Tuesday, October 6, 2015

RTI University Scholars Program

Colleagues, I received this very exciting announcement today. Please share it with your colleagues. Let me know if you have any questions--I have begun some discussions with RTI that may help sharpen our focus on opportunities there, and I will share what I learn when I learn it.

RTI University Scholars Program

Information for Applicants – 2016-2017 Academic Year

RTI International is one of the world’s leading research institutes, dedicated to
improving the human condition
 by turning knowledge into practice.
The RTI University Scholars Program provides support—one-half of each Scholar’s salary and fringe—for distinguished academic researchers to spend scholarly leave time at RTI International, actively collaborating with our experts.
The goal of the program is to foster collaboration and catalyze opportunities for externally funded, joint projects in the future.

General Qualifications

The ideal applicant is an academic faculty member with a commitment to collaboration and a strong research record in one of the following fields:
• Health and pharmaceuticals
• Education and training

• Surveys and statistics

• Advanced technology
• International development

• Economic and social policy

• Energy and the environment

• Laboratory testing and chemical analysis.

2016-2017 Eligibility and Priority Areas

For the 2016-2017 Academic Year, the program is open to faculty from Duke
University and UNC’s sixteen university campuses.
Priority areas are:
• Data science
• Education and workforce development
• Energy and resource management
• Food and agriculture
• Health, including Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

Working Environment

RTI provides a stimulating environment for individual and collaborative research. Scholars are expected to serve most of their residency at our headquarters in North
Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, but may serve a portion of their time in any of
our U.S. regional or international offices.
Successful applicants will be provided with a temporary laptop, workspace, RTI
email address, and access to IT support, conference rooms, and a reference library.

Application Process

By January 06, 2016, applicants should submit to RTI_UnivScholarsProg@rti.org the following:
1. Brief cover letter in the body of the email
2. Proposal (PDF attachment) that
 Describes the proposed collaborative research project
(maximum 1,000 words)
 Identifies the name and title of RTI host researcher
 Clearly states the proposed duration of the residency
3. Full curriculum vitae (PDF attachment, no limit on length)
4. Proposed budget in Excel, explicitly delineating the approximate amount of support requested from RTI (salary, fringe and any other costs, such as travel, if applicable) 

5. Letter of support from proposed RTI collaborator(s)
6. Letter of support from applicant’s department chair.
Applications should not exceed 8 pages, excluding the applicant’s CV. 

Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applicants who are not selected for a given year may reapply in a subsequent year, and Scholars may apply for subsequent residencies.

Selection Criteria

An interdisciplinary panel of RTI staff will review submissions. Major considerations in the evaluation process are the likelihood that the period of residence will result in collaborative work of significance and alignment with RTI’s research, mission, and
priorities.

Contact

Email Dr. Jacqueline Olich, Director, University Collaborations, RTI International jolich@rti.org with questions.