Institutional Success

Strengthening Faculty Support Systems Beyond Informal Networks

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Faculty support systems in higher education and institutional strategy

Faculty support systems are central to research productivity, mentoring continuity, academic leadership development, and long term faculty retention strategies. Any effective faculty development strategy depends on them functioning reliably across departments and career stages. The State of Faculty Development 2026 findings suggest that while many institutions have formal support systems in place, a growing share … Read more

Faculty Development Support Is Now Essential for Institutional Stability

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Faculty development support and institutional stability in higher education

For many years, faculty development was positioned as enrichment. Valuable, but optional. Helpful, but not central. Something institutions offered to support individual growth rather than to sustain core academic functions. Findings from the State of Faculty Development 2026 survey suggest that framing no longer reflects faculty reality. Increasingly, faculty describe professional development as necessary support … Read more

How Institutions Can Better Support Faculty Research Funding Without Adding More Work

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Faculty research funding support without increasing workload

Author: NCFDD Faculty research funding support has become one of the most urgent and misunderstood challenges facing higher education today. As expectations around external funding increase, many institutions respond by asking faculty to do more: write more proposals, pursue more opportunities, and adapt faster to shifting funder priorities. Yet this approach often overlooks a central … Read more

The 2026 State of Faculty Development in Higher Education Survey Report

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The faculty support gap in higher education is real. Over 1000 faculty and academic leaders revealed what faculty need most, and how institutions can help deliver it. Faculty development is no longer optional infrastructure. NCFDD’s national survey of 1,098 faculty and academic leaders reveals a growing divergence between what faculty need to remain productive and … Read more

Redefining Grant Funding in Higher Education

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Redefining Grant Funding in Higher Education

A white paper from NCFDD, with key insights from our inaugural Rethinking Your Research Funding Course Many faculty care deeply about their research and want to pursue ambitious, meaningful work. Yet the process of securing funding often feels fragmented, rushed, and discouraging. Ideas move forward in short bursts. Feedback arrives late or not at all. … Read more

Supporting Faculty Funding Success: The Role Leadership Plays 

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faculty leadership support in grant funding

For many institutions, faculty funding success is treated as an individual achievement. A strong proposal is a reflection of the scholar’s creativity, discipline, and persistence. While these qualities matter, they do not operate in isolation. Even the most skilled researchers thrive when they work within a system that provides clarity, structure, and opportunities to develop … Read more

APLU Annual Meeting

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SREB Institute on Teaching and Mentoring

Theme: Rising to the Moment 📍November 9–11, 2025 | Philadelphia, PA We’re excited to share that NCFDD will be attending the 2025 APLU Annual Meeting! This year’s conference theme, “Rising to the Moment,” celebrates the bold leadership and innovative spirit of public and land-grant universities as they adapt to meet extraordinary challenges and opportunities. The … Read more

The AIs Go Marching On: Finding Our Way with AI in Education

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Finding Our Way with AI in Education Webinar

Watch the Recording: The AIs Go Marching On: Finding Our Way with AI in Education Host:Lance Eaton, PhD – Senior Associate Director, Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research, Northeastern University Navigating the New Frontier: Making Sense of AI in Higher Education AI has arrived in our classrooms, whether we invited it or not. In … Read more

Free Department Chair’s Survival Guide

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Chair's Survival Guide Preview Image

Lead with clarity, confidence, and balance starting today. Stepping into the chair role can feel overwhelming. This guide from NCFDD offers proven strategies to help you lead effectively, support your faculty, and protect your own well-being. Download Your Free Guide Becoming a department chair is one of the most complex transitions in academia. You are … Read more

Building Strong Peer Communities: A Resource for Leadership and Advancement

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building peer communities

Author: Chrystal Bruce, PhD, Associate Dean, John Carroll University The NSF ADVANCE Partnership Project, Advancing STEM Careers by Empowering Network Development (ASCEND), was conceived to support the professional advancement of mid-career women STEM faculty and administrators. Through this collaboration, we created regional peer-to-peer networks and provided participant-informed education, training, and professional support to equip faculty … Read more