This page provides information about two new faculty hiring initiatives, the Excellence in Mentoring Initiative and the RISE (Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence) Initiative. Limited additional central support for recruiting and retaining faculty is also described here.
Information about additional sources of support for faculty can also be found on the Research webpage, including research funding and research computing support.
Goals
- Provide salary support for new faculty
- Supplement recruitment packages for new faculty
- Encourage retention of faculty by supporting their research and teaching
Funding Areas Managed by the Office of the Provost
- Excellence in Mentoring Initiative
- Wisconsin RISE Initiative
- Anna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Nellie McKay Fellowship
- Flexible Research Funds
Excellence in Mentoring Initiative
The Excellence in Mentoring Initiative aims to recruit outstanding faculty who, in addition to their demonstrated excellence or strong potential in research and teaching, have demonstrated the ability and commitment to mentor at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented undergraduate or graduate students to help them achieve academic success. There is an expectation that the job description will include these skills and abilities. The focus should be on excellence in mentorship, not on the identity characteristics of the candidate.
Funding
The university will provide up to $75,000 per year for five years for tenure-track assistant professors and up to $125,000 per year for three years for tenured associate professors or professors. The school, college, or division will assume full fiscal responsibility for the faculty’s salary thereafter.
Application Process
Deans’ offices are responsible for working with departments to ensure candidates are eligible for the Excellence in Mentoring Initiative. Failure to submit the required documents, or to hire a candidate without the sufficient excellence in mentoring at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented students, will disqualify the position from funding under the initiative.
Phase 1: Request for search approval prior to posting of position
- Create a dean’s cover memo that summarizes the area of scholarship for the search and how an additional faculty member in that research area will enhance the excellence of the department and school, college, or division
- Include a draft PVL that includes language about seeking applicants who have demonstrated excellence in mentoring at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented undergraduate or graduate students
- Save the application as a single PDF file and name it “SearchRequest-SchoolCollegeDivision-DateSubmitted” (for example, SearchRequest-Education-2024-09-13.pdf)
- Upload the file to the Excellence in Mentoring Initiative Box folder
- The Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs reviews requests regularly and will notify the dean with their decision. If an urgent response is needed, upload the file to Box and request an expedited review by emailing vpfsa@provost.wisc.edu.
Phase 2: Candidate approval
- Conduct a search following the standard UW–Madison recruitment processes and procedures. In rare circumstances, a PVL waiver process may be used. Once a final candidate has been selected, proceed to step two.
- Create a dean’s cover memo that describes:
- The candidate’s excellence in teaching research and service
- The candidate’s demonstrated interest or accomplishments in mentoring at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented students, as well as their future intentions to do so
- How the candidate will improve mentoring of at-risk, first-generation, or underrepresented students in the department and school, college, or division
- How the department and school, college, or division will recognize and support the candidate’s mentoring work
- How the department will mentor and retain the candidate, including the names of potential mentors
- Include the candidate’s cover letter and CV
- Include the final PVL
- Save the application as a single PDF file and name it “CandidateLastName-SchoolCollegeDivision-DateSubmitted” (for example, Smith-Education-2024-09-13.pdf)
- Upload the file to the Excellence in Mentoring Initiative Box folder
- The Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs reviews requests regularly and will notify the dean with their decision. If an urgent response is needed, upload the file to Box and request an expedited review by emailing vpfsa@provost.wisc.edu.
Transfer of Funds
Signed offer letters must be uploaded to the Recruitment and Retention Tool before the Office of the Provost can release any funds. Depending on the timing of the hire, funds may be added to the school, college, or division’s annual budget allocation or transferred immediately.
The Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative is designed to help address significant, complex challenges of particular importance to Wisconsin and the world, through accelerated and strategic faculty hiring, research infrastructure enhancement, interdisciplinary collaboration and increased student and educational opportunities.
Anna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Fellowship
The Anna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Fellowship provides one academic year free from teaching in which the person hired can set up their research before beginning their probationary period as an assistant professor. The fellowship accompanies the offer of a tenure-track assistant professor position and provides one academic year of salary at 90 percent of the assistant professor starting rate. The fellowship is an investment in faculty development and obligates the recipient to remain employed at UW–Madison for a minimum of one academic year upon conclusion of the fellowship.
Application Process
The application system is temporarily closed. When it reopens, we will put more information and a link here on this page.
Offer Letter Language
The Anna Julia Cooper Fellowship must be included in the candidate’s offer letter. Sample offer letter language is below and may be modified as needed.
The Office of the Provost is pleased to offer you an Anna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Fellowship for academic year 20XX-20XX, beginning August X, 20XX and ending May X, 20XX, at a nine-month salary rate of $XX,XXX. This fellowship will provide you with one academic year of salary with no formal instructional responsibilities so that you may devote the academic year to your scholarly research. The Anna Julia Cooper Fellowship is an investment in faculty development and obligates you to remain employed at UW–Madison for a minimum of one academic year upon conclusion of the fellowship. Because this fellowship is separate from your tenure-track appointment as an assistant professor, it is not considered probationary service and will not count on your tenure clock.
Transfer of Funds
Signed offer letters must be uploaded to the Recruitment and Retention Tool before the Office of the Provost can release any funds. Depending on the timing of the hire, funds may be added to the school, college, or division’s annual budget allocation or transferred immediately.
Nellie McKay Fellowship
The Nellie McKay Fellowship provides one academic year free from teaching so that faculty may devote the year to their research and service. The fellowship is normally used in the fourth year of an assistant professor appointment and is contingent on a successful performance review after three years. It provides $80,000 for the department to hire an instructor. Preference will be given to candidates whose normal instructional load is 2-2. The fellowship may be requested for recruitment or retention of faculty. The fellowship is an investment in faculty development and obligates the recipient to remain employed at UW–Madison for a minimum of one academic year upon conclusion of the fellowship.
Application Process
The application system is temporarily closed. When it reopens, we will put more information and a link here on this page.
Offer Letter Language
The Nellie McKay Fellowship must be included in the candidate’s offer or retention letter. Sample language is below and may be modified as needed.
The Office of the Provost is pleased to offer you a Nellie McKay Fellowship which provides full release from teaching for one academic year so that you may devote the year to your research and service. The Nellie McKay Fellowship may be used during the 20XX-20XX academic year, contingent upon satisfactory performance during the first three years of your appointment. The Nellie McKay Fellowship is an investment in faculty development and obligates you to remain employed at UW–Madison for a minimum of one academic year upon conclusion of the fellowship. Nellie McKay was a highly respected and beloved colleague in English and African-American Studies.
Transfer of Funds
Signed offer letters must be uploaded to the Recruitment and Retention Tool before the Office of the Provost can release any funds. Release of funds is contingent upon successful performance review after three years in the appointment. Schools, colleges, or divisions must notify us at vpfsa@provost.wisc.edu that the faculty member has had a successful performance review and ask for the funds to be transferred. Depending on the timing of the request, funds may be added to the school, college, or division’s annual budget allocation or transferred immediately.
Flexible Research Funds
Flexible Research Funds support the research-related activities of faculty. The funds are normally transferred in the fourth year of an assistant professor appointment and are contingent on a successful performance review after three years. Flexible Research Funds may also be used for faculty retention if the department can document that no other university or outside resources are available for support.
Application Process
The application system is temporarily closed. When it reopens, we will put more information and a link here on this page.
Offer Letter Language
The Flexible Research Funds must be included in the candidate’s offer or retention letter. Sample language is below and may be modified as needed.
The Office of the Provost is pleased to offer you Flexible Research Funds in the amount of $XX,000 to be used for research-related activities. These funds will become available to you during the 20XX-20XX academic year, contingent upon satisfactory performance during the first three years of your appointment.
Transfer of Funds
Signed offer letters must be uploaded to the Recruitment and Retention Tool before the Office of the Provost can release any funds. Release of funds is contingent upon successful performance review after three years in the appointment. Schools, colleges, or divisions must notify us at vpfsa@provost.wisc.edu that the faculty member has had a successful performance review and ask for the funds to be transferred. Depending on the timing of the request, funds may be added to the school, college, or division’s annual budget allocation or transferred immediately.
If funds remain after an employee leaves the university, those funds must be returned to the Office of the Provost.