2023-2024 Fourth Purpose Scholarship Cluster Request for Proposals

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Defining the Fourth Purpose of a University

Introduction

The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and the Office of the Vice Provost for Fourth Purpose and Strategic Impact are pleased to issue this Request for Proposals for the Provost’s initiative to support Fourth Purpose scholarship at Columbia University. This RFP supports the recruitment of outstanding faculty members who advance the Fourth Purpose of universities -- namely, work to bring forward rigorous knowledge and scholarship to societal impact and serve the public good. Work in Fourth Purpose scholarship is typically performed in close partnership with organizations outside of academia, such as government agencies, civil society organizations, industry, nonprofits, and community groups. 

We encourage applications from the full breadth of academic fields represented at Columbia. Our goal is to support hires who are highly interdisciplinary, and who will build excellence in their own work as well as serve as a catalyst for coordinating related work across disciplines and schools across the institution. Additional considerations will be given to those whose work is community-driven, and/or focused on historically underserved communities. As such, we expect these recruitments to further advance the University’s mission with respect to diversity and enhance our climate of inclusion.

Two-Stage Selection Process

Stage 1

The selection of faculty engaged in Fourth Purpose scholarship will be a two-stage process. In the first stage, applying units will express their vision for the innovative work that will be undertaken by a future recruit. The proposed work will ideally infuse the applying unit with a new line of research, scholarship, and curricular opportunities. Schools with an existing, robust group of faculty engaged in Fourth Purpose scholarship may apply to recruit outstanding scholars to significantly enhance existing efforts. 

Characteristics such as innovation, impact, and contribution to the diversity goals of the School/University will weigh heavily in the selection process. Feel free to apply singly or in collaboration with other units, laying out how funding responsibilities would be shared. We are especially interested in collaborations and partnerships across Schools, departments, institutes, centers, and other units of the University. 

All faculty hired with funding from the Fourth Purpose Cluster Hire Initiative must be recruited through the standard search mechanism. Therefore, applying units will not be asked to identify specific faculty recruits in their proposals. You are, however, welcome to name individuals who are exemplars of the type of faculty member you hope to recruit.

Stage 2

In the second stage, the Schools recommended for funding will move forward with recruiting faculty to engage in the proposed work. All recruitment must occur via the university’s standard search mechanism. The Office of the Provost will work closely with Schools during the recruitment process. Final funding approval will be dependent upon the successful recruitment of a faculty member who meets/exceeds the qualifications outlined in the proposal.

Given the limited number of slots, Schools are strongly encouraged to develop a process for determining which proposals will be prioritized and put forward. Departments planning to apply should coordinate closely with their Deans. Funding requests must be submitted with the support and signature of the School’s Dean. Those submitted without support and signature of the Dean will not be accepted.

Eligibility

The Office of the Provost will consider providing support for full-time, tenured and tenure-track positions or non-tenure track candidates who have demonstrated leadership in the field for outstanding faculty engaged in Fourth Purpose scholarship. Schools are encouraged to apply for support for exceptional individuals who will contribute significantly to the academic, curricular, and diversity goals of the School. Schools may apply, individually or in collaboration, for a single faculty hire or for a cluster of hires. Applications will only be considered from Schools that are in good standing with respect to diversity plan submissions/reporting.

Scope of Commitments and Budget

The maximum terms of support from the Office of the Provost:

Three years of support, either $150K per year ($450K total) OR 50% of the total budget, whichever is lower.

NOTE: Funds from the Office of the Provost cannot be used for capital expenditures.

Commitment of Schools and Departments

  • The remainder of costs not provided by the Office of the Provost.
  • After three years, 100% of the costs will be borne by the School/Department. 
  • The School/departmental commitment must equal or exceed the support requested, and ultimately received, from the Office of the Provost.

Funding Application Requirements

The Office of the Provost will only consider providing support for candidates being recruited as full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members or non-tenure track candidates who have demonstrated leadership in the field.

How to Apply

Components of a Complete Application

  • Department/School details and all necessary signatures
  • Proposal (up to 5 pages) from the Dean (and Department Chair, if applicable) that includes the following sections (each section denoted with a separate header): 

    • Target area of Fourth Purpose scholarship, including how the proposed work will complement and enhance existing work at the university

    • Define how you will measure the tangible impact of the candidate’s research that benefits humanity, and describe how you will help the candidate make impact in this area

    • Potential of the proposed work to contribute to the diversity goals of the Department/School

    • Process by which the candidate will be selected, including the anticipated qualifications of your ideal faculty candidate, particularly in the target area of Fourth Purpose scholarship. Please specify whether you will be seeking a faculty member at the tenured or tenure-track level or a non-tenure track candidate who has demonstrated leadership in the field. If you are pursuing a non-tenure track candidate, please describe the anticipated leadership responsibilities in the Fourth Purpose domain at Columbia.

    • Mentoring and support efforts the hiring unit will undertake to support the professional career development of the candidate. In the case of senior candidates, provide a statement of the steps that will be taken to facilitate a successful transition into the hiring unit.

  • Statement of overall progress that the School has made in achieving its diversity goals and how this application will advance the School’s diversity plans
  • Budget projection and narrative. We recognize that the proposed budget is based on your estimate of what it will cost to recruit a candidate. The actual budget, and the actual Provost’s award, will be based on the accepted offer letter. 

Submission Details and Timeline

The entire application must be submitted via the online submission form. If you need to share the application-in-progress with others in your academic unit, please follow these steps:

  1. Open the application
  2. Click “Save” at the bottom of the page
  3. Select “Get shareable link”
  4. Paste and email the link to yourself and the corresponding colleague(s)
Submission deadline: Wednesday, February 14, 2024  (notifications will occur by early April)

The Office of the Provost will work closely with Schools/Departments to support successful recruitments. The Office of the Provost and the School/Department approved for funding support will identify a mutually agreeable time by which a letter of acceptance will be received from the candidate. If an acceptance letter is not received by that time, the Office of the Provost commitment will be re-evaluated.

Review Process and Selection Criteria

A committee of senior faculty members will review the applications and will make recommendations to the Provost. Each of the application elements will be assessed on strength of presentation and feasibility. The School’s progress and commitment towards achieving its diversity objectives will also be an important element in the review process. Favorable consideration will be given to interdisciplinary proposals that successfully incorporate two or more Schools. 

Contact

If you have any questions during the submission process, please contact our office at f[email protected].

More information regarding the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement's faculty recruitment programs may be found on our website.