Description
The Robert R. Hamilton Memorial Faculty Enrichment Fund provides funds to support faculty research. These funds are to be used by faculty to continue developing their abilities as teachers through further research or study. Funds may be used to cover travel and other research related costs for faculty on sabbatical.
Applicants should be accomplished teachers, should show that the proposed projects will strengthen their specific abilities, and should indicate clearly the project’s long-term impact on their respective departments and the university. Per the donor’s stipulation, preference shall be given to faculty in the social or natural sciences.
The University Enrichment Committee (UEC) will review all applications and select fellowship recipients. Because this committee will include persons from diverse disciplines, non-technical language should be employed by applicants in describing the project and by the chair in assessing the project’s significance to the discipline and to the university’s educational program.
Faculty engaged in sabbatical projects that involve travel outside the United States will need to register their travel at least four weeks prior to departure. Information on how to register travel and request approval for travel to high-risk areas is available on the University’s Travel Advisory site. University funding for projects that involve international travel will not be released until the travel is registered.
Eligibility
To be eligible for consideration, the applicant must be tenured (or in the tenure evaluation year), eligible for a sabbatical leave during the following academic year, and recognized for outstanding teaching, professional growth and service to the university. Applicants do not need to have tenure on September 1 of the year in which one applies for the Robert R. Hamilton memorial Faculty Enrichment Grant.
Application
Application for a Hamilton Enrichment Grant is completed as part of the Sabbatical and Leave Application form, and shall include:
- An explanation of why the funds are needed for you to complete your proposed work and how the requested funds will enable you to further your professional goals for the next three to five years (500 words max).
- A budget. Prepare an itemized list of expense items with explanatory notes.
- For research that involves the use of human participants or animals, please be aware that appropriate approval must be obtained before beginning research. Please consult IRB or IACUC approval processes information available on the university’s website for details.
Materials other than those listed above will not be considered.
Deadline
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on September 10 of the year preceding that in which the sabbatical leave is to be taken. If the application due date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the application is due by 11:59 pm the Monday immediately following the due date. Decisions will be communicated on or before December 8.
Reporting
Upon completion of your sabbatical, please submit a written report that outlines in detail what you accomplished during the sabbatical in terms of achieving the goals and objectives you outlined in the original application and that provides a general accounting of expenditures. The report should be submitted to the department chair to provide the chair an opportunity to view the report before forwarding it. The chair will forward the report to the Provost. The report is due by August 31 of the academic year during which the grant was awarded.
Special Conditions
Recipients of a Hamilton Enrichment Grant agree to return to the university for a period of at least one year following the conclusion of the sabbatical, or to repay the university all funds received. Compensation received from another institution is subject to the same rules under sabbatical leaves.
A professional leave funded in whole or in part by the university is designed to provide the time necessary for the individual faculty member to pursue intellectual growth and development within their field. Consequently, such a leave is not to be used for other employment.