Faculty Arts Fellowships

The Office of the Executive Director for the Arts, in conjunction with the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, announces new Faculty Arts Fellowships.

Program Overview

The Faculty Arts Fellows program is a new initiative of the Office of the Executive Director for the Arts, the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost and the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. The program's intent is to advance faculty scholarship in the arts and arts-related fields. Such scholarship, while fully grounded as disciplined inquiry according to the highest academic standards, also strengthens the university’s goals in supporting interdisciplinary work.

The Faculty Arts Fellows program, which is designed to allow the faculty member to advance his or her own research and/or to engage in creative endeavors, will award up to two fellowships each semester. For faculty in fields other than the arts, the proposal must demonstrate prospective research that incorporates the arts in a tangible and measurable way. All research projects must have the support of the respective department chair and/or dean.

In turn, we ask Fellows to contribute to the arts at Carolina to ensure it prospers. We expect Fellows to engage the entire community through forms of artistic expression and experimentation. We count on them to attend our performances, and other performances, when possible.

Fellows will receive two tickets to every Carolina Performing Arts (CPA) performance during their fellowship term. Fellows will enjoy access to CPA artists in relation to specific research, and their suggestions will receive special consideration on programming future seasons.

We envision outcomes that might include a major commission by CPA with the Faculty Fellow either independently or in collaboration with another faculty member or visiting artist. Finally, Fellows will have special access to funding to support programs, research or course development, and they will enjoy the support of our administrative staff.

Eligibility and Selection

The Fellowship is open to all tenure-track faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill and fixed-term faculty who have been at UNC-Chapel Hill for at least five years. Special consideration will be given to junior faculty members and specifically to projects that incorporate interdisciplinary collaboration. Each application will require the signature of the respective department chair stating support for the applicant. On completion of the fellowship, Fellows will be expected to present a one-day seminar on their project and submit a brief written report.

Applications for the fellowship will be screened and ranked by a selection committee comprising members of the Faculty Advisory Board of the IAH. The final decision will reside with the executive director for the arts and the director of the IAH, in consultation with the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the executive associate provost when appropriate.

The successful nominee for this program should possess the following qualities:

• Have an active body of work that contributes to the discipline and has an impact on the arts community (defined broadly)
• Demonstrate a strong track record in working with faculty across disciplines, students and the artistic community
• Demonstrate the capacity to effectively communicate and disseminate the results of their research to public, academic and other external audiences

Selected Fellows will be expected to participate fully in the Faculty Fellows program at the IAH for one full semester during their fellowship. IAH Faculty Fellows meet every Tuesday during the semester to discuss their current work and to discuss other issues of import to faculty at UNC.

Fellowship Resources

Funding for the arts fellowships will be provided by CPA and the IAH. Fellows are eligible to receive up to $35,000 in support to be used for the following:

• Reduction in teaching responsibilities
• Travel support (maximum of $3,000)
• Equipment or other research-specific funds needed (maximum of $5,000)

Application Process

Applications are due each fall on the same day that applications for the Faculty Fellowship Program at the IAH are due. An announcement of the terms of the fellowship, application procedures and deadline is sent to all faculty in early May and then again in the middle of August. The due date falls in the last ten days of September. Applicants may apply for either fall or spring semester of the following academic year. 

The application consists of a three- to four-page description of the proposed project, a CV, a proposed budget and a signature of approval from the department chair or dean (whichever is relevant). More information about what exactly to cover in the three- to four-page description is included with the application materials.

Application deadline for 2009-2010 academic year: September 24, 2008.

Application materials are available from Martha Marks at the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, Hyde Hall; mmarks@email.unc.edu; 843-2651.