WeR1:
Investing in Faculty Success

A Program for Faculty Research Support

About the Program

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), in collaboration with Academic Affairs and ADVANCE at UNM, has launched an institutional initiative to support main campus faculty in navigating the post-pandemic world. UNM data show that during the pandemic, many faculty members spent less time on research and scholarship and related professional development as they revised their teaching and dealt with new and different demands in their home lives. As we transition out of the pandemic, the WeR1 Faculty Success Program seeks to support UNM faculty in new and creative ways.

Goals of the WeR1 Faculty Success Program were created with the understanding that faculty retention and advancement depends upon increased transparency, supportive structures, and resources that allow faculty to transition, rebuild, recover, and/or refocus their research, scholarship, and creative work. Any investment must encompass both small steps and expansive interdisciplinary initiatives—faculty need support now, but they also need that support to remain in place and be accessible in the coming years. The OVPR has committed over $1 million in funding for this program over the next two years.

Eligibility

UNM Main Campus tenure track or research faculty are eligible to apply for the programs when available. Preference will be given to non-tenured early career, tenure-track faculty and faculty whose research progress/productivity has been demonstrably affected by the pandemic. Recipients must have submitted all reports and requirements from previous OVPR awards.

Request for Proposals

For a complete listing of all internal competitions and RFP's please visit the Office of the Vice President for Research Infoready Engagement HUB.

Program for Enhancing Research Capacity (PERC)

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), in collaboration with Academic Affairs and ADVANCE at UNM, will be launching this year’s cycle of the Program for Enhancing Research Capacity (PERC). PERC supports acquisition of shared instrumentation or enhancement of shared facilities that enable major endeavors to advance discovery, creativity and innovation across campus. This program seeks to add or augment research capacity through the acquisition or upgrading of instrumentation for use by multiple investigators. Thus, the proposed equipment must be housed within a space accessible to more than one PI/lab group and must have multiple committed users either within a single department/college, or preferably from multiple departments and colleges. Up to $400,000 will be invested in each funding cycle. Future funding will be dependent on availability of funds and program outcomes.

Faculty Scholarship Time
(FaST)

The FaST program provides funding for faculty to receive either a one-semester, one-course reduction in their teaching load or support for a graduate project assistant to assist with course-related duties (grading, office hours, preparation of course materials, etc.). Funding will be available for Spring 2022, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023. Metrics on the first FaST program in Spring 2022 will be available at the end of the Spring 2022 semester.

Currently accepting applications for Spring 2023. Please visit the Infoready Portal for details and how to submit.

Full RFP document

• 43 applications received; 21 awards to faculty from 6 colleges
• 71% from Arts and Sciences

• 67% of submissions from women faculty
• 95% of submissions from assistant professors

Summer Research for Faculty (SuRF)

In Summer 2021, over $280,000 of allocated funds were distributed to faculty members for support of research graduate students, writing, travel, repair or replacement of equipment, and incentives for human subject research:

• 87 faculty participants
• Over 2/3 of the applicants were women
• 83% of the submissions were from assistant and associate professors
• View the Summer 2021 Full RFP

Currently accepting applications for Fall 2022. Please visit the Infoready Portal for details and how to submit.

View the 2022 RFP

The FRESSH Pilot Program establishes a cohort of Social Science and Humanities faculty, predominantly from A&S, to develop research concepts and proposals suitable for two federal agencies: the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate on Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Research Programs, with NSF servingas the primary training template. Future iterations of the program may center on developing proposals for other federal agencies or foundations. FRESSH will focus on awareness and utilization of internal resources, targeted training for opportunity scoping, concept and proposal development, and building community around Social Sciences and Humanities research.

Program Objectives:

• Faculty will develop the skills needed to effectively prepare research proposals and respond to critiques of their work.
• The cohort will build important cross-department and cross-campus connections.
• The program will increase participation in extramurally funded research programs.
• The program will strengthen the UNM culture of collaboration and cooperation in pursuing research funding.
• UNM will build expertise in understanding programs of support for Social Sciences and Humanities and will diversify its portfolio of funding.

Events

A portion of each monthly workshop is open to all interested UNM researchers. Session details will be broadcast on the PI Listserv.

Upcoming Workshop Dates (Fridays, from 9am-12pm): March 25, April 22, May 20, June 17, August 19, September 23, October 21, November 18

Resources

Barbara L.E. Walker and Holly E. Unruh (2018). Funding Your Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences: A practical guide to grant and fellowship proposals. Routledge.

Cohort Members

List coming soon.

Contact Info

For more information contact frdo@unm.edu

Faculty-Mentored Research Award

The UNM Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) and the Undergraduate Research, Arts and Design Network (URAD) are pleased to announce the creation of the Faculty-Mentored Research Award. This joint award will be given annually to an outstanding undergraduate researcher and their faculty research mentor based upon the demonstration of a strong research partnership. In addition to quality of research and research outcomes, this award recognizes successes in developing a collaborative relationship and prioritizes aspects of the research process that contribute to professional growth of the student. As part of UNM’s WeR1 initiative, this award develops UNM’s tenet “research IS education” by promoting a culture of diverse research participation, advancing UNM students into successful futures, and increasing capacity for research to impact society. Faculty award recipients will receive a $2500 prize to be awarded as an honorarium or a contribution to their research index. Student award recipients will receive a $1500 cash prize. Both will be publicly recognized during the Research & Discovery Week in Fall 2022.

Nominations for the 2022 award must be submitted via InfoReady by May 20, 2022. If you have any questions or require assistance submitting materials, please contact Assistant Vice President for Research Melissa Emery Thompson, memery@unm.edu, or URAD Director Tim Schroeder, timschroeder@unm.edu. Award selections will be made in June 2022.

FMRA RFP

Questions regarding this program can be directed to Greg Trejo by emailing: vpr@unm.edu