The Provost’s Tenure-Track Fellow to Faculty Program enables the university to recruit early-career scholars whose accomplishments make them exceptionally competitive for faculty positions.
The program is seeking scholars who have demonstrated the potential to transform their field and their department and remains particularly interested in recruiting scholars who will contribute to a climate that values diversity and inclusion in the area of scholarship, creative expression and/or community engagement.
Proposals are currently being accepted on a rolling basis for hires that will join us during the 2023-24 academic year.
Program overview
Fellowships will be two years, after which individuals will transfer to the rank of assistant professor. The Office of Academic Affairs will provide up to seven years of salary support to the unit for each fellow hired.
During the fellowship, fellows will receive research funding and participate in career development programs offered by OAA to support their transition to assistant professor and their long-term career success. In addition, fellows will participate in the activities of their academic unit and have a designated faculty mentor. Units will be responsible for recruiting, hiring, and mentoring the fellow. As described below, OAA will provide up to seven years of salary support to the unit for each fellow hired.
The fellows will comprise a cohort of early-career scholars and are expected to (1) establish residence and participate in the academic life of the university, (2) focus time on research with limited teaching or co-teaching (teaching up to a maximum of one class per academic year as an option at the scholar’s discretion), (3) meet regularly with their faculty colleagues and mentor(s), and (4) participate in professional development programs.
College Proposal Process
The dean must submit the following items to OAA-InclusiveExcellence@osu.edu with the subject “Fellow to Faculty Proposal”.
- A letter describing the tenure-track faculty position and how the position will transform the field and/or the department and supports a climate that values diversity and inclusion in the areas of scholarship, creative expression and/or community engagement
- Position description
- Hiring plan, including advertising plan and position announcement
- Mentoring plan for the fellow
- A description of the unit’s past and future activities to ensure an inclusive climate
- Funding plan for support not provided by OAA
We expect positions proposed for the Fellow to Faculty program will already have been approved through a TIU’s normal faculty recruitment approval process.
Appointments
If a proposal is approved, colleges must advertise the fellow position at the tenure-track assistant professor rank. The hiring unit will follow the usual process for assistant professor hiring, including review by the eligible faculty. If the candidate accepts the fellow position, the candidate will be hired into the Provost’s Tenure-Track Fellow to Faculty Program. Fellows will be appointed as instructor in the tenure track for up to two years. The tenure clock will begin when the candidate moves from the instructor position to assistant professor. Per Faculty Rule 3335-6-03, appointments on the tenure track are probationary until the sixth-year review with required annual reviews. The fellow is a faculty member and annual reviews by the tenure initiating unit must occur.
FAQ
Recruitment
Why this program?
This program will assist new PhDs as they transition to the tenure track and achieve research excellence. Fellows will participate in the activities of their academic unit and have a designated faculty mentor. Fellows will receive research support and participate in programming offered by OAA designed to help support them in their transition to assistant professor and their success as a faculty member.
What is the overall process for the program
- The Dean applies to OAA for a position to be advertised as a potential fellow and assistant professor simultaneously.
- After OAA approval, both positions may be posted.
- The department/college proceeds with usual hiring process for an assistant professor, including usual procedures for the eligible faculty and/or search committee.
- Potential fellows are offered the opportunity to accept the Fellow position or an assistant professor position.
- The appointment is a tenure-track instructor.
- The fellow (as tenure-track instructor) primarily focuses on research for two years. This period allows an in-depth start on scholarship. If a fellow would benefit from some teaching, consider a very light introduction to teaching, such as one team-taught course or guest lectures. The fellow is to be assigned a mentoring team. All mentoring team members do not need to be from the hiring unit. Fellows are to participate in cohort activities.
- A fellow is filling a tenure-track position, so annual reviews must occur by the TIU head.
- At the end of one to two years, the fellow will transition to assistant professor and the tenure clock will begin.
Are these positions in addition to the ones that the college approves?
No, these positions must be approved by the college and will be within the usual process of each college’s decision-making for new positions. Only the funding for a fellow position is being considered in this program. Therefore, Deans must submit the application for positions to be offered as a fellow.
Appointment
If the candidate accepts the fellow position, can a unit still hire for the assistant professor’s position?
There is one position. The unit either hires for the fellow or the assistant professor position. OAA will only fund candidates entering the fellow’s position.
Post-Appointment
How are fellows to refer to themselves on an Ohio State website, in presentations they may give, in publications they may submit, in their signature block, etc.?
Fellows are to use the title Assistant Professor—Provost’s Fellow.
Transition to Tenure-Track
When the fellow transitions to assistant professor, must we conduct a national search or request a targeted hire from OAA?
No, you do not need to conduct a national search or a targeted hire. When the fellow is hired into the original tenure-track instructor appointment, the transition to assistant professor is approved as and a component of the appointment.
When the fellow transitions to assistant professor, does the eligible faculty vote?
No. The fellow is to be hired into the tenure-track instructor position which was advertised. Tenure-track instructor positions are, by faculty rule, faculty and must transition to an assistant professor by the end of three years. This program will only fund a maximum of two years.
How is a Provost's Fellow to be evaluated if they have not produced any formal outcomes during their two-year fellowship period?
The Fellow to Faculty program was designed to provide Provost's Fellows with protected time to stand up their research programs. There is no expectation that they produce formal outcomes during their fellowship period. Provost's Fellow are to be evaluated based on the criteria set forth in the unit’s APT document when they are considered for promotion with tenure.
If a Provost's Fellow produces formal outcomes during their fellowship period, how is this work to be considered during the review for promotion with tenure?
All workload outcomes (teaching, scholarship, service) performed during the fellowship period must be included in the P&T review as part of the Provost's Fellow dossier in the probationary period.
To whom should I address questions?
Please address questions about the application process to facultyaffairs@osu.edu.