open faculty positions
Second Round of Solicitations for Energy Co-hires
Dear PSIEE affiliates and friends:
The RFP for our next round of energy co-hires is linked below. As was the case last year, eligibility to compete for these new positions is limited to the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Engineering, The Liberal Arts, and Science. Proposals for new positions should be developed in close consultation with one or more of these college deans, each of who can submit no more than three full proposals by May 1, 2008.
After consultation with the PSIEE Coordinating Council and others, we have made a few revisions to the process for this year. First, we have opened up the competition to a broader range of topics, while still focusing on the priorities identified in the 2006 Energy Task Force report. Second, we are requiring letters-of-intent by March 24th, so that the PSIEE Coordinating Council can provide constructive feedback to improve the full proposals. Finally, we are providing additional guidance that will be used in proposal evaluation. Proposals will be evaluated by the PSIEE Coordinating Council based on the following criteria:
- The degree to which the proposed faculty position will focus on energy-related topics of high priority, strategic importance, and comparative advantage for Penn State University.
- The degree to which the proposed faculty position will leverage existing Penn State faculty in multiple colleges, bring new expertise needed for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, and create new capabilities that are unlikely to be fulfilled by conventional departmental and disciplinary priorities.
- The prospects for the proposed faculty position to lead and/or enable large multi-investigator research proposals with significant near- and long-term funding from federal, state, and/or industrial sources.
We are looking forward to many excellent proposals that focus on these interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary needs, and that complement and extend the more discipline focused energy hires that colleges and departments will continue to make. We are certain that the successful proposals will have significant impact on the university as a whole.
Sincerely,
Tom Richard, Director, PSIEE