Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program

Developed by the Chief Academic Officers of the Big 12 Universities, the Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program offers faculty the opportunity to travel to member institutions to exchange ideas and research. Faculty visits will ordinarily be for two weeks, but longer visits are possible.

General Guidelines

• MU will award fellowships annually as funds are available to full-time faculty in tenured or tenure-track positions and to those who have held non-regular continuing appointments for at least 6 years.
• A faculty member at any Big 12 university may visit any other Big 12 university (see list on page 2 of these guidelines).
• A faculty member's home institution will provide up to $2,500 to cover costs associated with each visit. No additional funding is available from this program.
• The Faculty Development Selection Committee facilitated by the Deputy Provost will make the selection of Big 12 fellows.

Guidelines & Application Process for MU Faculty

• Faculty fellows are responsible for arranging coverage of their duties with appropriate administrative superiors during their absence.
• The prospective faculty fellow should contact the host unit (department, research center, etc.) that he/she wishes to visit and determine receptivity and available visiting dates.
• The host unit formally invites the faculty fellow by sending a letter of invitation.
• During the visit, the faculty fellow may consult with faculty and/or students, offer lectures or symposia, or engage in other activities as agreed upon by the fellow and host institution. (Examples: use of a unique laboratory facility or consultation with a colleague who is collaborating on current or planned research.)
• The host university will announce the visit of the faculty fellow and the activities in which the fellow will engage.
• After the visit, the faculty fellow will submit a brief report to the Deputy Provost, with copies to the unit administrator and dean, describing the outcomes of the visit and offering suggestions for the future of the program. Faculty making visits may be asked to give a seminar in which they will discuss the outcomes of the visit.

Application and Due Dates

Applications for visits during the 2007-2008 funding period (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008) can be submitted at anytime throughout the year. Proposals will be evaluated and awards made monthly.

Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Application (Word document)

Where to Send Applications

Submit an electronic version as an email attachment to umcprovostawards@missouri.edu naming each document starting with the applicant's last name and then a document reference (ie: Jones-Big 12 application). Send only the original copy of the entire proposal packet to:

Office of the Deputy Provost
116 Jesse Hall

Guidelines for MU Academic Units Wishing to Host Big 12 Faculty Fellowships

• The department, research center, school, or other unit must issue a letter of invitation to the prospective Big 12 faculty fellow. This letter should specify the dates and any particular expectations of the fellow (examples: to present recital; to deliver a series of lectures; to meet with graduate students; etc.).K
• Once the host school has approved the appointment of a fellow, a specific faculty member should be designated as the host. The host should send a letter requesting that the fellow be named a Visiting Scholar. The letter should be addressed to the Deputy Provost.
• Appointment as a Visiting Scholar will afford the Big 12 faculty fellow with a temporary identification card and temporary use of library facilities.
• The fellow's home institution is responsible for funding. MU will not normally provide funding to visiting Big 12 faculty fellows.
• Host departments are responsible for advising the visiting fellow concerning temporary housing in the Columbia area and for making arrangements concerning access to office space, telephones, clerical help, computers, parking and any specialized research facilities.

Big 12 Institutions

Questions concerning this program may be addressed to:

Office of the Deputy Provost
116 Jesse Hall
Phone: 882-6597
Fax: 882-0080
E-Mail: umcprovostawards@missouri.edu