Faculty Success Program Grant

The Faculty Success Program Grant is supported by the Division of Academic Affairs and administered by the Office of Faculty Development. It is designed to assist both tenure-track faculty in their first through fifth years in meeting the qualifications for retention, tenure, or promotion as well as to support Associate Professors as they continue to build on their scholarship, research, or creative activities. Each awardee will participate in a 12 week coaching program through the Faculty Success Program with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD). Funding to support this grant is dependent on final review of the 2025-2026 budget. 

If you have questions, you may contact Faculty Development at facdev@csun.edu

Tuition for Coaching with the Faculty Success Program (FSP)

This option supports faculty members who have a project at the stage where they can write every day and are interested in changing their approach to time management. The Faculty Success Program (FSP) is a 12-week online program designed to help faculty develop “the skills necessary to increase research and writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.” FSP participants attend weekly small-group meetings with a certified coach and complete learning modules and mini tasks in line with their research goals. They can expect to dedicate 4-5 hours per week to meet the program requirements. You can learn more about the program on their website. CSUN faculty who completed this program reported transformational impact such as: 

• “At the beginning of the semester (and in reality, the whole time I’ve been at CSUN) I was feeling pretty disillusioned with my role as an assistant professor even though there are parts of the job that I enjoy. Writing has always been one of the more difficult aspects to find time and motivation to do, but the program provided me with tools, such as weekly planning meetings and a semester strategic plan, that made me feel like I was no longer stuck.”
• “The strategic plan (SP) and weekly plans (WPs) were transformative in helping me actually get writing and other tasks done. I didn’t realize how inefficient I was in completing writing goals on time. As a testament to how well the SP and WPs worked for me, I submitted a manuscript I had been working on the last year/year-and-a-half!”

Tenure-track faculty in their first through fifth years are eligible to for this award as well as Associate Professors. 

Individuals in their first and second years and those who have received awards under this program may receive awards, but priority will be given to those in their third through fifth years, Associate Professors preparing for promotion, and those who have not yet received a Pathways to Tenure Grant (or its predecessor, a Probationary Faculty Support Program Grant).

Proposals will be evaluated by the Faculty Development Grant Selection Committee, consisting of CSUN faculty from each college and former Faculty Success Program awardees. The committee recommends projects for funding to the Director of Faculty Development.

The proposed project should initiate and make progress towards scholarship, research, publications, creative works or any project that the department & college personnel committee will value as an artifact counting towards the area Section 600 describes as Scholarly Contributions to the Field of Study. 

NOTE: Because the FSP training helps faculty members cultivate a daily writing practice, proposed projects for applicants requesting FSP tuition must involve developing research the applicant has already initiated.

Significance and broader implications:

• Does the proposal provide evidence that the project will make a significant contribution to the faculty member’s success (i.e. does the faculty member clearly demonstrate how this project with contribute to their RTP)?
• Does the proposal provide evidence that the project will contribute to the applicant’s field of study and/or the field of pedagogy?
• Does the proposal provide evidence on how this project can benefit CSUN students’ learning (directly or indirectly)?

Prospects for success:

• Does the applicant’s submitted CV provide evidence of the applicant’s ability to conduct the project?
• Is the project developed significantly enough to be able to commit to a daily writing practice related to the project?
• Is the timeline realistic for substantial progress to be made on the project?
• Does the project contain a plan for future publication, submission and/or peer review plans? 

If the applicant has received previous support from the Pathways to Tenure Grant (or its predecessor, the Probationary Faculty Support Program), did they utilize the award effectively? Did they complete the requisite report(s)?

Presentation:

• Is the problem the scholarship direction address clearly presented (e.g., strong rationale, significance of the problem)? Hint: strong proposals are easily understood by your colleagues outside your department/college/discipline.
• Are the project’s outcomes clearly identified?
• Are the format requirements met?
• Is the application cover sheet complete, including requisite signatures?

Faculty Development has several offerings aimed toward faculty grant winners on topics relevant to your work, including writing productivity, grant-writing workshops (for both CSUN and external grants), faculty writing communities, and one-on-one consulting on projects. While not required to attend, grant winners are encouraged to take advantage of the resources we have and will be given “first option” when we are signing up participants.

February 17, 2025

• Application materials must be submitted by email to facdev@csun.edu by 4:00 PM.
• Please send one email that contains two PDF documents:
  • One file containing a completed cover sheet with required signatures
  • One file containing your proposal narrative. This file should contain your Project Title but not your name or any other identifying information.

Early-April 2024     

• Awards announced

Fall 2025 OR Spring 2026        

• Faculty member participates in FSP training in the Fall or Spring. Evaluations are due within one month of the end of the training.

Program Final Evaluation

• Recipients who receive this award are required to complete an evaluation within one month of the end of the training.

Sample Proposals 

Coming Soon

Awardees for 2024-2025 and for 2025-2026

Recipients who receive tuition for FSP are required to complete an evaluation within one month of the end of the training.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, February 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM. 

Please send your application to facdev@csun.edu.

Your email should contain two PDF documents:

• One document containing a completed cover sheet with required signatures.
• One document containing your proposal narrative and supporting material. This file should contain your Project Title but not your name or any other identifying information

Late applications will not be considered for funding. Applications that do not meet these formatting guidelines will not be accepted.

Application Documents

• PDF fillable with directions, cover page, and signature page here.
• PDF fillable with cover page and signature page only here.
• Word version here (directions only).