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West Virginia University WVU Faculty

Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program

Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program Application

West Virginia University is participating in a program to stimulate scholarly initiatives through creation of an academic community within the institutions in the Big 12 Athletic Conference. The Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program offers faculty the opportunity to travel to member institutions to exchange ideas and research.  Faculty may work on collaborative research, consult with faculty and students, offer a series of lectures or symposia, acquire new skills, or take advantage of a unique archive or laboratory facility.

Program Guidelines

  • During each academic year, twelve fellowships will be available to WVU faculty.
  • All full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty on the Morgantown Campus are eligible to apply.  Proposals by non-tenurable faculty will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • The faculty member may visit any of the Big XII universities.
  • West Virginia University will continue the faculty member's salary during the period away from campus assuming they are already on salary at the time of the visit; otherwise, salary will not be covered.
  • The University will provide reasonable travel, lodging, and meal expenses attendant to the visit up to a maximum of $2,500. Note: Reimbursement for lodging and per diem expenses must follow state travel policies and procedures.
  • Visits will ordinarily be for up to two weeks, but longer visits are possible.
  • Faculty members are responsible for arranging coverage of their duties during their absence from campus.
  • The Fellowship cannot be combined with sabbatical leave, external fellowship, or other leaves.
  • After the visit, the faculty fellow will submit a brief report to the Provost describing the outcomes of the visit and offering suggestions for future planning.

Required Documents and Application Procedures

  1. Cover Page
  2. Abridged curriculum vitae
  3. One-page description including the following information:
    1. Purpose and activities of the visit
    2. Expected outcome
    3. Description of how the visit will complement your current or proposed area of teaching or research
    4. Benefit of the visit to your department/school
  4. Statement of support from the department chair and dean indicating:
    1. How the faculty member's responsibilities will be covered
    2. The prospective benefits of the experience for both the faculty member and the unit
  5. A letter of invitation from the Big XII host institution department or school. The letter should indicate the unit’s willingness to host the visit and projected benefits to their program or unit.
  6. A detailed budget (transportation, meals, and lodging). Note: Budgets must follow state travel regulations.

Applications must be received, with all required documents, by Monday, February 5, 2024. No late applications will be accepted. Applications, including the required documents, are to be uploaded to Digital Measures under Archived Reports and Documents in Other Submissions. Please select the current Academic Year, select Application for Big 12 Faculty Fellowship in the submission type and upload your materials in the Initial Faculty Submission.  Any applications that are incomplete at the deadline or exceed the limitations on maximum length of 11 pages, including the cover page, will not be considered. Incomplete applications will not be evaluated. 

Should 12 fellowships not be given out in response to this call for applications, additional applications may be considered.

When projects are of equal merit, preference will be given to:

  • Faculty members who have not had sabbaticals or other internally-sponsored leaves in the past three years
  • Projects that take advantage of timely opportunities
  • Projects that possess a strong potential for promoting inter-institutional collaborations

Opportunities for Faculty Visits from Other Big 12 Universities

We encourage you to consider inviting Big 12 colleagues to visit West Virginia University, if their visit would enrich the experiences of our faculty and students. This program offers a unique opportunity for collaboration and interaction.  When plans have been confirmed, please notify FacultyDevelopment@mail.wvu.edu (or call 304-293-2021) of the individual's name, home institution and department, the dates of the visit and the purpose. Host departments are responsible for advising the visiting Fellow concerning temporary housing and for making arrangements concerning office space, telephones, clerical help, parking, and use of the library or specialized research facilities.

Individuals from other institutions must apply for participation through their home institutions. Expenses are to be covered by the home institution.

For additional information, please email  FacultyDevelopment@mail.wvu.edu or call 304-293-2021.