As I've written previously, I do not get a summer salary.
Would I like more money? Obviously.
I have two options to get a summer salary:
1. teach
2. Write and receive a grant that can include my summer salary.
Many of my colleagues do not seek out summer funding. They then refuse to work in the summer because they aren't being paid. I don't have that luxury. I need to work in the summer to get enough research done.
It is challenging finding funding for a PUI's summer salary. Sure, I can write and hope to get (after two or three re-submits?) a giant grant to Big Funding Agency. But are there other sources of summer money for PUI profs?
10 comments:
I haven't been reading your blog long enough to know what science field you are in, but in my field the Research Corporation CCSA is the place to start for new faculty at PUIs.
NSF has a special program for research in undergraduate institutions (google NSF RUI):
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5518
I found out about RUI from a bloggy friend who is at a PUI and just submitted his/hers. Go to the website and check out recent RUI awards (title starts with "RUI:...") made by your directorate.
I get my university to spread out my salary over 12 months instead of 9. That allows me to have the 4 months of summer holidays completely free from any obligations.
For the first 2 years my summer salary was covered, then I used my reserve startup funds, now I draw it from my research grants.
I don't know what your primary field is, but if you are a chemist, look into what the ACS offers. I was funded as an undergrad at a PUI by a Petroleum Research Grant (our proposal had NOTHING to do with petroleum).
These days grants submitted to the ACS PRF MUST have something to do with petroleum.
I currently have an ACS PRF, and it has nothing to do with petroleum. It only has to be related to energy, broadly defined.
I'm a first year prof in physical sciences at a PUI. The salary from my nine-month appointment is, by choice, paid out over 12 months. Nonetheless, I will be teaching one course this summer as well as mentoring 5-6 summer research students. My chair expressed some disappointment that I will be teaching in summer and not 100% devoted to research.
anon at 10:01 pm: there was a very recent change in the scope of the funded work by the prf and the definition of "related to energy" is not so broad anymore - for example, they used to fund a lot of research related to the solar energy, but they do not fund solar anymore
I'm glad to see GMP got the NSF program in right at the top of the comments. The NSF has long funded small grants that support undergrad education in addition to its REU program at R1 institutions.
Anonymous@12:24PM does need to pay attention to that disappointment, which could lead to non-reappointment if tenure time rolls around without "enough" research support for that particular PUI. Some PUIs have dreams (fantasies) of bigger things (R1 status).
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