NCFDD Faculty Success Grants for Pre-Tenured Faculty

The Faculty Success Program (FSP) gave me space, resources and people to help me prioritize my research, even as a new assistant professor overwhelmed with teaching. Going into the program, I thought I knew a lot about time management and priorities, but I came out with specific new strategies for goal setting and renewing my commitment daily. My accountability group and mentor gave me terrific support and encouragement, and helped me become far more productive than I would have otherwise.

Christine Larson, Assistant Professor, Journalism, 2019 cohort

The FSP has helped me to reflect more broadly on and better align my long-term goals with my daily activities. It has provided me with a set of best practices and strategies that I have experimented with during the summer. Before participating in the FSP, I felt my schedule was constantly driven by urgent and not important needs. The FSP has helped me to create a daily writing habit. I have seen a huge improvement in my productivity this summer and I have learned I don’t actually need big time slots to have some writing done. This will be very beneficial when things start to get busy with the academic year and it’s hard to find time to write.

Cristina Torres-Machi, Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, 2019 cohort

The FSP taught me skills and gave me support that increased my productivity and reduced my stress levels. I continue to use the “Write Now” software that’s part of the FSP Alumni program and I still meet weekly with the accountability group I met four years ago when I went through FSP. We’ve celebrated our successes together and buoyed each other in difficult times. I highly recommend all of NCFDD’s webinars, its 14-day writing challenges, and of course the FSP.

Lucy Chester, Associate Professor, History, 2019 cohort

Yellow tulip in front of the Regent building

Participating in NCFDD's Faculty Success Program was transformative for me as a new assistant professor. It provided me with the tools I needed to balance the myriad of responsibilities associated with mentoring students, starting up and running a research program, teaching, and performing my service assignments. Its focus on strategic planning and time management has allowed me to effectively balance work with my personal life and be successful without needing to work excessive numbers of hours. It was also invaluable in connecting me with peer mentors. I actively recommend this program to anyone starting as a new professor.

Laurel Hind, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2021 cohort

Center for Community building blanketed in snow

Participating in the NCFDD FSP was a life saver for me. I was a mid-career associate who was struggling to keep my research agenda moving forward while also balancing a new administrative position, ongoing teaching responsibility, and two young children. The program introduced me to an array of tools that have helped me feel more organized and in control. Strategic planning exercises and accountability groups help keep me on task and productive. But what I really loved was its holistic approach to things. I'm a lot more thoughtful and intentional about what I prioritize. I'm definitely not working harder, I'm working smarter, and my well-being is an important part of that calculus.

Associate Professor, 2017 cohort

Like many other participants, I found the program transformative in all the right ways. The first six weeks were especially invaluable for developing concrete strategies for staying on track with research and writing in an extremely busy semester. FSP made me rethink how I approach weekly planning and fitting everything in. With the regular writing practice encouraged by the program, I was able to make significant progress on various projects without any additional stress or an increase in working hours.

Isabel Köster, Assistant Professor, Classics, 2022 cohort

Request for Proposals: NCFDD Faculty Success Grants for Pre-Tenured Faculty

The Office of Faculty Affairs invites applications for the Faculty Success Grants from pre-tenured faculty interested in participating in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)'s Faculty Success Program. These grants fund enrollment in NCFDD's Faculty Success Program (aka “Boot Camp”).

Proposals for the 2024-25 NCFDD Faculty Success Grants are due September 6th, 2024.

What is the NCFDD Faculty Success Program (FSP)?

NCFDD's Faculty Success Program (FSP) is a 10-week program that helps tenure-track and tenured faculty with the skills necessary to increase research and writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance—leading to lasting success!

Focusing on the dual goals of improving scholarly productivity and maintaining work/life balance, the FSP specifically aims to foster the careers of faculty who can contribute to the diversity and inclusion missions of their institutions. The FSP promotes evidence-based and humanizing strategies for writing productively, provides access to a specialized platform for tracking activities, time, and goal attainment, offers individualized coaching on a weekly basis, and places participants in small peer working groups that feature online interaction and weekly conference calls.

CU Boulder's institutional membership with NCFDD includes for all faculty, academic professionals, and graduate students, which provides access to NCFDD’s extensive online resources including workshops, webinars, and seminars. Once you have activated your membership, you will be able to use the NCFDD’s website to learn about the goals, processes, and time commitments involved in participation in the Faculty Success Program.

FSP Frequently Asked Questions

Is FSP for me?

FSP is a great fit for you, regardless of your career stage. While the NCFDD welcomes FSP participants who are non-tenure track, tenure-track, and tenured faculty, please note that the Faculty Success Grants offered by the Office for Faculty Affairs only fund the enrollment of eligible pre-tenured faculty. Whether you're facing the pressure of achieving tenure, renewing a contract, or looking to refresh your productivity strategies and reignite your passion for your scholarly work, FSP can offer the skills and supportive structure to thrive within the Academy.

Is now the right time?

The program's flexibility allows it to adapt to your specific needs and circumstances. If you're experiencing a particularly demanding period, the community and small group meetings can provide a much-needed boost. Our coaches are committed to helping you tailor the FSP principles to your unique situation, ensuring you get the most out of the program.

What is the time commitment of participating?

FSP participants generally spend 1.5 to 2 hours per week doing the individual work of watching training videos and completing homework assignments. Additionally, you'll participate in weekly 75-minute small group meetings with your coach. These sessions provide a valuable opportunity for peer support, discussion, and personalized guidance.

Will FSP be beneficial for someone of my specific discipline?

Yes, FSP can be beneficial for professionals in all disciplines. Its focus on fundamental challenges, such as time management and work-life balance, is applicable to a wide range of academic fields.

What does the Faculty Success Grant fund?

Each successful grant applicant will receive funds sufficient to cover enrollment in the Faculty Success Program, using the priority membership early bird discount offered by the NCFDD. To participate in this program, successful applicants will first have to activate their individual membership.

Who is eligible to apply for the Faculty Success Grant?

All pre-tenured assistant/associate professors who have not previously participated in the NCFDD Faculty Success Program.

Proposal Format

All applications must include the following:

A two-page curriculum vitae, highlighting publications, courses taught, and service commitments since appointment as a pre-tenured faculty member at CU;
A one-page (single-spaced) statement of how participation in the Faculty Success Grant program would advance the applicant’s career goals. The statement should provide the full name and campus email address of the applicant, and must address the 3 following points:
- How participation in the writing workshop will help the applicant move successfully towards earning tenure;
- Why participation in the mentoring networks that are an integral component of the FSP will be especially valuable to the applicant’s professional scholarly development;
- How the applicant’s participation in this program will contribute to CU Boulder’s goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Proposal Submission Deadline

Proposals and all supporting documentation should be submitted as a PDF file by email to maribeth.vanhaute@colorado.edu no later than September 6th, 2024, by 5:00pm MST.

Notice of Award

Award recipients will be notified by early October 2024.

Summary Report

A short, written report will be due within one month of completing the Faculty Success Program. This report should describe your specific participation in the program and identify how participation in the program had an impact on your scholarly productivity and your career development.