The Louisville Institute is pleased to announce their 15th annual competition for sabbatical grants for pastoral leaders. Last year they awarded 48 grants to applicants from a pool numbering of over 350, and it is anticipated that there will be a strong set of applicants again for this year's competition, which closes on September 15th. However, there is not a lack for applicants, The Louisville Institute seeks to broaden the applicant pool beyond the "usual suspects" that already know about the Institute.

Details of grant application process and eligibility requirements are available on the Louisville Institute's website, http://www.louisville-institute.org/ 

By way of summary, here are some core program facts:

•  Applicants must be regularly employed in a recognized religious leadership position. Applicants may be ordained or lay, and may or may not have a formal theological degree. Eligible positions include pastors and other parish ministers, chaplains, faith-based community agency leaders, and church judicatory officials.

•  Awardees will ordinarily have been in their current place of ministry at least five years, and will plan on staying in their current place for at least a year beyond their sabbatical. They will be at least five years away from retirement. Exceptions are possible, especially in church polities built on an interancy model.

 •  Awards are made for either eight- or twelve-week sabbaticals. Sabbaticals are taken in a continuous single period. Applicants choose whether to apply for an eight-week sabbatical, with a $10,000 award, or for a twelve-week sabbatical, which bears a $15,000 award. The size of award request has no bearing on the chances of receiving an award.

•  Applications are due no later than September 15, 2008. Award announcements will be made by December 15, and sabbaticals must be taken between March 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010.

•  Full program information and application materials are available at http://www.louisville-institute.org/.