Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President

Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program

Purpose

The Chief Academic Officers of the Big 12 universities created the Big 12 Faculty Fellowship program for the purpose of stimulating scholarly activities in the areas of teaching, research and service. Recently, a mentoring and networking component has been added to facilitate the establishment of contacts and networks for new faculty with outstanding individuals in their discipline at other Big 12 universities. The program offers the faculty the opportunity to travel to member institutions to participate in cross mentoring among universities, develop working relationships and exchange ideas with others.

Application Form

Past recipients

Guidelines

  • The application deadline is February 15.
  • All faculty who are tenure-track or tenured are eligible to apply for Big 12 Faculty Fellowships. Graduate students, faculty in temporary positions, and faculty who have had a fellowship the previous academic year are not eligible to apply.
  • Applicants who have received prior funding from The Big 12 Faculty Fellowship program must include as part of the application, a paragraph summarizing the accomplishments and outcomes of the previous project(s) and how the current proposal differs from or builds upon the previous project(s).
  • All tenure-track faculty who are in their first two years of appointment at Kansas State are also eligible to apply for the mentoring and networking component of the Big 12 Faculty Fellowships. Each applicant should already have a K-State faculty mentor. The K-State faculty mentor can help identify appropriate individuals at other Big 12 schools who could serve as a contact. A letter from both K-State and the Big 12 school should accompany the application and specify the role of the mentor.
  • A faculty member may visit any Big 12 university. Faculty visits will ordinarily be for two weeks, but shorter or longer visits are possible.
  • The visiting fellow may consult with faculty and/or students, offer lectures or symposia, or engage in whatever activities are agreeable to the visitor and host institution. See K-State Fellowship Recipients for a list of K-State faculty who have received fellowships in previous years.
  • The interested faculty member contacts the host unit (individual or department) that the faculty member wishes to visit and ascertains if and when the visitation would be possible. If a faculty member is not acquainted with possible collaborators in his or her discipline at other Big 12 schools, that faculty member's department head or dean may assist in identifying the appropriate individuals at other Big 12 schools. The Office of the Provost may also be used as a resource in providing names of individuals to contact.
  • Preference will be given to faculty members who propose the establishment of a relationship with new collaborators.
  • The host unit formally invites the faculty fellow by sending a letter of invitation that specifies its ability to handle the visitor. This letter should include a statement of the activities to be conducted, the resources made available to the visitor, and a summary of expected or potential outcomes of the project.
  • The faculty member's home institution provides up to $2,500.00 toward transportation, lodging and meals. Reimbursement for expenses related to research supplies and registration fees will be considered. Copy charges, office supplies or expenses for student employees are not eligible budget items.
  • These awards are not designated to supplement sabbatical leaves.
  • Faculty members will be responsible for arranging coverage of their duties at their home campus during their absence.
  • An announcement will be made by the host unit announcing the visiting fellow.
  • Within one month of his or her return to campus, the faculty member will submit a brief report to the Office of the Provost (provostpersonnel@k-state.edu) describing outcomes of the visit and offering suggestions for future planning.
  • The application deadline is February 15. Decisions for funding will be announced in June.

Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program Evaluation Criteria

  • Preference will not be given to any particular rank or tenure at Kansas State University, with the exception of the mentoring component for which applicants must be within their first 2 years of appointment at K-State.
  • Preference will be given to faculty members who propose the establishment of a relationship with new collaborators.
  • Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.
  • Budgets must follow K-State travel regulations.
  • Primary criteria for evaluation include:
    • Potential for enhancing scholarship of teaching, research and service
    • Likelihood of promoting new or enhanced inter-institutional collaborations
    • Clarity and strength of proposal
    • Strength of justification of both the project and the budget
  • Funds must be expended by September 1 of the following academic year.