Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence

All full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members are eligible to receive support from the Faculty Development Fund. Lecturers who are involved in scholarly activities are also eligible. Other ranks will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those faculty in tenuretrack positions or those who are eligible for promotion in ranks will be prioritized based on funding availability. 

This Fund provides support to the faculty member who is participating in a significant professional development opportunity that is linked to the strategic mission of the department, college, or university. These opportunities may include workshops, institutes, short courses, and related activities that enhance the professional development of the faculty member. 

Please keep in mind that proposals may be reviewed by people who may not be familiar with terms commonly used in your field. A full, clear explanation is important. Please complete the application linked below including the following items.

A. A completed Faculty Development Fund Request. A list of form questions can be found here.

B. All requests will be sent through the various (Chair/Director to Provost) based upon request specifics and funding needs.

C. The Faculty Development Fund is intended to supplement academic unit funds, therefore it is strongly encouraged that the department/school, college, center(s) of excellence, and research grant provide primary financial support.

D. Signed application forms and supporting documentation should be submitted via the form linked above.

E. Approval of travels is based on available funds and is an on-going process. Upon approval, faculty will be responsible for paperwork associated with reimbursement.

F. Once approved, Tennessee Tech University affiliation and the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence should be acknowledged on any presentation, poster, and/or publication.

Please note that the form has a section, which must be completed, that includes a statement explaining how the proposed activity will contribute to your professional development.

Upon completion of the funded professional development activities, recipients will submit a 300-500 word statement that details how the funds were used and current and future plans for integrating the professional development into the goals of the individual, department/school, college, and/or institution. 

The following criteria will be taken into consideration in reviewing the proposals:

• Will the proposed activity directly and specifically enhance the professional development of the applicant?
• Will the proposed activity contribute significantly to the strategic goals of the department/college/university?
• Has the applicant received support/contribution from the department/school and college?

Please note that the funding for this program is limited, awarding of funds is competitive, and all awards are made at the discretion of the Office of the Provost.

Although the funding for the Faculty Development Fund is limited, we encourage faculty to take advantage of the available resources. For any questions pertaining to these guidelines, please contact the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence at cafe@tntech.edu.

All full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members are eligible to receive travel support from the Faculty Development Fund. Lecturers who are involved in scholarly activities are also eligible. Other ranks will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those faculty in tenure-track positions or those who are eligible for promotion in ranks will be prioritized based on funding availability. 

Faculty Development Fund provides travel support to faculty members presenting their research or scholarly creative work at regular meetings of state, national, or international professional societies or events of similar status.

1. All requests must be submitted using the request form. A outline of the form questions can be found here.

2. All requests will be sent through the various (Chair/Director to Provost) based upon request specifics and funding needs.

3. The Faculty Development Fund is intended to supplement academic unit funds; therefore, it is strongly encouraged that the department/school, college, center(s) of excellence, and research grant provide primary financial support.

4. Signed application forms and supporting documentation should be submitted via the form linked above.

5. Approval of travel is based on available funds and is an on-going process. Upon approval, faculty will be responsible for paperwork associated with reimbursement.

6. Once approved, Tennessee Tech University affiliation and the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence should be acknowledged on any presentation, poster, and/or publication. 

Upon completion of the funded travel activities, recipients will submit a 300-500 word statement that details how the funds were used and provide a copy of any presentation materials or links to any recordings. The submission of these materials is for documentation and archive purposes only.

Although travel funding availability for the Faculty Development Fund varies each year, we encourage faculty to take advantage of the available resources. For any questions pertaining to this guideline, please contact the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence at cafe@tntech.edu.