11/22/10
LSA Associate Professor Support Fund (APS)
2010-11 Timetable
Application Deadline: March 1st
Review by Divisional Evaluation Committee: last two weeks of March
Notification of awards: April 5th
Effective Date of Awards: Summer/Fall 2011
By virtue of their newly-won tenure, associate professors are well positioned to pursue the next phase
of their research programs. At the same time, they are expected to take on added administrative
responsibilities and, in many cases, to tackle new teaching tasks while strategically preparing for
promotion to the rank of full professor.
The associate professor support fund (APS) acknowledges these new responsibilities of the rank and is
intended to enhance the research support for associate professors, so that they can take fuller
advantage of the opportunities afforded by tenure and move expeditiously to the next rank.
Associate professors may apply for funding at any time following promotion to that rank, but are, in
general, expected to apply only once. Departments should develop procedures to advise Associate
Professors on the optimal time to apply. It is important that the application is timed in such a way that
it will have the biggest impact on the research program and work that will be presented during the
process for promotion to full professor
The utilization of these awards will depend on disciplinary expectations and on the research needs of
the associate professor. The following paragraphs summarize the types of applications that are
anticipated; alternatives that are consistent with the spirit of these proposals but are better tailored to
the needs of an individual associate professor are welcome. In every case, requests for support should
be accompanied by a description of the proposed research project, including a detailed explanation of
how this project fits into the associate professor’s broader research program, what progress on the
project has already been made, how the requested award will further this research agenda and what
part this work will play in the ultimate promotion to full professor. Funds should generally be expended
within two years; if a project requires more time, this requirement should be explained at the time of
application. In general, funds from this program cannot be used to reduce teaching.
The faculty member’s department chair must evaluate this proposal and, therefore, the faculty
applicant should discuss these plans with the chair well in advance of the application. Faculty with joint
appointments should request evaluations from both of their chairs.
Humanities: In much of the humanities, associate professors are expected to either finish, or at least
make substantial progress towards a series of major articles or a second book manuscript in order to be
promoted to professor. It is expected that the APS funds will be used to complete a major project that
will be important in their next faculty promotion. In this division, faculty can apply for summer ninths
(no more than two); funds for a graduate or undergraduate research assistant (no more than a .50 GSRA
for one academic year); funds for editorial or translation work; or funds to permit study at a distant site
(e.g., a gallery or archive). Awards are expected to be in the $20,000-$30,000 range. We envision
making 8 - 12 awards per year. Faculty who apply for this award may also apply to the Institute for the
Humanities, the Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies, or for the Michigan Humanities Award in
11/22/10
the same year, assuming they meet those eligibility requirements. All leaves remain subject to the
college leave policy.
Social sciences: Faculty in the Social Sciences engage in a variety of types of scholarship, ranging from
field work to survey research to experiments in the laboratory. Some work in book disciplines, which
require them to travel to distant archives or field locations; some produce articles, often in collaboration
with colleagues here and elsewhere; others work on natural science research (see Natural
Science section below). Given the diversity of research methods in the social sciences, awards in this
discipline may involve summer ninths (no more than two), funds to hire a GSRA to support faculty
research for some period of time (e.g. .5 fte GSRA for nine months), money for travel to complete
fieldwork or to work with collaborators housed at other universities, or funds to retool methodologically
by attending workshops and seminars in alternative methods. It is expected that the APS funds will help
the applicant to make substantial progress on a major project that will be important in their next faculty
promotion. We envision making 8-12 awards per year in the $20,000-$30,000 range. Faculty who apply
for this award may also apply to the Institute for the Humanities, the Frankel Institute for Advanced
Judaic Studies, or for the Michigan Humanities Award in the same year, assuming they meet those
eligibility requirements. All leaves remain subject to the college leave policy.
Natural sciences: Recognizing the importance of research funds for initiating new ventures in the
sciences, LSA has created, with generous support from the estate of Margaret and Herman Sokol, a fund
to invest in the research initiatives of recently promoted associate professors in the natural sciences.
Awards are expected to be in the range of $20,000-$100,000. The primary intent of this investment is to
enable associate professors to pursue new ideas or initiate a new research direction. It is expected that
the APS funds will help the applicant to make substantial progress on a major project that will be
important in their next faculty promotion. Examples of proposals include acquiring major equipment,
new instrumentation, organizing a research meeting which brings experts to campus, or reconfiguring a
laboratory. It is expected that 5-7 awards will be made annually with an average award of $75,000.
Because of the larger size of the awards, applications in the natural sciences should address additional
questions:





Will the proposed investments enable a new research direction?
What is the likely long-term impact of the proposed investment? Preference will be given to
projects deemed likely to lead to new external funding.
Is there broad support for this, as judged by willingness of units and other individuals to
contribute to the cost of the project? While the amount of unit contributions will depend on
the details of the proposal, a typical contribution would be 25% of the total cost.
Who will benefit from this? Preference will be given to proposals with broader impact that will
affect graduate students, postdocs, or other faculty.
What will the money be used for? Preference will be given to investments in research
infrastructure over one-time expenditures (e.g., salaries)
Review procedures
Required components of the application below should be submitted to the chair/director who will add
the required confidential letter of evaluation and forward the application to the divisional associate
11/22/10
dean. Departments may establish procedures within the unit to prioritize applications. Proposals will
be reviewed by the appropriate Divisional Evaluation Committee once a year.
Application Contents
1. A description of the proposed research project (not to exceed five double space pages),
including a detailed explanation of how this project fits into the associate professor’s broader
research program, what progress on the project has already been made, how the requested
award will further this research agenda and what part this work will play in the ultimate
promotion to full professor. Plans should acknowledge that the funds requested should
generally be expended within two years; if a project requires more time, this requirement
should be explained at the time of application. [For natural science research, see additional
questions to be addressed.]
2. A complete teaching and service record for the last five years, including course enrollments,
should be attached to the application.
3. A confidential letter of evaluation covering all aspects of the proposal from the relevant chairs
or directors. The letter (1 page maximum) should comment on the timing of the request and
the faculty member’s project as it relates to readiness for the next promotion.
Note: In general, funds from this program cannot be used to reduce teaching. In some cases,
these funds may be most useful if coupled with a sabbatical leave. As part of a research plan
and with permission of the relevant unit(s) a faculty member’s first sabbatical at this rank may
be postponed without loss of equity toward the next one. Similarly for those associate
professors close to eligibility for their second sabbatical at this rank some acceleration of that
sabbatical may be permitted (on the understanding that the faculty member’s third sabbatical
will be delayed by the same period as the acceleration of this second one.) Associate Professors
wishing to explore this possibility should discuss this with their chair.