Faculty Scholars Program Guidelines

Faculty Scholars Program: Guidelines

The Faculty Scholars Program is no longer accepting applications for funding. The following guidelines are posted for reference purposes only.

The mission of the Project on Death in America (PDIA) is to understand and transform the culture and experience of dying through initiatives in research, scholarship, the arts and the humanities; to foster innovations in the provision of care, public education, professional education, and public policy. The Project on Death in America is funded by the Open Society Institute, a nonprofit foundation that supports the development of open societies worldwide.

The experience of dying has changed over the past several decades, with many more people enduring prolonged deaths as a consequence of chronic and progressive disease. Needless suffering - physical, emotional, existential, and spiritual - too often accompanies these deaths, for both dying persons and their survivors. We are hindered in our efforts to improve the experience of dying patients and their families by a number of factors: major inadequacies in our knowledge about the course, treatment, and outcomes of care of dying patients and their families; deficiencies in many of our current models of caring for dying patients and their families; and serious weaknesses in our education of healthcare professionals about care near the end of life. Addressing these problems will require the development and sustenance of a cohort of clinicians, educators, and researchers who are committed to work in this area.

Scholars Program Objective

The Project on Death in America's Scholars Program was established to identify outstanding faculty and clinicians working at institutions in the U.S. who are making such a commitment, and to support them in disseminating existing models of good care, developing new models for improving the care of the dying, and developing new approaches to the education of healthcare professionals about the care of dying patients and their families. This program aims to promote the visibility and prestige of clinicians committed to this area and to enhance their effectiveness as academic leaders, role models, and mentors for future generations of health professionals. The program seeks to provide participants with knowledge and skills necessary to develop innovative programs in clinical care, research, education and advocacy and to take leadership roles at their institutions and nationally. It aims to develop an intellectually vibrant, mutually supportive, and cross-fertilizing network of colleagues involved in multiple facets of work with the dying and their survivors. Interaction among the scholars will foster new interdisciplinary approaches to key issues related to death in America .

Faculty Scholars Awards

The program will select approximately 5-8 scholars a year to conduct their Faculty Scholar projects in association with a U.S.-based medical/research institution. Two-year awards of up to $70,000 per year (depending on academic rank, seniority, and salary) will be made to institutions on behalf of the scholars. A joint fellowship award may be made to two individuals applying as a team from within one institution - funding will be shared by the two individuals. Funds may be used to support 60 percent of the scholar's salary and benefits, up to a maximum of $65,000, and to provide up to $5,000 in travel funds for national meetings, research assistance, summer stipends, and other costs related to the scholar's project. Salary support cannot be used for other purposes. At least 60 percent of the scholar's time must be devoted to activities related to this grant. In addition to the scholar's support and travel funds, up to $6,500 (10 percent of the scholar's salary and benefits under this program) will be granted to the scholar's institution for overhead costs. The maximum total annual award through the Faculty Scholars Program is $76,500. The Project on Death in America will not fund additional grants from Faculty Scholars while they are scholars. Applicants are asked not to submit simultaneous applications to both the scholars program and other PDIA program initiatives.

Project Description

The Faculty Scholar's Program has three components:

a clinical, research, educational, or advocacy project carried out at the individual's institution;
an individualized professional development plan to enhance the scholar's effectiveness as a leader in caring for the dying and their families;
a faculty development program in which all of the scholars will work together on professional development activities.

Projects

Each scholar will propose and implement a significant project that addresses a critical issue in the care of the dying in his or her own institution or community. The project must have institutional support and the potential for integration into existing structures. In addition, the project should be generalizable to other settings, populations, and institutions, and should represent an innovative approach to care, education, research, and/or advocacy. Especially encouraged are projects that address access-to-care issues; development of culturally sensitive services for patients at the end of life and their families; comprehensive educational programs for health professionals, especially those in primary care; outcomes of different care delivery models for patients near the end of life and for family members during bereavement; public education and advocacy; and development of models that help patients and their families achieve physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being and gentle closure in the face of impending death.

The Professional Development Plan

Each scholar will design an individual professional development plan that will develop new competencies and enhanced effectiveness in clinical care, teaching, research, advocacy, and/or leadership. Scholars will have access to mentors from the Advisory Board to modify and shape the plan as they progress through the program

The Faculty Development Program

The scholars will participate in a five-day learner-centered educational program each year. The scholars will actively participate in shaping the programs. Scholars will meet together for small group sessions, interactive exercises, shared projects, presentations, collaborative grant-writing and review, expert consultations, and planning sessions with the Advisory Board. The content of the programs will be developed collaboratively between the scholars and the Advisory Board, and will cover these issues:

communicating with dying patients and their families;
furthering medical, psychological, and spiritual care of dying patients and their families (including bereavement issues);
addressing ethical, legal, and economic issues in caring for the dying;
enhancing teaching effectiveness;
designing care delivery systems;
developing leadership, negotiation and conflict resolution strategies;
improving public advocacy and media relations skills;
furthering program evaluation and research methods (including methods of continuous quality improvement); and
creating an agenda for changing the experience of dying and bereavement.

Members of the Advisory Board and former scholars will serve as advisors, mentors, and resources to the scholars to support their professional development throughout the program. In addition, the Project staff will develop mechanisms for fostering networking and collaboration among and between scholars and relevant organizations. All scholars will be expected to have e-mail capability (some of their grant funds may be used to establish and maintain such a connection).

Funding Criteria

Applications to the Faculty Scholars Program will be accepted from physicians and nurses in all relevant disciplines or doctorate-level faculty members from accredited health professional educational institutions in the United States who hold a rank of Instructor, Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor. Full professors are not eligible. Senior nurse leaders in health care organizations and/or educational institutions, as well as lawyers and social scientists who hold appointments through health professional educational institutions are encouraged to apply. Applications are also encouraged from women and minorities. Please note that the Faculty Scholars Program will only consider applicants who will perform their Faculty Scholars' projects in the U.S.

Application Procedure

The Faculty Scholars Program is no longer accepting applications for funding. These guidelines are posted for reference purposes only.

Applications must include one original application and 10 identical copies of all materials in one package. Material sent under separate cover will not be accepted. Applications must be typed in 12-point font with standard one-inch margins and single-spaced. Double-sided copies are encouraged. Do not submit additional materials with this application. Applications will be screened and reviewed by the PDIA Advisory Board. Site visits will be conducted as needed. The Board will interview finalists. A full application should include the following:

A cover page that includes the applicant's name, name of institution, mailing address, phone, fax, e-mail, project name, a one-sentence description of the project's main goal, the name, address and phone number of the applicant's mentor, if applicable, and a 300-word abstract of the project.
A letter from the applicant describing his/her personal and professional interest in the care of the dying, reasons for seeking support through this program, relevant past experience, and current commitment to this area. Maximum length: three pages.
A proposal describing the project that the applicant plans to undertake, including its theoretical orientation, potential significance in advancing the care of the dying and bereaved, a detailed work plan, and a description of benchmarks that can be used in evaluating progress toward achieving the goals of the project. Maximum length: 15 pages, not including references.
A plan for professional development during the two-year award, including a description of goals for professional development (competencies scholar needs to acquire to be more effective in activities related to this project), proposed methods for professional development in these areas (ways in which scholar will develop new knowledge and skills to meet his/her professional development objectives), and anticipated outcomes (ways in which scholar will be a more effective leader and change agent in this area). Maximum length: five pages.
A description of how the proposed project will link up with existing institutional structures (e.g., participation on a curriculum committee, involvement in setting institutional quality assurance standards). Maximum length: three pages.
A current CV that includes a full list of teaching experiences, other significant professional responsibilities, and publications.
A letter from the applicant's department chair and/or dean confirming release time for Faculty Scholar activities, attesting to institutional support for the applicant's current and future role in the department and institution, outlining institutional resources, and describing the institution's plans for integrating and using the expertise and experience gained by the scholar through this program.
Letters of support from three colleagues (excluding the applicant's mentor), including one from outside the applicant's department or discipline. Letters of support will not be accepted under separate cover; copies of these letters should be included in all copies of the application.
An institutionally-approved proposed budget for each year of the award. Budget should state applicant's current total salary including benefits, briefly describe how the "$5,000 Travel/Other Costs" portion of the award will be spent, and be signed by both the applicant and a fiscal officer of the institution.
The completed Current and Proposed Scholar's Commitments Form describing the applicant's funding and institutional responsibilities and how the applicant's time and funding will be allocated if selected for the Faculty Scholars Program.
A maximum of five articles or other written materials (e.g. teaching cases, selected chapter(s) from a book or manuscript) that illustrate the applicant's orientation and contribution to this area.

Applicants less than seven years out of training as of the starting date of their award will be expected to submit a letter from a mentor at their institution who will support and advise the applicant in implementing the project proposal. The mentor's letter should outline his/her background and competencies related to the scholar's proposed project, proposed involvement in the applicant's project, and ability to help the applicant form linkages with relevant colleagues and institutions. Those individuals who cannot identify a mentor should contact the Faculty Scholars program director to discuss alternative arrangements for mentoring in this program. The Advisory Board recognizes that project proposals and professional development plans may be modified over time to better address applicants' goals. The Board retains the prerogative to assist in the shaping of scholars' plans to optimize his/her potential to address program objectives.

Because of the volume of applications that PDIA receives, PDIA is not able to provide individual feedback to applicants.

Selection Criteria

Selection will be based on the following criteria:

evidence of the applicant's ongoing commitment to addressing issues about the care of the dying in the U.S. ;
breadth of involvement in educational activities;
quality and innovative nature of the project proposal and of the professional development plan submitted;
evidence of cross-disciplinary collaboration;
extent of mentor's commitment to and involvement with the scholar's project (if applicable);
evidence of commitment to the applicant's academic career and professional development by senior institutional leadership;
evidence of institutional commitment to using ideas, models, and materials developed as part of this project in ongoing institutional activities; and
immediate applicability of the project to improving the care of dying patients.

The Project on Death in America Faculty Scholars Program does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, Vietnam-Era veteran status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or marital status.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Scholars will be expected to write an annual progress report which includes evaluation of project goals, a description of problems in project implementation, and an outline of plans for the upcoming year. In addition, scholars will meet with an Advisory Board mentor at least once a year to review these issues. Scholars are responsible for notifying the Scholars program director of any circumstances that adversely influence their ability to meet their project goals. The program staff will work with the scholar to develop a satisfactory resolution to any problems that arise in implementation. The Faculty Scholars program director will review the progress reports and use them as the basis for recommendations to the Advisory Board for future funding. The Advisory Board reserves the right to withdraw funding after one year if the scholar is not demonstrating appropriate progress towards accomplishing his/her goals.