Funding
EDGE funds program initiatives.
What EDGE funds
EDGE funding is intended for programmatic support for new initiatives and promising existing programs.
Funding may support:
- Program development and implementation
- Assessment and evaluation activities
- Student wages where allowable
- Speaker fees and other approved program costs
- Professional development tied to the project
- Data-informed work that strengthens program outcomes
What EDGE does not fund
- Gifts, giveaways, or prizes
- T-shirts, buttons, balloons, and similar items
- Conferences where travel is required
- Research projects, computer hardware, art, or library collections
- Wages or honoraria for 12-month full-time Penn State faculty/staff or graduate assistantships
- Scholarships
- Stipends for students
- Instructor salaries for Penn State courses where tuition is charged, unless tuition revenue is insufficient to cover salary
Additional funding notes worth knowing
- Student conference participation may be funded only if the student is presenting
- Faculty or staff conference attendance must support student presentations and be shared with the unit
- Wages or honoraria may be considered for nine- or ten-month faculty/staff during their non-contract period
- In-kind support from a unit is not counted as direct funding support
Understanding in-kind support
In-kind support is any support that does not involve direct dollar contributions from a unit or external source. Examples include:
- Time contributed by full-time Penn State faculty and staff
- Use of offices or facilities, when no direct fee is charged
- Use of computers and equipment
- External support generated by tuition dollars
Helpful plain-language note: If the unit would provide the support even without the EDGE project, it is generally considered in-kind.