Kansas State University

K-State awards fellowships that provide mentoring for tenure-track women and minority faculty in the basic sciences, applied sciences and engineering disciplines. The mentoring program will support up to five mentees per year at approximately $6,000 each. Typically, four awards are made in the spring competition and one award is made in the fall competition of each year. The fall competition is open only to new tenure-track women and minority faculty in the sciences and engineering appointed at K-State since Jan. 1 of the current calendar year. The funds provided for the fall 2013 award are to be used during the current academic year, 2013-2014. The spring competition is open to all eligible faculty members, and the spring 2014 awards are for the next academic year, 2014-2015. Eligibility for both the fall and spring competitions is limited to those who have not yet received significant external funding.

The goal is to provide women and minority scientists and engineers with mentors who will help them secure the external funding usually necessary for achieving tenure in these fields. The award monies can be used for such things as personnel, attendance at short courses, meetings that enhance professional development, seed money for research or other justifiable uses. Each award recipient submits a report toward the end of the academic year that describes the results of the progress achieved as a result of the fellowship. Individuals who are awarded fellowships graduate from the program upon receipt of substantial external funding. If a fellowship recipient does not receive extramural funding during the year of the award, a request for renewal for a subsequent year may be submitted, but it is important for applicants to show both progress in their research and attempts to obtain extramural funding to be considered for a renewal.

Application requirements

• A project description — not to exceed two pages — should be informative and understandable to a scientifically literate, but non specialist, reader.
• The two-page description should include:
• A detailed budget for the project and budget justification.
• Description of importance of the project to the professional development of the applicant.

• A list of previous, current and pending research support. Include the funding agency, names of other principal investigators, amount of support, start and end dates. Also include this same information about proposals and fellowships applied for, but not funded.

• A description of the extent of applicant's involvement in obtaining previous and/or current funding and in carrying out any previously and/or currently funded research projects.

• A detailed description of the role of the mentor and the proposed interactions between the mentor and mentee.

• Two-page curriculum vitae from both the mentor and mentee.

• Detailed letter of commitment from the mentor.

Selection criteria

• Scientific merit of a research project in a basic science, applied science or engineering discipline
• Importance of the project and specific budget request to the professional development of the applicant
• Appropriateness and design of the mentor/mentee collaboration
• Potential for attracting external support