, along with recipient reports and copies of receipts for up to seven years.
- The SEG committee may request additional information from you to guide its decision.
- Successful grant applications will be publicized on the UWSA web site including your name and a brief description of the purpose of the grant.
- Further promotional articles could be published on social media or the Daily Bulletin, with your permission.
SEG History
The SEG was the vision of Bruce Lumsden who retired as Director of Cooperative Education in June 2005. With seed donations given at his retirement, he requested that a fund be created to provide grants to Waterloo staff pursuing personal and professional development. At that time, the University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) also donated $5,000.00. Since that time, the fund has evolved to be administered solely by the UWSA and is for personal development opportunities only.
2025 Staff Enhancement Grant Stories
At UWSA, we love seeing the difference the Staff Enhancement Grant makes in our members’ lives. Here are just a few stories from recent recipients, showing how they used the grant and the positive impact it had.
2024 Staff Enhancement Grant Stories
One of our favourite things in the UWSA office is getting a window into the lives of members through the Staff Enhancement Grant. Here are just a few stories from recent grant recipients about how they used the grant and what it meant to them.
The next deadline for the grant is June 1!
Lynn Long finds the writer inside herself with SEG funding
When the Staff Enhancement Grant committee met last December, they reviewed many applications from members seeking funding. Among the recipients they chose was Lynn Long. who works at the Centre for Teaching Excellence. In her own words, here is Lynn's experience.
Member tours tool lending library with SEG support
Murray Zink received $250 staff enhancement grant to support his visits to a tool lending library and repair cafe in California.
Member uses SEG money to present Indigenous films
Michael R. Clark was one of eight members to be awarded a Staff Enhancement Grant this past December. He used the funds to pursue a personal goal of bringing Indigenous programming to the Grand River Film Festival this Spring, and kindly let us share his report.
Member uses SEG to learn how to publish a children's book
Matthew Fries completed a three-part course provided by Writers Digest University: Publishing Your Children’s Book: How to Write and Pitch Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Picture Book Manuscripts.
Red Raccoon Bike Rescue receives SEG funding
Thank you for awarding me one of the $500 Staff Enhancement Grants – your selection has not only impacted me, but my fellow Red Raccoon Bike Rescue (RRBR) volunteers and the people we assist every day.
SEG funds member's self-care through baking class
Natalie Chow was awarded a Staff Enhancement Grant and shared this report:
SEG is an investment in yourself
In June 2020, Mary Lyn Payerl was awarded Staff Enhancement Grant funds to pursue silversmith training.
Staff Enhancement Grant elevates member's furniture-making skills
In December 2019, the Staff Enhancement Grant Committee approved nine applications. Gill Lesperance was one of them. Here is his story.
Staff Enhancement Grant helps upgrade degree
Lisa Brackenridge used SEG funding to work toward upgrading to an honours degree, with a long-term goal to apply for graduate school.