Institute on Race and Ethnicity- Facutly Diversity Research Awards

FACULTY DIVERSITY RESEARCH AWARDS are designed to provide released time and research support for categories of individuals (see section on "Eligibility" below) who are tenure-track faculty members on University of Wisconsin System campuses. An award serves to free the individual from all teaching responsibilities and additional service responsibilities during the Fall 2009 or Spring 2010 semester, thus allowing the individual to conduct research/scholarly activities solely. The intent of the award is to increase the publishing opportunities of recipients, thus aiding them in achieving tenure.

Current and former recipients

The faculty applicant, her/his department chair, and her/his dean must state explicitly in writing that should the applicant receive a Faculty Diversity Research Award, the individual's entire award period will be devoted solely to research/scholarly activities. The applicant must agree (and receive the aforementioned written approval) not to teach courses, workshops, institutes, nor any other regularly scheduled or continuing teaching activity during the period of the award. Also, those who receive an award are not to begin or undertake any faculty governance or service activity that would reduce the time devoted to research/scholarly activities.

All applicants must select a distinguished senior scholar to serve as their research mentor during the period of the award. (See section on "Mentor" below.) Ideally, this mentor should have a publication record in the applicant's specific area of study, and this will be a criterion in proposal evaluations.

It should be noted that as in all the Institute's grant categories, we traditionally receive more Faculty Diversity Research Awards than can be funded. These awards are granted on a competitive basis, and the decisions and evaluations of the Institute's reading committee are considered final and confidential.

Eligibility: Tenure-track faculty members at UW System institutions who are: (i) African American, Hispanic/Latina/o, American Indian, or Asian American—particularly Southeast Asians; and/or (ii) tenure-track faculty members who are members of groups for which there are hiring goals identified in their institution's Affirmative Action Plan. In their proposal, applicants must include a letter from their campus provost/vice chancellor that speaks to the candidate's eligibility and verifies that the nomination is consistent with their institution's affirmative action goals.

All candidates must hold a full-time, probationary, tenure-track faculty appointment at a UW System institution during the 2009-10 academic year. Those who have been awarded tenure, denied tenure, given a terminal contract or notice of non-renewal are not eligible to apply, nor are those beginning their sixth year of probationary service. Applicants must have completed all requirements for a Ph. D. or other terminal degree at the time of application. Previous recipients of the award are not eligible to apply. (Should you have questions regarding eligibility, we urge you to contact the Institute office before submitting a proposal.)

Mentor: Applicants must identify a distinguished senior scholar in their academic discipline to serve as their research mentor. The mentor, who may be from a UW System campus or from an outside institution, should possess a research and publication record that lends itself to the applicant's research topic. The mentor is expected to assist the individual in developing the research agenda and methodology, aid in the production of materials for publication or creative display, and generally provide guidance in developing the individual's scholarly career and in identifying possible publication and extramural funding outlets. In return for the mentor's guidance, the Institute will make the sum of $500.00 available to the mentor in the form of a supplies-and-expenses transfer (UW System faculty) or an honorarium payment (non-UW System faculty) to support her/his scholarly work or professional development.

Grant Funds: Whether the award is for the Fall 2009 or Spring 2010 semester, a sum of $10,000.00 in provisional salary funds will be transferred to the recipient's campus and department to allow the hiring of part-time instructional support, thus allowing the recipient to be relieved of all teaching responsibilities. Please be aware that any relevant fringe benefit costs cannot be covered by the Institute and thus are the responsibility of your campus/department. In addition, the recipient will be provided access to research support funds in the amount of $2000.00 that may be used for any combination of supplies-and-expenses and student hourly help. During the period of the award, the recipient will remain payrolled full-time in her/his department and campus. Finally, as explained in the "Mentor" section above, mentors will be provided access to $500.00.

Conditions: Should a recipient submit her/his resignation which becomes effective prior to the completion of the following academic year (2010-11), the Institute retains the right to rescind the award and/or the recipient's department and campus retain the right to have the individual fulfill any contractual teaching obligations from which s/he was relieved due to the award. Also, a recipient's department and campus may be liable for reimbursing the Institute should a recipient fail to abide by all the terms of the award.

Final Reports: By the following deadlines (see below), recipients must arrange for the following items to be submitted to the Institute: (i) a completed manuscript or other scholarly/creative project undertaken during the period of the award: (ii) a budget itemization and narrative explanation of how the $2000.00 in research support was used by the recipient; and (iii) a letter from the mentor sent directly to the Institute which evaluates the recipient's scholarly work during the period of the award. The Institute also asks that it receive two copies of all publications or products which eventually may result, and that its support is acknowledged in such.

The deadlines for these "final report" materials are as follows:

Fall 2009 Award: March 26, 2010 Spring 2010 Award: August 20, 2010

Proposal Format (Faculty Diversity Research Award):

Grant Application Form: This form must be completed and then placed as the first two pages of your proposal. Note that the form asks for your name, department, campus mailing address, phone, fax, e-mail address, proposal title, grant category, budget request summary, budget transfer information, semester of grant activity, contact information for relevant individuals on your campus, and complete contact information for your mentor.

(New Requirement:

Abstract: In the appropriate space on the aforementioned grant application form, summarize your research agenda in 100 words of less.
Letter of Interest: In no more than one (1) page, discuss your interest in the award, its potential importance in contributing to your achievement of tenure, and speak to your eligibility to apply for the award.
Narrative Section: In four (4) double-spaced pages or less, discuss your research topic, its significance, the specific research activities and methodology, publication possibilities, the prospective collaboration with your mentor, use of student hourly help, and a timetable for the implementation of your research agenda.
Budget Page: Provide a budget page that itemizes how you intend to utilize the $2000.00 in research support funds between the two allowable categories: (i) supplies-and-expenses and/or (ii) student hourly help. Next to each dollar entry, provide a brief narrative explanation that clarifies the intended use and its necessity for completing the research project.
Applicant's Curriculum Vita
Letter of Support from Mentor and Mentor's Curriculum Vita
Letter of Guarantee from Department Chair: This letter should speak to the candidate's scholarly potential, and state specifically that, should an award be granted, the applicant will be released from all teaching responsibilities during the semester of the award.
Letter of Guarantee from School/College Dean: (same as above)
Letter re. Eligibility from the Campus Provost/Vice Chancellor: This letter should speak to the candidate's eligibility to apply for the Faculty Diversity Research Award as is explained in the "Eligibility" section.
Appendix Section: Include such items as additional letters of support, any evidence of campus or departmental financial support, information on publication outlets and sources of possible extramural support, and any other relevant documentation. (Do not have letters of support or guarantee sent directly to the Institute.)

SEND TO:
Thomas Tonnesen, Associate Director
UW System Institute on Race and Ethnicity
c/o UW-Milwaukee - Mitchell 225
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Phone: (414) 229-4700
Fax: (414) 229-4581
E-mail: tonnesen@uwm.edu