Research Leadership Fellowship (RLF)

Eligibility

Tenured or tenure-track Texas A&M University faculty at the advanced (four years in position at time of submission) assistant or early (within two years of promotion at time of submission) associate levels nominated by the unit dean or delegate, and eligibility of the nominee to apply as a principal investigator (PI) for external funding. Exceptions to these criteria are considered on a case-by-case basis by the nominating unit.

Size of Award

A total of $1 million is annually available in this fund. Fellows will be awarded $75,000 for one year.

Requirements

The awardee must commit to:

• Participating in leadership training and other RLF community/mentoring events provided by the Division of Research. The curriculum consists of a series of seminars and workshops on structural and pedagogical topics such as: institutional structure and mission; national/institutional challenges facing researchers; leadership theories/concepts; research leadership roles and responsibilities; finance/budgeting models; communicating the value of research, disciplinary and institutional cultures; and compliance.
• Submitting an extramural interdisciplinary research proposal or a body of work appropriate to the discipline (e.g., national/international performance or exhibition) as PI within 16 months of award. The proposals should include a minimum of three (3) Texas A&M Faculty/researchers (including tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure-track researchers) from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge and with no record of significant research collaboration (i.e., previous proposals submissions, awards, or publications). The extramural proposal type is flexible but must be consistent with the goals of the awardee and achieve an impact on Texas A&M. Such impact could be the attainment of a strategic priority, growth in new knowledge or technology, contribution to society, or positioning of the team for future opportunities.
• Submitting a final report within 60 days of proposal submission. The final report should include evidence and information about the proposal submission. Awardees are required to submit brief annual progress reports for two years following completion of the funded award to state progress on the following metrics: publications, external grant funding, or further leadership projects/opportunities stemming from the award. Any abstracts or publications arising from the work funded by this seed program must cite the appropriate funding source.

Budgeting

Funds may be used for supporting RLF activities including up to two months of salary (across 11 months to reflect time and effort), course buyout, graduate student or post-doctoral salaries, materials, and supplies; limited justifiable travel, coordination meetings, and workshops. Equipment cannot be purchased with these funds. Program funds are not eligible for indirect costs.

Supporting Resources

The Division of Research will support each RLF awardee with the following resources: management of early proposal development processes (preparing for anticipated sponsor requirements and review criteria); professional development, including leadership and team science; enhanced understandings of inter- and transdisciplinary research, team leadership and collaborative conditions; co-creation of research projects; and the evaluation and dissemination of interdisciplinary research findings.

Submission

Proposals should be submitted via InfoReady where they will be routed to the appropriate dean’s office for review and nomination. College or school nominations should be prioritized by the dean’s office if more than one nomination is submitted from a given college.

Review and Selection

All college/school submissions will be reviewed by the Division of Research review team with priority given to those proposals ranked by a college or school as their priority. Evaluations will be based on a standardized rubric developed around the following proposal and nomination elements:

Research Leadership: Demonstrated leadership potential of nominee and documented unit-level strategy for effectively using the knowledge, skills, and abilities gained by the RDF awardee to support the achievement of Texas A&M research goals.

Merit and Significance: Is the question being addressed a major issue? Will the proposal concept advance research in the field?  Does it challenge the current state-of-the-art? Will it overcome a barrier to advancing research in this field and broaden the horizon for future research?

Innovation and Differentiators: Does the concept leverage new theories, tools, or applications to advance the field? Will the project shift the current paradigm in the field? Are technical or intellectual innovations included in the concept?

Anticipated Timeline

The typical timeline is (a) fall announcement of annual program, (b) proposal submission deadline of May 1, 2024, and (c) award commencement Sept. 1, 2024.

Application Process

Step 1: Letter of Interest

Eligible researchers submit via InfoReady a Letter of Interest to their dean’s office for review and nomination consideration.

VISION: A clear personal vision that aligns with the strategic goals of the Texas A&M research enterprise. Candidates should provide specific examples of how their personal goals and abilities connect to the Texas A&M research enterprise and what they are committed to accomplishing.

COMMITMENT: Confirmation of their commitment to informational and experiential components of the fellowship (i.e., leadership-training workshops, fellowship-community events, and the submission of an interdisciplinary proposal and interest or value and/or experience with interdisciplinary research.

INTERDISCIPLINARY PROPOSAL: A brief summary of the target area and how it will positively impact Texas A&M.

Step 2: Nomination

Following a review of letters of interest, the dean’s office will submit via InfoReady a letter of nomination and priority rankings (if more than one nomination from the college or school). Nomination letters should speak to the review criteria outlined above and address the following questions.

DEVELOPMENTAL PREPARATION: Is the candidate prepared to make maximum use of this training opportunity including the background and experience? Is there a clear link between this fellowship and the needs of the individual and the college/school? How is this the “right” program for this individual at this time?

FUTURE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Does the college/school have a clear strategy for this individual that effectively uses the knowledge, skills, and abilities gained to support the achievement of Texas A&M research goals? Is the college/school prepared to enhance return on investment including a reentry plan stating specific actions that college/school administration will support to enable the participant to contribute beyond their regular duties upon completion of the fellowship.

Step 3: Review and selection

The Division of Research will review the nominations and award the RLF per the criteria provided above.

Step 4: Post award

The successful candidate will be notified of award and an introductory RLF-community meeting will be established with RLF leaders, proposals team to discuss roles, responsibilities, and timelines.

Questions

Please submit questions to Associate Vice President for Research and Research Integrity Officer Gerianne Alexander at galexander@tamu.edu.