Faculty Fellows Program

The Rock Ethics Institute invites applications for its 2023–2024 Faculty Fellows program. These fellowships, which have been awarded annually since 2015, provide a two-course release from teaching during a single academic year to support ethics-related research projects by Penn State faculty. For each fellowship, the Rock Ethics Institute provides up to $10,000 in course buyout funds to compensate for releases. We anticipate awarding two fellowships this cycle.

The fellowship program aims to encourage innovative approaches to ethics-related research across disciplines, to support interdisciplinary engagement and collaborations among faculty, and to promote moral literacy and leadership across the University system. Fellows are invited to participate actively in the Rock Ethics Institute’s intellectual community, to attend and participate in Institute events, and to present and discuss their work at public colloquia.

Projects that engage with the research interests of the Institute’s Core Faculty (https://rockethics.psu.edu/people/) and the Institute’s current research themes (food and agriculture, gender and sexuality, global issues, health, public life, race, sustainability, and technology) are especially encouraged. We also welcome proposals that engage with community partners, incorporate students as collaborators, or are likely to lead to curricular innovations.

Eligibility: Penn State faculty members at all career levels are eligible to apply. Faculty must apply individually (rather than as a team) and may submit only one proposal per year. While faculty from any Penn State campus are eligible, those not in residence at University Park should explain how they will meet the Institute’s expectations for active involvement in our intellectual community, collaborations with Institute faculty, and attendance at Institute events during the fellowship year. Faculty are eligible to apply for fellowships from multiple centers or institutes in the College of the Liberal Arts, but applicants awarded more than one fellowship for the same academic year can only accept one for that year. Please note that Rock Ethics Institute Core Faculty, Directors, and Faculty Fellows who received their award within the past five years are ineligible to apply. Though current Sherwin Early Career Professors are not eligible to apply, former Sherwin Early Career Professors are eligible.

Application Process: To apply for a 2023–2024 Rock Ethics Institute Faculty Fellowship, please submit an application cover sheet that includes signatures of support from your department head and associate dean (or appropriate administrator), a 100-word abstract, a project description of no more than 2,000 words (single-spaced), and an abbreviated CV of no more than 5 pages. All application materials should be submitted in a single PDF file to rockethics@psu.edu no later than November 1, 2022. Successful applicants will be notified by December 6, 2022.

Please note: Faculty in the College of the Liberal Arts may only accept one internal fellowship award from the College or its affiliated Centers, Institutes, or programs in any given academic year. If applicants are selected for more than one fellowship or release, they must select one to accept. Faculty are eligible to reapply for other opportunities in subsequent years.

Please direct any questions about the Faculty Fellowships or application process to Ben Jones, btj7@psu.edu.