The LEADER Consortium provides various funding programs that support STEM women faculty. The Annual Mini-Grant Program is a consortium-level program that is open to all STEM faculty and provides grant awards of up to $5,000. Other funding programs are institutional-level and are open only to STEM faculty at the granting institution.

The LEADER Consortium also promotes the Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program, a federal program open to STEM faculty members across the nation.

Consortium-Level Programs

Annual Mini-Grant Program (maximum grant award: $5,000)

The LEADER Consortium Annual Mini-Grant Program is designed to promote the recruitment, retention, and advancement of tenure-track STEM women faculty at the consortium institutions and to promote a workplace environment that fosters those achievements.

Open to STEM faculty members across the partner institutions, funding requests are to support activities that will occur during the upcoming calendar year and be targeted to support any activity that addresses the above objectives. Examples include (but are not limited to): convening a workshop; attending a conference on professional development; hosting a speaker or visiting scholar; or supporting a research program by hiring a student research assistant or purchasing equipment or supplies.

Proposals may come from individuals or from groups, within or across institutions, and must include the following:

• Three-page (maximum) narrative that describes the proposed activity and identifies how the funding will promote the LEADER Consortium and ADVANCE objectives
• Budget and justification
• Two-page biosketch (NIH or NSF format) for the lead applicant
• One letter of support, from either the lead applicant’s Department Chair or from the chair of the Faculty Development (Promotion and Tenure) Committee.
  

Institutional-Level Programs

Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

The Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP) is a program for full-time science and engineering faculty at U.S. colleges and universities to conduct hands-on research at Air Force research facilities (in Dayton, research would take place at the Air Force Research Laboratory or the Air Force Institute of Technology) for a residency period of 8-to 12 weeks. Through the LEADER project, AFIT supports the participation of 1-2 women faculty from consortium institutions annually to conduct research on the AFIT campus. For application information, visit the Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program website at www.sffp.asee.org/. Dr. Heidi Ries, Co-PI for the LEADER Consortium at AFIT, is happy to answer any questions applicants may have regarding this program or the application process. Email Dr. Ries

Central State University/LEADER Consortium Grants

Open to Central State University women faculty only, the Central State University ADVANCE Grant Program provides small grants to women faculty needing funding support to advance their professional goals. Funding requests may include, but are not limited to, travel to conferences or workshops and hosting guest speakers for events. In addition to a one- or two-page proposal, a letter of support from the applicant’s department chair is requested.

Research Challenge/ADVANCE Award Program (maximum grant award: $5,000; $10,000 if matching funds)

Open to Central State University women faculty conducting STEM research, faculty can apply for a university grant, a CSU ADVANCE grant, or both through a request for matching funds through CSU’s Research Challenge Program.

Other Resources

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