September 15, 2014

New program launched to support faculty at critical career stage

The provost’s office has launched the Chancellor Faculty Fellows program to support and invest in outstanding junior faculty.

Kirkland Hall (Bruce Davis/Vanderbilt)
Kirkland Hall (Bruce Davis/Vanderbilt)

The Office of the Provost is launching a new program: the Chancellor Faculty Fellows. The program reflects the university’s commitment to investing in outstanding junior faculty who have recently received tenure. This critical stage in the careers of faculty will be advanced with this timely support.

“[rquote]In many ways, these scholars represent the future of our institution.[/rquote] They offer energy and innovation for new basic discoveries, path-breaking scholarship and creative expression,” Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Susan Wente said. “As these faculty assume more senior status, it is important that Vanderbilt renew its commitment to them to ensure continued success in their careers. This program will invest in a select group of young scholars from across the campus with the goal of ensuring even greater success on the scholarly front.”

The competitive program will be open to all faculty in any of Vanderbilt’s 10 colleges and schools who have recently been awarded tenure as associate professors (or faculty of the equivalent rank in the Blair School of Music or the Law School). They will hold the title of Chancellor Faculty Fellow, and the designation will include an unrestricted allocation of $40,000 a year for two fiscal years. The funds can be used to support innovative research, scholarship and creative expression activities that will further propel the career of the awardee.

The Chancellor Faculty Fellows also will meet as a group during the course of their awards to foster exchange of research interests to build a broader intellectual community and to advance trans-institutional collaboration.

Nominations of candidates by a faculty member’s dean or department chair will require documentation of the candidate’s scholarly work to date. The application deadline is Nov. 17, 2014. The first cohort of fellows will be selected by Jan. 16, 2015. Funds will be available for the spring semester of 2015.

Additional information will be posted as it becomes available on the Chancellor Faculty Fellows Program section of the provost’s website.