Highlights

• Junior and senior Faculty Associates of the Weatherhead Center may apply for research semester leave grants; one semester leave grant is guaranteed for a junior faculty member each year.
• An external review committee evaluates proposals for research semester leaves.
• Within the same seven-year time frame, professors are eligible for either a large grant for a research semester leave or a large grant for a faculty research project in the range of $80,000, but not both.

The Center believes that one of the most important forms of support for faculty members is the opportunity for a sustained period of research. Each year the Center considers proposals from Weatherhead Center Faculty Associates for awards that provide salary support for one-semester faculty leaves to conduct research relating to the core interests of the Center. This research focuses 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 besides the United States.

Who is Eligible

All Faculty Associates of the Weatherhead Center are eligible for research semester leave funding. One leave grant is guaranteed each year to a junior faculty member. Decisions to award junior faculty requests for leave are based primarily on the faculty member’s research. Senior faculty leaves are also available; the criteria for evaluation relate both to research and community service to the Center. 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 research 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. Faculty may apply either for the immediate forthcoming academic year or for the academic year following that one. A curriculum vitae that includes significant publications should be included. Questions and proposals should be submitted to Adelaide Shalhope.

Proposal Evaluation

Research semester leave proposals are evaluated by a review committee of scholars from outside Harvard that is asked to look for pathbreaking research projects.

Deadlines

The deadline for proposals for Faculty Research Semester Leaves is February 1, 2008.

Terms

Faculty chosen for research semester leaves are recognized as Weatherhead Center Distinguished Faculty Research Associates, and one junior faculty fellow shall be named the C. Douglas Dillon Fellow in honor of the support provided to the Center by the Dillon family. Faculty who receive these grants 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 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 are requested to 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 $102,000 for the semester. Employment benefits are covered and continue without interruption during the time of leave.