Guidelines for Jesuit Faculty Fellowship

The endowed Jesuit Faculty Fellowship is made possible by a generous gift from the Xavier Jesuit Community. The purpose of this Fellowship is to promote scholarship that enhances the service of faith and the promotion of justice. Each year, by means of a competition, a faculty member is selected as a Xavier Faculty Fellow. The Fellow is provided with a one semester leave with full salary, and a budget of $5,000 to cover expenses such as travel, student assistance, or materials related to the project. (Generally the department will be allowed to hire a full-time replacement faculty person for the semester.)

All full-time tenured or tenure track faculty from all disciplines are eligible to apply. Applicants must submit proposals following the format below. The application must describe concisely a plan for scholarly research of a publishable nature that is intended to further the service of faith and the promotion of justice. All proposals must be submitted by November 1, 2024, for a Fellowship awarded for a semester during the 2025-2026 academic year. Proposals should be submitted electronically (email to facultydevelopment@xavier.edu). The award will be announced by the end of the Fall 2024 semester (if at all possible).

Father Leo Klein, Vice President for Mission and Ministry, provided the following description that gives a clearer insight into the purpose of the Fellowship.

During its thirty-second General Congregation (1974-1975) the Society of Jesus declared that the hallmark of any ministry deserving the name Jesuit would be its service of faith of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement.

How does academic research serve faith? Ignatius Loyola strove to find God in all things, in all people and in all circumstances of life in our world. If, indeed, God can be found in all things, faith in God could be stimulated by every sort of human investigation, not just in philosophical or theological discourse.

 

How does academic research, serving faith, lead to the promotion of justice? Seeing reality through a faith perspective can lead to compassion for the suffering of fellow creatures and a will to act for the transformation of unjust social structures which cause suffering. 

Contact the Office of the Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives with questions concerning this fellowship. 

Format of the application for Xavier Faculty Fellowship

 The application must include, and be limited to, the following in one pdf file that includes page numbers:

1. A title page including
   1. Proposal Title
   2. Applicant's name, rank, department, length of service as a member of the Principal Faculty,
   3. Dates of any previous faculty development leaves and summer fellowships,
   4. A brief description of the project and its goal (abstract).
   5. Amount of funds requested, exclusive of replacement faculty
   6. other funding available or for which they will be applying for the award time period
   7. the semester (s) for which the leave is requested
2. A detailed description of the project, including the following sections (limit of five (5) double-spaced pages including bibliography).
   1. a detailed description of the objective:
   2. a thorough discussion of the scope of work planned;
   3. a statement of the significance/contribution of the project;
   4. a narrative that describes how the project connects to the service of faith and justice
   5. a synopsis of any work or exploratory research on the project already completed;
   6. a statement of, and the justification for, the time requested;
   7. a summary description of any comparable projects completed by the applicant; and
   8. if applicable, a statement on expectations concerning when and where the project may be published, performed or exhibited.
3. If applicable, a brief description of previous Xavier-funded faculty development awards received.  This description must include the project title, type of award, dates granted, and short project description. For each award described, indicate the scholarly outcomes achieved. For each previous faculty development leave, also include a copy of the Project Report filed with the Provost Office
4. Include a budget page that adheres to the following guidelines: The Jesuit Faculty Fellowship budget consists of a categorized list of expenses (e.g., travel, student/clerical support, materials and copying charges, miscellaneous, etc.) in the budget spreadsheet and a budget justification page. The budget justification page should provide details about the amounts, rationale for the expenses, and an explanation of how the requested funds will be spent within the timeframe of the project, if appropriate.
5. An abbreviated vita (no more than three pages, not included in the 5-page limit).
6. The applicant must solicit two letters of support/reference from referees in the same field (from Xavier or elsewhere), and an evaluation form from the applicant's chair or dean. Letters and the evaluation form should be sent directly to the Chair of Faculty Development Committee at facultydevelopment@xavier.edu  At its discretion, the Faculty Development Committee may seek consultation with authorities in the applicant's academic field.

Jesuit Community Xavier Faculty Fellowship Checklist

• Title page
• Detailed Description of the project addressing items 1-3 above (no more than 5 double-spaced, numbered pages including references)
• Appendices
  • Budget Sheet and narrative
  • Abbreviated (no more than 3 pages) CV
  • 2 letters of support
  • Chair/Dean Evaluation Form 

Project Report

NOTE: Faculty Fellows will be expected to present a seminar to the University Community within one academic year following the Fellowship.

Proposal Review

The faculty development committee reviews proposals utilizing the following rubric to guide assessment and committee discussions of each proposal. The committee makes recommendations for Jesuit Fellowships to the Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives, who will forward the committee's recommendations, along with his/her own, to the Provost and CAO. The Provost and Chief Academic Officer has the final voice in approving projects. The faculty development committee and faculty committee will be informed of the recipients of the awards.

Evaluation Rubric for Jesuit Fellowship