BRYN MAWR COLLEGE

Sabbatical Leave Program Junior Faculty Research Leave Leaves of Absence Professional Development Leave Awards and Grants for Research Faculty Research Pool Support for Professional Travel

The College's faculty research support programs reflect a strong institutional commitment to faculty scholarship and to the relationship between research and teaching. The Office of Sponsored Research (a.k.a. Grants Office) is an important part of the College's research support services, providing information, advice, and assistance in grant-seeking and grant administration. Faculty members are encouraged to meet with the Provost and with the Director of Sponsored Research to obtain further information about the programs described below, check the Sponsored Research Office's website regularly, and discuss research plans and goals more generally. See also the College's policy for Research Support from Outside Sources.

1. Purpose and definition
   Junior Faculty Research Leaves are intended to provide the recipients with the opportunity to undertake a full year of research activity during the first or second term at the rank of Assistant Professor. Although the leaves taken under this program are normally a full academic year, a leave of one semester is possible when the plans of the department will be furthered by a shorter leave.

2. Eligibility
   Assistant Professors who are under consideration for an initial reappointment are eligible to apply for a Junior Faculty Research Leave. These leaves are normally taken in the last year of the first term or the first year of the second term after a successful reappointment review. Under certain circumstances and at the discretion of the President and Provost, Assistant Professors who meet the eligibility criteria may apply to take the leave in a year other than the last year of the first term or first year of the second term.

3. Financial support
   The Junior Faculty Research Leave and the amount of College-paid salary are contingent on the faculty member's application to outside funding sources. The College-paid portion of the salary when combined with any outside funding will equal 100% of normal salary for the year. Candidates for the Junior Faculty Research Leave are expected to work with the College's Director of Sponsored Research to make vigorous and extensive attempts to obtain support. Ordinarily these attempts should be initiated more than one year in advance of the proposed leave. Faculty members on Junior Faculty Research Leave continue to receive all their benefits.

4. Application procedures
   Early in the fall semester, the Provost will send out a letter notifying those faculty who, if reappointed, will be eligible for a Junior Faculty Research Leave. Those faculty who wish to be considered for a Junior Faculty Research Leave Award should submit an application to the Provost. Applications for Junior Faculty Research Leaves should be submitted concurrently with the faculty member's reappointment review dossier. The application should include:
   • a description of the objectives and method of research to be undertaken and of the results anticipated. There is no specific form in which to provide this information; a copy of a grant proposal, with an appropriate cover letter, may suffice. The description should include a statement of the connection of the project with work previously done and a statement of publication intentions.
   • evidence of the attempts that are being made to obtain outside funding. And finally,
   • a statement by the chair of the department (or by the Dean of the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research) about the potential value of the project to the applicant, to the College, and to the scholarly field.

5. Obligations
   Shortly after completing the leave, the recipient of a Junior Faculty Research Leave award is required to submit a report to the Provost about the work accomplished during the leave in relation to the stated objectives and about plans for publication.

6. Special circumstances
   If an Assistant Professor receives an outside award for a research leave and subsequently becomes ineligible for a Junior Faculty Award from the College, either through non-reappointment or through promotion to a higher rank, a full or partial leave of absence without salary from the College may be arranged to enable the faculty member to take advantage of the outside award. Faculty members granted leaves for research can expect to receive their usual benefits.
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Faculty members may apply for leaves of absence from the College for professional reasons (e.g. to take up a paid research appointment, to work in an administrative capacity in a foundation, etc.). The procedure described for applying for a sabbatical leave should be followed in requesting a leave of absence. Continuing non-tenure track faculty should follow the procedures for requesting a professional development leave. Leaves of absence do not count towards eligibility for the next sabbatical. In other words, taking a leave of absence will affect the timing of the next sabbatical or professional development leave. An individual's benefits are likely to be affected when a leave of absence is taken. Faculty members should speak to the Benefits Manager about their benefits situation while planning for a leave of absence.
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1. Sources of support
   The College has several endowed funds to help support the research and publication activities of members of the faculty. In addition, the Faculty Research Fund provides general support for faculty research. Proposals for support are reviewed by the Committee on Faculty Awards and Grants. Junior members of the faculty and faculty members who have not received research support funds in recent allocations are given special consideration in the award decisions.

2. Application process
   Each year the Director of Sponsored Research, on behalf of the chair of the Committee Faculty Awards and Grants, provides information to all members of the faculty on the kinds of support available, the application procedures, and the deadline for applications. The Committee reviews all proposals and makes recommendations for funding. In the case of projects to be supported by the Faculty Research Fund, the Committee makes recommendations to the Provost who makes the final decisions. In addition to the grant application form, faculty should submit seven (7) copies of:
   • a one-page description of the research project, including justification of need and plans for publication,
   • a current curriculum vitae,
   • a detailed budget and timetable, and
   • information on any proposals submitted to outside agencies for this project.
   The maximum request is $5,000, but the Committee expects the majority of awards to be substantially less than this amount in order to distribute the limited funds available as widely as possible. See the Grants website for more information.

3. Additional guidelines for selected requests
   
   1. Publication subsidy
      Applicants must be prepared to share the publisher's fees or co-payments for publication with the College on a 50-50 basis. Awards will be made only for book publications. Applicants must provide a letter from the publisher explaining (a) the co-payment formula used by that press and (b) the procedure of that press for seeking objective peer review. Awards will be made only when a publisher has a declared policy requiring co-payments from authors and when manuscripts are appropriately refereed.
   2. Equipment acquisition
      Applicants must certify that the equipment to be purchased is essential to the project and not reasonably available and accessible. Whenever possible, existing equipment should be used.

4. Acknowledgment of support
   Faculty members awarded grants should acknowledge the support received from Bryn Mawr College and the appropriate fund in the publication of the supported work. They should notify the Committee on Faculty Awards and Grants of the publication of their research, giving complete bibliographical references.
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   Faculty Research Pool

   The College has set up funds in a research pool which are administered through the Office of Sponsored Research. These funds are intended to support the research needs of continuing members of the faculty. Requests for support may be made for any expense associated with the faculty member's research (e.g. typing, microfilming, illustrations, drafting, transcription, transportation, publication, equipment, etc. ). Reimbursement of these costs is up to a maximum of $200 per eligible faculty member per year. A brief statement addressing the relationship of the expense to the faculty member's research is required. To be eligible for reimbursement, the faculty member must submit to the Office of Sponsored Research the appropriate completed forms, i.e. those of the Comptroller's Office (reimbursement [pink], direct payment [blue], or travel [yellow]), together with the Faculty Research Pool Payment form. An original invoice or receipt marked paid and copies of the front and back of the check, or a copy of the credit card statement, must accompany reimbursement requests. An original invoice must accompany the blue direct payment form. The Faculty Research Pool Payment form can be obtained from the Office of Sponsored Research.

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   Maintained by the Office of the Provost.
   Posted Summer 2001; updated Summeer 2006.