Guidelines for Summer Fellowships

Summer Fellowships are available to tenure-track or tenured principal faculty, with priority given to junior faculty members. The current stipend is $4,000. The faculty member may teach one course or workshop during the summer of the award.

Applications cannot be made for both Faculty Development Research Leaves and Summer Fellowships during the same academic year.

Interested faculty can view a list of recent recipients of Faculty Development Leaves and Summer Fellowships at Internal Awards.

Guidelines for Evaluating Proposals
Application Procedures
Format for Application
Role of the Faculty Development Committee

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Guidelines for Evaluating Proposals

In general, primary consideration will be given to projects that show promise of furthering the applicant's scholarly and professional development. Under this broad principle, a considerable variety of proposals -- including interdisciplinary proposals -- will be acceptable for evaluation.

1. The following are examples of projects that would merit consideration:
   1. Scholarly research with the goal of final publication.
   2. Creative and inventive projects in the area of the arts -- such as drama, music, film, radio-television -- for faculty members for whom such undertakings would constitute scholarly research.
   3. Creative and inventive projects that involve the improvement of teaching either in terms of the content or in terms of methodology.
   4. Advanced study in a specific area for the purpose of professional development, including the development of technical skills when such study is called for by recent developments in the applicant's field.
   5. Other activities that are judged to impact the University positively through intellectual development of the faculty member.

   Applicants are encouraged to pursue their studies and research at institutions that are particularly distinguished for their programs in the applicant's academic field.

2. The primary emphasis is on the quality of the proposal. In the event of more quality applications than available, priority will be given to junior faculty members who have not received a summer fellowship the previous year. The summer fellowships do not affect a faculty member's subsequent eligibility for a semester or year leave with pay.
3. Awards cannot be made for both Faculty Development Research Leaves and Summer Fellowships during the same academic year (though one can apply to both).

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APPLICATION PROCEDURES for SUMMER FELLOWSHIPS

1. To be considered, applications for 2025 Summer Fellowships must be received by November 1, 2024. The required letters of support/reference from the applicant's department chair and proposal reviewers must also be received by this date. To ensure consideration all application materials must be received by the deadline. It is the applicant's responsibility to see that the application and all supporting materials are submitted on time. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants may check with the Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives to learn of one's application completion status, prior to the due date.
2. Applications should be addressed to the Chair of the Faculty Development Committee, at  facultydevelopment@xavier.edu by the due date.
3. At the time a faculty member presents a proposal to the Faculty Development Committee, a copy must be submitted to the department chair and the dean.
4. The department chair (or dean if the applicant is a department chair) must submit a completed evaluation form. (Please use attached form.) This should be submitted electronically to facultydevelopment@xavier.edu
5. Departmental chairs and heads of programs must submit a completed evaluation form from their dean. (Please use attached form.) Self-recommendations will not be accepted. Completed forms should be submitted electronically to facultydevelopment@xavier.edu  
   
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FORMAT FOR APPLICATION for SUMMER FELLOWSHIPS

The application for a summer fellowship must include, and be limited to, the following in one pdf file that includes page numbers:

1. A title page including title, applicant's name, rank, department, length of service as a member of the Principal Faculty, dates of any previous faculty development leaves and summer fellowships, and a brief description of the project and its goal (abstract). Applicants should also include a listing of other funding available or for which they will be applying for the award time period.
2. A detailed description of the project, including the following sections (limit of five (5) double-spaced pages including bibliography).
   1. a detailed description of the objective:
   2. a thorough discussion of the scope of work planned;
   3. a statement of the significance/contribution of the project;
   4. a synopsis of any work or exploratory research on the project already completed;
   5. a statement of, and the justification for, the time requested;
   6. a summary description of any comparable projects completed by the applicant; and
   7. if applicable, a statement on expectations concerning when and where the project may be published, performed or exhibited.
3. If applicable, a brief description of previous Xavier-funded faculty development awards received.  This description must include the project title, type of award, dates granted, and short project description.  For each award described, indicate the scholarly outcomes achieved. For each previous faculty development leave, also include a copy of the Project Report filed with the Provost Office.
4. An abbreviated vita (no more than three pages, not included in the 5-page limit).
5. The applicant must solicit two letters of support/reference from referees in the same field (from Xavier or elsewhere), and an evaluation form from the applicant's chair or dean. Letters and the evaluation form should be sent directly to the Chair of Faculty Development Committee at facultydevelopment@xavier.edu  At its discretion, the Faculty Development Committee may seek consultation with authorities in the applicant's academic field.

Summer Fellowship Checklist

• Title page
• Detailed Description of the project addressing items 1-3 above (no more than 5 double-spaced, numbered pages including references)
• Appendices
  • Abbreviated (no more than 3 pages) CV
  • 2 letters of support
  • Chair/Dean Evaluation Form 

Project Report

Within two months after the end of the leave or fellowship, the faculty member must submit a project report to the office of the Provost Office at  facultydevelopment@xavier.edu  and to the faculty member's department chair and dean. This report must include:

1. A detailed summary of the work completed on the project, including statements regarding which goals of the original proposal were met and which were not
2. In cases in which the work as originally proposed was not completed, the faculty member must address this in the report stating the reasons the project was changed

This report will be available to the Faculty Development Committee.  The results of prior faculty development leave(s) or fellowship(s) will be used in evaluating future proposals by the faculty member.  It is the faculty member?s responsibility to deliver these reports in a timely fashion.

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ROLE OF THE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

1. The Faculty Development Committee consists of Principal Faculty representing all four colleges.
2. The Faculty Development Committee reviews proposals utilizing the following rubric to guide assessment and committee discussions of each proposal. The committee makes recommendations for Summer Fellowship awards to the Associate Provost, who will forward the committee's recommendations, along with his/her own, to the Provost and CAO. The Provost and Chief Academic Officer makes the final decisions regarding approval of proposals.  Evaluation Rubric For Summer Fellowship
3. Faculty Development Committee members applying for a Faculty Development Award (e.g. Wheeler, Summer Fellowship, or leave), must recuse themselves from ALL discussions pertaining to that award category.