Fellowships
The Sloan Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of Industry Studies Fellowships to support the development of research in industry studies. Industry studies research includes close contact with people in a particular industry as well as field research: that is, interaction with people in their workplaces for primary data collection and observations. The Sloan Industry Studies Program, which includes at its core the Sloan Industry Centers, is dedicated to promoting research cooperation between academics and industry in order to understand the complex influences that shape industrial enterprises.
Modeled after the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowships for early-career scientists, the Industry Studies Fellowships are intended to provide support and recognition to junior faculty from a variety of academic disciplines who are conducting field-based research on a topic important to a specific industry. The Sloan Foundation anticipates that financial assistance at this crucial point in a scholar's early career, even in modest amounts, will produce research results that ultimately may provide important benefits to industrial development and economic competitiveness.
The Sloan Industry Studies Fellowships will be awarded to up to five (5) junior faculty members who show the most outstanding promise of making important contributions to understanding modern industry and the multifaceted environment of industrial enterprises. Sloan Fellows, once chosen, are free to pursue any direction of original investigation in the field of industry studies, subject to an expectation that they will establish a close working relationship with a chosen industry. Inherently, the research is likely to require observation-based study integrated with appropriate theory and data analysis.
Procedures
Who is Eligible?
Candidates for Sloan Industry Studies Fellowships are required to hold the Ph.D. (or equivalent) in economics, management, engineering, or in a related or interdisciplinary field, and must be members of the regular faculty (i.e., tenure track) of a college or university in the United States or Canada. They may be no more than six years from completion of their most advanced degree as of the year of their nomination, unless special circumstances such as military service, a change of field, or child rearing are involved, or unless they have held a faculty appointment for less than two years. If any of the above circumstances apply, the letter of nomination (see below) should provide a clear explanation. While Fellows are expected to be at an early stage of their academic careers, there should be strong evidence of relevant research accomplishments. Candidates in all fields are normally below the rank of associate professor and do not hold tenure, but these are not strict requirements. The Foundation welcomes nominations of all candidates who meet the highest standards, and strongly encourages the participation of women and members of underrepresented minority groups.
The Nominating And Selection Process
Candidates may be nominated by Directors and faculty members at the Sloan Industry Centers, Affiliates of the Sloan Industry Studies program, and department heads or other senior researchers. Candidates and nominators are not required to have a formal relationship with a Sloan Industry Center. Direct applications are not accepted. Nomination forms are available from the Sloan Foundation's website or on request from the Program Director. In addition to this form, the nominator should submit a letter describing the candidate's qualifications and must see that the Foundation receives three supporting letters directly from other researchers or professionals, preferably not at the same institution (missing support letters are generally detrimental to a nominee's prospects). Attachments to the nomination form and letter should include a curriculum vitae, a list of academic and professional publications, plus one copy of no more than two representative publications, a brief statement (one to two pages) by the nominee describing his/her significant independent work, and an initial plan for research in a specific industry. These materials should describe the extent to which the nominee has experience in conducting observation-based, field research, detailed studies of this (or another) industry, and/or collaborative, interdisciplinary work. Strong evidence—in submitted publications and supporting letters—of the nominee's independent capabilities to contribute to the field of industry studies is one of the most important considerations in the review process.
Nominations are due by October 15. Nominations are reviewed and candidates selected by a Program Committee of researchers representing the participating disciplines from the industry studies community. Candidates selected for awards are notified in December.
Nomination forms and supporting letters should be sent to:
Sloan Industry Studies Fellowships
Gail M. Pesyna, Program Director
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2550
New York, NY 10111-0242
Terms Of Awards
The size of the award is $40,000 for a two-year period. Funds are awarded directly to the Fellow's institution and may be used by the Fellow for such purposes as travel to field locations, survey design and implementation, research assistance, faculty course buy-outs, summer support, or any other activity directly related to the Fellow's research. They may not be used to augment an existing full-time, 12-month salary or for indirect or overhead charges by the Fellow's institution.
Expenditures must be approved by the Fellow's department chairman and must be in accord with the policies of the institution.
If unexpended funds remain at the end of two years, an extension of the termination date may be obtained. Extensions are limited to a maximum of two years. Funds remaining at the end of that period must be returned to the Foundation. When a Fellow transfers to another institution during the term of the fellowship, the Foundation will transfer unexpended funds to the new institution.
Reporting
The Fellow's institution is required to report annually on expenditures from the fellowship grant, and the Fellow must submit a brief annual research progress report and a final report. Reprints or preprints of academic papers may be submitted in lieu of such reports.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: September 19, 2007 11:46:14