Writing and Productivity

Embracing Innovation in Academia: How Faculty Can Leverage AI Without Losing Their Voice

by
AI in academia

Author: NCFDD Artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education. Tools that can generate text, summarize sources, or analyze data are now freely available to anyone with an internet connection. For faculty, this shift brings both opportunity and uncertainty. Will AI accelerate research or diminish originality? Will it enrich teaching or undermine student learning? The answer depends … Read more

Every Semester Needs a Plan – Fall 2025

by
Every Semester Needs a Plan

Facilitator: Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhDAssistant DeanTufts University Plan Your Most Productive—and Balanced—Semester Yet On-Demand Webinar Recording Did you start this semester with big writing goals—only to find yourself already feeling behind? You’re not alone. And it’s not too late to turn things around. Watch our free Semester Planning Webinar recording, designed for busy academics who want … Read more

Being Agile in Uncertain Times: Scrum Project Management for Faculty

by
scrum project management

Author: Rebecca Pope-Ruark, PhD As we enter this new academic year, we do so confronting a sea of change, concern, and uncertainty based on our current national landscape, cuts to research funding and DEI programs, and a host of other challenges we will have to work through together. In this environment, many faculty will find … Read more

Why We Built a New Online Community for Academics

by
NCFDD Community introduction

At NCFDD, we’ve spent the past 15 years building programs, tools, and resources to support faculty development at every career stage. But one thing we kept hearing from graduate students, new assistant professors, and tenured faculty alike was this: “I feel like I’m doing this alone.” Whether it’s the pressure to publish, the struggle to … Read more

Is It Time to Rethink Faculty Grant Support?

by
rethinking faculty grant funding

Faculty are navigating one of the most complex grant funding environments in recent memory. Federal priorities are shifting. Budgets are tightening. And competition for research dollars continues to rise. At the same time, institutions continue to depend on external funding, but often without updating the systems and structures that help faculty pursue it effectively. For … Read more

The Hidden Costs of Grant Writing (And How Faculty Can Overcome Them)

by
overcome grant writing challenges

Securing external funding is often seen as a key marker of academic success. It supports research agendas, opens doors for collaboration, and plays a major role in tenure and promotion decisions. But what’s less talked about is how much time, energy, and emotional bandwidth it takes to get there. For many faculty—especially those early in … Read more

Sustaining Writing Momentum in a Demanding Academic Life

by
writing in academia

Writing is core to academic success, but it’s often the first thing to get pushed aside when schedules fill up. Teaching, service, mentoring, administrative tasks, and life outside of work can easily crowd out even the most well-intentioned writing plans. For faculty and academic leaders alike, the challenge isn’t knowing that writing matters: it’s figuring … Read more

FSP by the Numbers: A Snapshot of Impact 

by
faculty success program

Since its inception, the Faculty Success Program (FSP) has supported thousands of academics across disciplines, institutions, and identities as they navigate the demands of scholarly writing, research productivity, and sustainable work-life integration. From assistant professors just beginning their careers to full professors seeking renewed focus, FSP provides a proven structure and community to help faculty … Read more

Stepping into Leadership: How Department Chairs Can Own Their Career Growth

by
department chair leadership

For many faculty, stepping into a department chair role can feel like a detour—an administrative obligation that pulls time and energy away from research, teaching, and personal goals. But the chair position doesn’t have to be a pause in your career. When approached with intention, it can be a strategic opportunity for growth, visibility, and … Read more

Framing and Maintaining a Research Agenda: A Blueprint for Success

by
blueprint for success

Author: Fred A. Bonner II, EdD For researchers in general, and tenure-track faculty in particular, perhaps the most critical task they must engage is to develop a clear and concise research agenda that will serve as the scaffolding for a career in Academe or also the workforce beyond the Academy. From developing a researchable topic to … Read more