5.5 CALVIN RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

5.5.1 The Nature of the Fellowship

Calvin Research Fellowships are intended to help faculty pursue projects of independent scholarship and to aid them in ongoing, continuing, independent research. To qualify as "independent" research or scholarship, including projects in the creative or performing arts, the scholarly endeavors must not be directly connected with teaching. Two kinds of fellowships are available, neither of which will affect the normal sabbatical leave policy.

• The reduction of a person's teaching load, the amount to be specified in the application, for a period of one or two years. (This reduction would usually not exceed three courses per year.)
• The granting of a research support for a summer research project.

It is expected that grantees who receive a Calvin Research Fellowship award will continue in their positions at Calvin College. Grantees are required to teach two courses per course equivalent of research leave following the completion of the fellowship period.

Ordinarily, a CRF will not be awarded to any faculty member for more than three consecutive years. Though the quality of the proposal remains the most important factor in the decision, in the case where applicants are regarded as equal in quality, applicants who have not received recent CRF support will be give preference.

At the conclusion of the fellowship, the grantees shall give an account of the status of the project to the Dean for Research and Scholarship and, in any publication which results from the research, shall acknowledge the fellowship award from the College.

5.5.2 Qualification for the Fellowships

1. Fellowships shall be awarded only to faculty members with a record of solid scholarly or artistic achievement (or unusual promise of it) who have a scholarly or artistic project of merit or who continue to have ongoing research projects.
2. Normally, only faculty on regular appointments will be eligible to apply for CRFs. The Provost can make exceptions to this policy. Those on regular appointments are eligible to apply for a fellowship in their first year of teaching at Calvin College.
3. Candidates must have a record of acceptable teaching performance to qualify for a fellowship.
4. Candidates must present evidence that they are actively seeking outside funding for their projects.

5.5.3 Application Procedures for Semester Fellowships

Applications for a Calvin Research Fellowship must be submitted to the Dean for Research and Scholarship by September 20 for a fellowship falling within the following academic year.

The CRF application should include, as a minimum, two letters of recommendation. One letter must be from the department chair, endorsing the project and also addressing any problems in staffing that the award might create. The second letter must be from a scholar outside the college who is qualified to comment on the value of the project. Up to two more letters of recommendation may be included, one from someone outside and one from someone inside the college. In the case where a research project is continuing, an external letter of recommendation from the previous year may be used.

Each application shall contain the following information:

1. A cover sheet showing the candidate's name, department, faculty status (or the nature of the applicant's appointment to the college), the timeframe for the proposed project, and a brief (one or two sentence) summary of the project.
   
2. A full description of the project written in such a way that the nature and significance of the proposed research would be clear to a person outside the applicant's field of study.
3. A full statement of the work or professional activity the candidate has already accomplished qualifying him or her for the proposed project.
4. A budget for the proposed project, including a statement of the kinds and quantity of supportive services which are necessary to carry out the project; e.g., secretarial help, student assistance, funds for travel, and research equipment. A review of all efforts seeking outside funding for the proposed project should also be distributed.
5. A statement that the grantee will not accept other remunerative employment without the consent of the college.

A copy of the report on any previous CRF support should be included with the application. In cases where several awards have been made, only the last two reports should be included.

5.5.4 Number of Fellowships

The number of research fellowships available in any given year is set by the Faculty Development Committee, subject to budgetary constraints.

5.5.5 Selection of Fellows

The Faculty Development Committee will examine all applications and make recommendations to the Professional Status Committee, who will in turn recommend recipients to the president. Selection of fellows for the academic year will be made before the February session of the Board of Trustees. Normally, all of the approved fellowship units will be awarded at that time. Awarding of any additional units, in the form of a reduction in teaching load of one or two course units for the coming year, may be recommended to the Professional Status Committee by the Dean for Research and Scholarship, in consultation with the provost, and on the basis of the prior deliberation of the Faculty Development Committee. This recommendation will be made shortly after February 1 and approved by the Professional Status Committee by March 1.

5.5.6 Application Procedures for Summer Stipends

Applications for a Calvin Research Fellowship summer stipend must be submitted to the Dean for Research and Scholarship by February 1.

Each application shall contain a brief description of the project and its relationship to other professional activity of the candidate as well as any other information requested by the Faculty Development Committee.

The awards may include combinations of one or two month stipends and/or direct research expenses. The stipend rate and maximum amount of awards are determined by the Faculty Development Committee.

The awardees must be on regular appointments and will not teach or accept other employment during the summer without approval of the academic dean. All things being equal, preference will be given to faculty prior to tenure decision and up to first sabbatical.

The Faculty Development Committee will submit recommendations to the Professional Status Committee for summer stipends. These stipends will be approved by the Professional Status Committee by March 1.

Last updated Tuesday, July 15, 2008