Finding a research funding opportunity that seems relevant to your work can create an immediate sense of possibility. The topic fits. The award could support something important. The deadline is close enough that applying feels realistic. But relevance alone does not make an opportunity worth pursuing. Faculty often have to decide whether a proposal is … Read more
Author: NCFDD At the beginning of a semester, it can be relatively easy to see where you want your time to go. You may have a manuscript you want to finish, a research project you want to move forward, or a professional goal you have been meaning to make room for. Before the semester fills … Read more
Authors: Carlton E. Green & Jazmin P. Pichardo Faculty are teaching in a moment when political violence, campus protests, and polarized public discourse regularly enter the classroom. Students and colleagues turn to faculty as trusted educators and mentors to help make sense of what has happened. What faculty do with that trust shapes both learning … Read more
Author: NCFDD A promising funding opportunity can take over your calendar remarkably fast. One call looks like a strong fit. The deadline is six weeks away. Suddenly, your research funding strategy is the proposal due six weeks from now. That kind of focus can be useful. Grants require concentrated attention. But when every funding decision … Read more
Author: NCFDD Faculty leadership roles often come with an unusual expectation: learn the job once you have it. A faculty member may spend years building expertise as a researcher, teacher, mentor, and colleague. Then they become a department chair, program director, center director, associate dean, or another academic leader. Almost overnight, the work changes. They … Read more
Author: Jennifer Henry, Launch Program Manager, University of Michigan Starting a faculty position is exciting—and overwhelming. New assistant professors are expected to quickly learn the “hidden curriculum” of academia: how things really work in their department, how to build networks across campus, how to navigate expectations for research, teaching, and service, and where to find … Read more
During the academic year, much of faculty work is driven by external demands. Teaching schedules, committee responsibilities, student needs, departmental priorities, and institutional deadlines shape how time is spent from week to week. Summer often looks different. Understanding how department chairs can support faculty over the summer starts with recognizing that this season serves a … Read more
Author: Laura Portwood-Stacer When attempting to publish an academic book, it can feel as if so many factors are beyond your control. Will an acquiring editor like your book idea? Will it take them forever to get back to you? Will peer reviewers understand and support the intervention you’re trying to make? What if they … Read more
Summer has a way of creating big expectations. By the end of the spring semester, it’s easy to imagine finally having time to focus on the work that has been pushed aside for months. By August, many faculty find themselves wondering where the time went. The summer wasn’t wasted; in fact, most people stayed busy. … Read more
Author: NCFDD Faculty development has become a growing priority at research universities as expectations around scholarship, mentoring, leadership, teaching, and research productivity continue expanding across higher education. Many institutions already offer substantial professional development resources for faculty. Workshops, mentoring opportunities, writing support, leadership programming, and wellness initiatives often exist across multiple offices and departments. The … Read more