Highlights

• Assistant and associate Harvard faculty who are Faculty Associates of the Weatherhead Center may apply for junior faculty synergy semester leave grants.
• An external review committee evaluates proposals for synergy semester leaves.
• Within a seven-year time frame, Faculty Associates are eligible for either a junior faculty synergy semester grant or a large grant for a faculty research project.

To encourage the professional development of junior faculty towards teaching excellence and cutting-edge and creative research, this competitive program awards up to three grants of $60,000 each to top junior faculty for a full semester. The Center’s support enables faculty to pursue research projects that, in turn, become the area of focus for an undergraduate research seminar or tutorial. Hence, these grants are designed to support research for the benefit of teaching and to promote teaching deliberately connected to research, thus a "synergy semester." Proposals that include faculty research (often in draft or proposal form) for discussion in class will be favored. Additionally, the curricula developed through synergy semesters should require students to write major independent research papers related in some way to the course and the faculty member’s own research.

The synergy semester seeks to encourage faculty to train Harvard College undergraduates to engage in high quality social science research in international affairs and to prepare these undergraduates to partner actively with faculty on joint research. From such relationships superb senior theses and important faculty-research assistant relationships are expected to develop.

All faculty leaves supported by the Center must focus on international, transnational, global, and comparative national topics and may address contemporary or historical topics, including rigorous policy analysis as well as the study of specific countries and regions outside the United States.

Who is Eligible

All assistant- and associate-level Faculty Associates of the Weatherhead Center are eligible for synergy semester leave funding. Leave times must comply with the scheduling requirements of the applicant’s school or faculty.

How to Apply

Any Faculty Associate interested in applying for a synergy semester leave should submit a brief but detailed narrative (six to seven pages, double-spaced) describing the research topic and its significance, the purpose and goals of that research, a brief description of the methodology to be employed, references to relevant literature, the proposed results (article, book, seminar, etc.), and how the research will be shared with the Weatherhead Center community. Applicants must also provide a one-paragraph course proposal and a letter of support from their department chair indicating that the applicant may take a semester’s leave and will be allowed to teach the proposed course at least twice.

Faculty may apply for either the forthcoming academic year or the academic year following that one. Applicants must submit a curriculum vitae that includes significant publications. Questions and proposals should be submitted to Kate Brady.

Proposal Evaluation

Synergy semester leave proposals are evaluated by a review committee of scholars from outside Harvard.

Deadlines

The deadline for proposals for junior faculty synergy semester leaves is February 2, 2009.

Terms

Faculty chosen for synergy semester leaves must have an ongoing appointment at Harvard, and they will be expected to contribute to the collective intellectual life of the Center upon their return to the University. Examples of this collaboration include leading a Weatherhead Center seminar series, giving presentations on the research accomplished, or organizing a relevant workshop or conference. The faculty may also be invited to participate in a Director’s Faculty Seminar designed to share new research at the Center with a broad faculty audience. Faculty who receive support from the Center should acknowledge it in future publications of their research. All grant recipients must submit a one- to two-page memo at the end of the academic year reporting on the use of Weatherhead Center grant funds. This report should focus on the intellectual and scholarly results of the time spent on leave. Reporting memos are due June 30.

Funding Available

Funding is available for one-semester leaves and corresponds to the individual faculty member’s current salary and benefits, up to $60,000 for the semester. Employment benefits are covered and continue without interruption during the time of leave.