Funded by the National Science Foundation, S&T ADVANCE aims to increase the representation of women, especially women from historically underrepresented racial-ethnic groups, across STEM faculty ranks and leadership positions at Missouri S&T. The specific goals of the project are to address underlying barriers to women’s recruitment and advancement by promoting the following initiatives: (1) cultivate an inclusive climate, (2) mitigate bias in hiring and evaluations, and (3) foster equitable resource distribution and access to opportunities.

The S&T ADVANCE Faculty Fellows program provides faculty members with a unique opportunity to gain equity-minded leadership experience and to make a real difference at S&T. Faculty Fellows will choose a particular university policy or practice to improve, and/or develop evidence-based resources for use by department and campus leaders to foster equity and inclusion. Previous projects have focused on: equitable annual faculty evaluations, dual-career hiring policies, faculty recruitment strategies, and equity and safety at field sites.

Overall, Faculty Fellows will work individually, as a cohort, and alongside campus leaders to foster gender equity and a culture of inclusion where all faculty, especially women from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM, can thrive. Through the Faculty Fellows program, participants will learn valuable equity-focused leadership skills that could prepare them to take on future administrative roles.

Terms, Expectations, and Requirements

Faculty Fellow positions run for 12-month terms, starting July 1 and ending June 30. Faculty Fellows will participate in monthly meetings with their cohort and the S&T ADVANCE leadership team during their term, and they will report to the Director of S&T ADVANCE. Faculty Fellows are expected to carry out their project as proposed. Final reports are due at the end of their term. Participation in training activities will be required. Faculty Fellows are also expected to facilitate a workshop at the end of their term to share what they have accomplished with campus leadership and the S&T community.

Eligibility

Tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty at the Associate and Full Professor rank at Missouri S&T are eligible. Faculty from all disciplines are welcome to apply. Priority will be given to faculty without prior administrative experience. Up to four S&T ADVANCE Faculty Fellows will be selected for this cycle.

Compensation

S&T ADVANCE Faculty Fellows will receive (per year):

• One course buyout or equivalent in faculty support funds
• $5,000 stipend as extra compensation or faculty support funds
• Up to $2,000 project budget (to be used for materials, travel, student support, training, or other expenses necessary for the success of the project)

Priority Areas

Priority will be given to projects that align with one of the following:

• Faculty Recruitment, for example:
  • Develop and lead a faculty recruitment coaching program that trains a team of faculty to promote equitable practices in faculty recruitment by serving as consultants to search committees, meeting with candidates, helping new faculty settle in, etc.
• Faculty Retention and Success, for example:
  • Develop and lead a faculty launch committee to connect new faculty to resources and social networks on campus and in the community.
  • Develop and lead a training program for faculty mentors.
• Promotion & Tenure Processes, for example:
  • Provide training to T&P committee members and administrators to minimize bias.
  • Identify resources that may be used to provide such a training.
• Workload Policies and Practices, for example:
  • Develop guidelines and leadership training for how to make service work equitable, transparent, and meaningfully recognized/awarded.
  • Propose workload policies that expand beyond the traditional teaching, research and service metrics.
  • Identify practices, processes, and policies that improve workload equity.
• Faculty Recognition, for example:
  • Create infrastructure, programs, and processes for campus to expand faculty recognition in ways that align with ADVANCE goals.

How to apply:

Please submit the following information to advance@mst.edu by 5pm March 21, 2025:

• Personal Statement (up to 300 words):
  • Describe your past efforts, as well as future plans, to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in your research, teaching, and/or service activities.
• Project Description (up to 1,000 words, excluding references):
  • Describe in sufficient detail the overarching goal of your project, the equity issue(s) it will address, and how it applies to women with multiple minoritized identities. Include references to scholarly literature regarding the equity issue.
  • Describe the specific objectives or strategies you will implement to achieve the project goal. Identify any evidence-based practices, with full references, used to develop the project.
  • Identify necessary resources, training, and campus or community partners.
  • Identify any potential challenges or obstacles and describe how you will address them.
  • Describe the deliverables you will produce and expected outcomes of the project, including expected impacts on women with multiple minoritized identities. How will you measure success?
• Project Timeline and Budget:
  • Use a timeline to depict the schedule for your project, i.e., dates or timeframes during which various project activities will occur. Project timelines should be within the award period July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
  • Include a table that summarizes expected project expenses with a brief description and justification for each expense. Examples include paying for research assistants, travel, supplies, training, etc.
• Letter of Support:
  • Attach a short letter of support from your department chair (or dean if the applicant is a department chair). The letter must include the following statement: “If [applicant’s name] is selected as an S&T ADVANCE Faculty Fellow, I will support one course release (if applicable), funded by the ADVANCE grant. Additionally, the Faculty Fellow project proposed by [applicant’s name] will be included for positive consideration in my review of the faculty member.”

Proposal Review

Proposals will be reviewed by the ADVANCE leadership team, the associate provost for faculty affairs, and a representative from Faculty Senate, using a rubric that will consider:

• The candidate’s commitment to DEI as evidenced in their personal statement
• How well the project aligns with the Priority Areas identified above
• Whether the project considers how the equity issue affects, and how the project’s goals apply to, women with multiple minoritized identities
• The extent to which the equity issue and proposed solution/strategies are grounded in empirical evidence and scholarly literature
• Whether the proposed deliverables and expected outcomes will have a measurable and meaningful impact
• Whether resources, training, partners, and solutions to potential obstacles have been identified and are reasonable
• Whether the project timeline and budget are reasonable

 

Members of the ADVANCE leadership team are available to consult on project ideas, read proposal drafts, and suggest directions for relevant scholarly literature.  For questions, please contact Daniel Forciniti (forcinit@mst.edu) or Jessica Cundiff (cundiffjl@mst.edu).

• "Leading with impact: Tools and templates for sustainable faculty searches" by Dr. Carleigh Davis, Assistant Professor of English and Technical Communication
• "Advancing diverse participation in field work" by Dr. Robin Verble, Associate Professor of Biology and Ozark Research Field Station Director

Click here to read more about the selected members and their projects.

• "Creating a Destination of Choice by Interrupting Bias in Annual Faculty Reviews and Evaluations" by Dr. Clair Kueny, chair and associate professor of psychological science
  • Click here to view more information
• "Advancing Faculty Diversity and Broadening Paths to Career Advancement at Missouri S&T" by Dr. William Schonberg, professor of civil, architectural, and environmental engineering
• "Faculty Recruitment Strategies for Missouri S&T" by Dr. Catherine Johnson, S&T's Robert H. Quenon Associate Professor of Mining Engineering, and Dr. Kelley Wilkerson, associate teaching professor of materials science and engineering

Click here to read more about the selected members and their projects.