College of Arts & Sciences

Faculty Travel and Research Support

The College is a professional community of teachers, scholars, and researchers who are engaged in creating and sharing knowledge with students and colleagues. In addition to external funding that may be available, the College supports faculty research and development with internal funds, in conjunction with other University sources.

 

College Funding Sources

I. Faculty Development Fund for Tenured, Tenure-Track Faculty, and Lecturers

A. Purpose: To enable faculty members to attend conferences, workshops, or seminars, where participation enhances the academic program of the department or College. 

B. Amount of Awards: Up to $2,500 for assistant professors, up to $1,875 for tenured faculty, and up to $1,250 for lecturers per 24-month period extending back from the first day of travel on the current request for funds.

C. Eligibility: Applicants must be tenured or tenure-track faculty members or instructors or lecturers in Arts & Sciences. The travel to be funded must take place after the application deadline.

D. Application Process:

1. A faculty member submits a brief proposal to the department chair using the Faculty Development Fund Dynamic Form. This submission includes:

• • • Name, location, and date(s) of activity
    • An explanation of how the activity will benefit the academic program and/or the applicant's career
    • Estimated costs, to include registration, transportation, and lodging (excluding meals)
    • Extent of support from other sources.

2. Department Chair forwards the application(s) to the Dean's office, commenting on (a) the proposed activity's potential benefit to the academic program and (b) how vital this grant would be to the applicant's career. 

E. Deadlines for submission to the Chair's office: No later than noon the first day of September, December, March, and May (by noon the following Monday if the first day falls on a weekend) of each year.

F. Review Committee: The applications will be reviewed and awards recommended to the Dean by a representative subcommittee of the Executive Committee — i.e., one representative from each of the following departmental groups: (1) Biology, Chemistry, and Earth Sciences; (2) Physics and Mathematics; (3)  English and History;  (4) Foreign Languages and Sociology/Political Science .

G. Criteria: Proposals will be ranked by their potential for improving the academic program and their importance to the applicant’s career. Regarding proposals considered equal in all other respects, preference will given to those by faculty members who are early in their career and/or unable to undertake the proposed activity without support from the College.

H. Contingent Awards: Faculty are encouraged to submit applications for funding even while awaiting final approval of a conference paper, acceptance to workshop or seminar, etc. The committee may make an award contingent on such approval or acceptance, and must receive confirmation before the next proposal deadline.

I. Accountability: No later than one month after the activity is concluded, each awardee will be required to send the Dean a 1-2 page report evaluating the experience. Failure to file such a report may result in reduced funding eligibility for future proposals. 

 

II. Support for Full-Time Temporary and Adjunct Faculty

A. Purpose: To support travel of full-time temporary and adjunct faculty in Arts and Sciences who engage in scholarly and professional activity for the enhancement of teaching and scholarship in the College.

B. Amount of Awards: Limit of $450 per faculty member per 12-month period, from an annual total of $2,500 (as available).

C. Eligibility: Full-time temporary faculty and adjunct faculty with at least one year of continuous part-time teaching service to the college. The travel to be funded must occur after the application deadline.

D. Application Process

1. Faculty member drafts proposal stating

• • • Description of the activity
    • Estimated cost, including registration, lodging, and travel expenses (excluding food)
    • The benefit of the event to the teaching mission of the college and to the professional development of the faculty member
    • Possible availability of funds from other sources

2. Department chair will forward each proposal to the Dean, with an explanation of the value of the proposal to the faculty member and the academic program.  If more than one proposal is received from the department in a given cycle, the chair will rank them in order of their potential benefit.

E. Deadlines for submission to the Chair's office: No later than noon the first day of September, December, March, and May (by noon the following Monday if the first day falls on a weekend) of each year.

F. Review Committee: The applications will be reviewed and awards recommended to the Dean by a representative subcommittee of the Executive Committee — i.e., one representative from each of the following departmental groups: (1) Biology, Chemistry, and Earth Sciences; (2) Physics and Mathematics; (3)  English and History;  (4) Foreign Languages and Sociology/Political Science.

G. Criteria: The committee will evaluate proposals in accord with the stated purpose of the award, i.e., “the enhancement of teaching and scholarship in the college.”  Those presenting papers will be given priority, and when proposals are considered otherwise equal, preference will be given to those for which no other funding is available.

H. Limits on Frequency and Amount of Awards: During each 12-month period, a faculty member may receive only one award from this fund, even if less than the 450 maximum, and may resubmit a proposal only once. 

I. Accountability: Within one month of the funded activity, the faculty member will make a report to the chair and Dean (no more than two pages), evaluating the experience and suggesting how its benefits may be disseminated to the department.

 

III. Armistead Travel Support Account

A. Purpose: Established in honor of Jack Armistead, Dean of the College from 1995 to 2007, this fund supports “travel expenses, conference or workshop fees and related expenses for faculty research or enhancement of academic programs.” It is intended to supplement the Faculty Development Fund as a secondary funding source, especially activities outside the normal purpose of that fund, or to help cover unusually high costs for international travel.

B. Eligibility: All full-time faculty members in the College.

C. Amounts and Limits: Approximately $2,000 total is available per year, with a typical individual allocation of $500. A limit of one award per faculty per year, with preference to those who have not received an award in the previous two years.

D. Selection Process: Discretion of the Dean.

 

IV. College Travel Research Grants

A. Purpose: To support travel and short residencies that enable faculty access to archives, collections, laboratory facilities, field research opportunities, historical and cultural sites, etc., with the goal of producing scholarly or creative works.

B. Eligibility: Tenured and tenure-track faculty in the College, including chairpersons.

C. Amounts and Limits: Two awards up to $2,000 each may be made annually. A recipient may apply for a subsequent award no sooner than three years after a successful application.

D. Application Process:

1. Faculty member drafts proposal stating

• • • Description of the project and its significance in the research/creative field
    • Schedule of completion
    • Estimated budget, including transportation, lodging expenses, fees, etc.
    • Possible availability of funds from other Tennessee Tech sources (e.g., home department), and the prospect of subsequent external funding sources to continue or complete the project

2. Department chair forwards each proposal to the Dean, with an explanation of the value of the proposal. If more than one proposal is received from the department in a given cycle, the chair will rank them in order of their potential impact on the field and prospect of completion.

E. Deadline: March 1

F. Selection: By the same committee that determines awards from the Faculty Development Fund.

 

University Funding Sources

I. Provost’s Faculty Development Fund

This fund supports faculty travel and professional development for a wide range of purposes. Some matching funding from the College or department is usually expected. For further information see the faculty handbook »

 

II. Non-Instructional Assignments

The University makes a small number of grants called Non-Instructional Assignments that allow tenured faculty to be released from regular teaching duties in order to pursue research and other projects. The grant is intended primarily to fund the replacement cost of instruction, but the College will ordinarily make a portion available to the faculty member to undertake the project. See a complete description of this program, including procedures and eligibility »

 

III. Faculty Research Grants (Research & Economic Development)

Research & Economic Development annually makes grants to tenured and tenure-track faculty to support research and travel, including meeting with officers of external funding agencies, with an emphasis on “seed funding” to initiate and develop research projects or programs that lead to external funding. The deadline to apply for these grants is usually in mid-January. See the current deadline and more information »