Internal Research Opportunities
External Research Opportunities
Resources

Internal Research Opportunities

Scholarly potential and production are important criteria for the hiring and promotion of tenure-stream faculty in the School of Arts and Sciences. Faculty members are expected to maintain active research agendas throughout their careers. Tufts provides numerous forms of support for faculty research. Tenure-stream faculty are often given a reduced teaching load during their first year and a full-year of paid research leave during their probationary period. Thereafter faculty are eligible for regular sabbaticals and further research leaves through the Faculty Research Awards Committee (FRAC). FRAC also provides various levels of funding for research projects undertaken by full-time faculty at any stage in their career. Opportunities to share research are provided by the Dean's Faculty Forum and a variety of departmental events.

Bernstein Faculty Fellows - Through the generosity of Drs. Leonard (A'53, D'56, A'01) and Jane Holmes Bernstein, this Program was instituted in 2005 and continues to offer faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences a chance to explore interdisciplinary opportunities while learning to balance the multiple aspects of research, teaching, and service that compose an academic career.

Faculty Research Awards Committee (FRAC) - FRAC administers and awards funding for a variety of awards. The members of the committee evaluate proposals and distribute funds made available to it for support of research conducted by members of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences and Engineering.

Junior Research Leave Policy - Junior Faculty Research Leaves may be granted to tenure-track faculty members in order to give them an opportunity to devote themselves full-time to scholarship. All tenure-track faculty members who pass the second-year review are eligible to apply for a Junior Faculty Research Leave.

Mellon PostDoctoral Fellowships - The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has generously provided Tufts University with funding to bring two postdoctoral fellows each year for four years to pursue new collaborative research projects with Tufts faculty in the Humanities.

New Directions in Research - This new funding program was initiated by the Dean of Arts and Sciences and is administered through FRAC. The program is meant for tenured faculty who fall into one of three categories:

• faculty who have dedicated a majority of their time to teaching and service and would like to reinvest in their research
• faculty who have decided to change focus within their discipline or are starting a new project that requires a significant investment of resources in the acquisition and utilization of new knowledge
• faculty who are currently in-between funding cycles

External Research Opportunities

Faculty are also strongly encouraged to pursue outside funding to support their research. Beyond the Tufts campus, the Boston area is rich in academic resources. Tufts belongs to a consortium of local college and university libraries, and faculty may apply for access to the unrivalled libraries at Harvard University.

External Funding Sources - The Office of the Vice Provost has compiled a list of links to access external funding agencies to support faculty research.

IRIS Database – Search the Illinois Researcher Information Service (IRIS) database for funding opportunities in a variety of fields.

Resources

Corporate and Foundation Relations - The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) is part of the University's central Advancement Division. Its mission is to maximize resources and financial support from corporations, foundations and associations -- nationally and internationally -- on behalf of the administration and faculty.

Grant Proposal Submission Checklist – This form has been designed specifically for the use of the A&S faculty to assist in the grant submission process. In it you will find guidance concerning university and department requirements, procedures, required forms, and most importantly, who to contact should questions arise.

Office of the Vice Provost - The Office of the Vice Provost is responsible for pre-award and non-fiscal post-award administration of grants and contracts (through the Research Administration Office), protection, management, and licensing of the University's intellectual property (through the Office for Technology Licensing and Industry Collaboration), oversight of the use of human subjects and laboratory animals in research, implementation of the University's policies on conflict of interest in research and scientific misconduct, and for working with other administrative offices to create an environment at the University that encourages and facilitates research.

Research Administration Representatives – Consult this list to see which Research Administration Representative is assigned to your department.