Goal

The prestigious Lamar University Distinguished Faculty Research/Creative Activity Fellowship Program complements the Teaching Fellowship program and is intended to identify, recognize, reward, and support faculty who have distinguished themselves over their research/creative activity careers relative to others of similar rank and time in service.  The program recognizes academic career accomplishments with special attention on exceptional performances in the past three years. 

Fellowships will be awarded for three years (a “term”) across the broad disciplinary divisions of the university.  One Fellowship will be awarded to faculty in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematical Science (STEM) fields; one in the Professional (Business, Nursing, Education, Deaf Education/Speech and Hearing Sciences) disciplines; and one in the Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, and Creative, Fine, and Performing Arts.  

Fellowship Benefits

• Selected faculty will hold the title and prestige of Distinguished Faculty Research/Creative Activity Fellow.
• Fellows will receive a one course (3 credit hour) release per year from their present instructional responsibility.
• Fellows will receive a $10,000 annual stipend ($30,000 total).
• Fellows will receive a research/creative activity budget of up to $5,000 to be expended during the fellowship term for appropriate expenditures associated with research/creative activities (not to include faculty salaries).
• Fellows will receive a $3,000 base salary increase upon satisfactory completion of the fellowship term (not to exceed $9,000 during a faculty member’s tenure).

Fellowship Application

• Completed applications are due to the Office of the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs by January 20, 2018. External reference letters must be mailed and received by January 20, 2018.  Mail to:  DFFR/CA References, Lamar University, Attention: Office of the Provost, P.O. Box 10002, Beaumont, Texas 77710.
• Based on judged quality, up to three Fellowships will be awarded, each beginning with the fall semester. 
• Fellows will hold the title for three academic years (a “term”).
• Reapplication is permitted for two consecutive terms, but reapplication beyond two years requires a lapse of at least two years from the end of the most recent term.
• The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will manage all project award funds and the Associate Provost for Research must approve all expenditures and any budget adjustments.
• Applications will be evaluated by the Lamar University Research Council.  Recommendations from the Council will go to the Provost and Senior Associate Provost who will select finalists and forward a list to the President, who will make the final decisions.  Fellowships will be announced on or before March 6, 2018.

Fellowship Eligibility

• All nine-month faculty with three or more years of full-time Lamar University experience (by the fall) are eligible.
• Endowed chair holders and administrators at or above the level of chair are ineligible.
• Faculty may not hold more than one fellowship at a time.
• Only applicants with an average rating of “adequate performance and merit” or higher on the F2.08 Research/Create Activity and Service dimensions over the previous three years are eligible.