The FRAC committee is inviting applications from tenure-track junior faculty for Mellon Research Fellowships for 2008-2009. Because of policy differences between the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering, the FRAC Awards for the Mellon Fellowships are slightly different for each school.

Mellon Research Fellowships in Engineering are for a Semester Leave, i.e. applicants from the School of Engineering can receive one additional semester of leave beyond the junior leave for which they are currently eligible.

Mellon Research Fellowships in Arts & Sciences are for funding to be used while on leave, i.e. applicants from the School of Art and Sciences can receive up to $5000 in research funds to be used during their junior leaves.

We currently anticipate for this year that one award will be made in Engineering and two awards in the Arts and Sciences. If you have any questions, please contact Robert Cook, Chair of the FRAC committee. The deadline for applications is October 19, 2007.

The Mellon Fellowship is designed to provide engineering faculty members with a paid semester leave and the Arts and Sciences Junior Faculty leave with additional funding. Both are awarded to assist junior faculty with their research on a major project and to prepare it for publication. The criteria for awarding these fellowships will be the quality of the candidate's performance as a scholar and the quality and feasibility of the proposed scholarly endeavor.

The applicant for a Research Semester Fellowship must be a tenure track member of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering. These awards may be combined with other sabbatical awards to allow the recipient a full year's leave of absence.

Tenure track faculty of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering must be in the probationary period for tenure consideration. During the award period, the recipient should normally be in the third, fourth, or fifth probationary year. Junior scholars are ineligible for these awards until after they have successfully passed their second year review. A Research Semester Fellowship cannot be held during the year of tenure consideration. The semester during which an untenured faculty member is on leave under a Research Semester Fellowship will be counted as part of the probationary period for tenure consideration, unless that semester is part of a full year's leave of absence and the Dean(s) agree(s) that the year's leave will not be counted. (Please note: A separate Leave Application must be submitted through your Chair to the Dean by December 1.)

1. A completed copy of the application (collated but not stapled) must be submitted by October 19, 2007:

   Committee on Faculty Research Awards
   c/o the Office of the Dean, GSAS,
   Ballou Hall, First Floor

2. A current curriculum vitae, including a list of all grants applied for in the last five years, and the disposition of those applications (including FRAC).
3. A statement of the proposed project, describing the planned research in no more than 1000 words. The statement should explain the significance of the project as well as its relationship to the applicant's general scholarly work. It should also explain how the applicant’s time shall be used on leave or how the funds will be spent. The text should be written in language comprehensible to colleagues in other disciplines.
4. Two letters giving appraisals of the quality and the feasibility of the proposed project should be submitted under separate cover. One letter should be from a referee outside the University; (If the project is to be conducted at another institution, a letter confirming visiting arrangements from a colleague at that institution would be appropriate.) The second letter should come from a tenured colleague in the applicant's department. Neither letter, however, should be from a collaborator on the project. The applicant should remind referees to send their letters to the committee by the deadline.

Each Engineering faculty recipient of a Research-Semester Fellowship must complete a Research Semester leave form unless that semester is part of a full-year's leave of absence in which case a standard application form for a Leave of Absence should be completed. Requested on that form is a comment from the Department Chair, supporting the application, and an explanation by the Chair of how the vacancy will be covered if the request for leave is granted. The Department Chair will be expected to meet with the Academic Dean(s) to discuss plans for covering the vacancy.

Applicants should not expect feedback from the Committee on their proposals.

Assistance from the University should be acknowledged in any publication that results from FRAC funding.

A ONE-PAGE FINAL REPORT must be submitted to the Committee upon completion of the Research Semester, summarizing the work accomplished. The Committee may refuse further funding to those who have received funds but have not reported in timely fashion on the use of those funds. (All reports should be sent via email to the FRAC Committee c/o Charlene.carle@tufts.edu.)