The UA Little Rock Faculty Senate and Provost Ann Bain acknowledge the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on faculty workload. As teaching and service duties have increased for many faculty during the pandemic, research and creative agendas have also been disrupted and/or deprioritized. In an attempt to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on faculty scholarship, the provost is dedicating $120,000 of UA Little Rock’s second round of emergency federal CARES Act funding to supporting faculty research and creative works.
Second round CARES funds must be expended by February 2022 – thus the focus on faculty support for Spring 2022. The number of faculty who are eligible for consideration of this funding exceeds the availability of this round of funding; for this reason the funding is competitive. The Spring 2022 funding opportunity will provide information regarding faculty need for support and will enable us to highlight the impact that this support can have on faculty success. We hope to be able to continue the Jumpstart Program support with upcoming third round CARES funds.
This pilot Jumpstart Program will provide limited, competitive funding for a total of 50 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty at the ranks of assistant and associate professor to obtain one course release for spring semester 2022. Faculty awarded a Jumpstart course release will be expected to dedicate this time and workload towards completing a scholarly or creative project. Their course will be taught by part-time instructors. If a course release is not feasible, a stipend of $2400 will be allocated to the faculty member as additional compensation.
How to Apply
All full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty at the ranks of assistant and associate professor are eligible to apply for a Jumpstart course release. To apply, faculty should submit a proposal, an abbreviated vitae, and a cover page to their college deans’ offices by no later than September 15, 2021.
- Proposal (word limit: 1000 words)
- Brief description of project
- Description of how released time will be spent
- Goals for continued/completed work by the end of the spring semester 2022 as a result of released time
- Brief summary of activities/results of prior UA Little Rock funding (release time, startup funds, summer stipend, graduate student support)
- Applicants should consult the evaluation rubric, found below, as they craft their proposals.
- Abbreviated vitae listing all scholarly activity and creative works (publications, conference presentations, posters, exhibits, public scholarship, grants, etc.) to date.
- Chair person or Director memo: signed memo from department chair or school director that details the following
- What change is being made in the faculty assignment during the release
- What course needs to be covered during release time and how it will be covered
- Verify the application is complete
- Affirmation that the requested time will not create an untenable disruption to academic programs or impede students’ progress towards graduation
- If a course release is not tenable for the faculty member during spring semester 2022, a statement to this effect and a request that the faculty member receive $2400 in additional compensation for proposed research or creative work
Review Process
Deans will forward complete applications to the Office of the Provost by September 25, 2021. The Office of the Provost will forward the applications to the Faculty Senate Development Committee. This committee will evaluate each application using the rubric below, and applications will be ranked by score. The highest scoring fifty applicants will receive one course release each or $2400 additional compensation during the spring 2022 semester. Applicants and their department chairs will be notified via email of their course release status by no later than October 10, 2021.
Final Report
Faculty receiving a spring 2022 Jumpstart stipend or course release will be required to submit a final report, not to exceed 500 words, simultaneously to the department chair and the Office of the Provost by June 15, 2022. This final report should include a brief summary of the scholarship or creative work accomplished during released time, as well as a description of deliverables that have been developed as a result of the released time or additional compensation (e.g., manuscripts, grant proposals, conference presentations, etc.). This final report should accompany evaluation materials for the purposes of the 2022 annual performance review and for future considerations of promotion and tenure.
Evaluation rubric
| Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Significance | Project has no significance for the discipline (for scholarship, teaching, etc.) | Project has some significance for the discipline | Project has clear significance for the discipline | Project is extremely significant and makes a substantial contribution to the discipline | |
| Substance | Project does not require substantial time commitment and could be completed in a normal semester with no additional release time in teaching or service. | Project does not require substantial time commitment; could be completed in a normal semester with a reduced service load. | Project requires a somewhat substantial time commitment but could be completed in a normal semester with a reduced service load. | Project requires substantial time commitment, thus justifying a course release. | |
| Clarity* | Proposal is unclear | Proposal is somewhat vague | Proposal and outcomes are clear | Proposal is extremely well written and has clear outcomes | |
| Benefit | Project does not benefit the development of the faculty member, students, and/or university | Project has little benefit to the development of the faculty member, students, and/or university | Project is beneficial to the development of the faculty member, students, and/or university | Project will be highly beneficial of the development of the faculty member, students, and/or university | |
| Timeline/Resources | Proposed timeline and/or available resources for project are unrealistic | Timeline/available resources to complete project are questionable | Timeline/available resources to complete project are realistic | Project can clearly be completed with timeline and available resources |
*Project Narrative is supported.
