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Faculty and Postdoctoral Affiliates

Apply to be a faculty/postdoctoral affiliate

Affiliate appointments recognize and promote mutually beneficial relationships with scholars and educators who pursue research and engagement aligned with CENI’s mission. While affiliate status comes with specific benefits, affiliates do not receive direct financial support from CENI. 

Eligibility

  • Faculty Affiliates: Any Virginia Tech faculty member involved in research or scholarship aligned with CENI’s mission or core research priorities is encouraged to apply to become a faculty affiliate of the center.

  • Postdoctoral Affiliate: Any individual serving in a postdoctoral position at Virginia Tech is eligible to apply for affiliation with CENI. 

  • External Affiliate: Scholars and educators who are not employed at Virginia Tech but who are engaged in active partnerships with CENI are eligible to apply for affiliation with the center.

Process

  • Please submit your CV and a brief statement about how your scholarship aligns with CENI’s research and engagement priorities. Materials may be submitted to ceni@vt.edu.

  • Applications are accepted on a continuing basis.

Benefits

  • Join a dynamic community of scholars dedicated to enhancement of education systems 

  • Use of the CENI affiliate title (Faculty Affiliate, Postdoctoral Affiliate) and recognition on the CENI website

  • Opportunities to participate in CENI planning and joint grant proposals; engage with education partners; and have your work featured in Dialogues in Education for a growing audience of educators and researchers

  • Priority access to CENI training and workshops for you and your students

  • Customized guidance on broader impacts planning for education and workforce development

  • Access to CENI spaces, as available

  • Nine-month VT faculty are eligible to apply for a CENI summer stipend ($5,000) to support co-development of external funding proposals.

Expectations

In return, we ask that you:

  • Develop new research projects and/or expand existing projects in collaboration with CENI-affiliated faculty

  • Indicate CENI affiliation on your funding proposals; designating proposals as ICAT sponsored has no direct impact on your budget but allows VT to monitor its support for investment institutes (VT only)

  • Acknowledge CENI support on publications and presentations, when appropriate

  • Share your research with the CENI community through ICAT and CENI-sponsored forums (e.g., VT Science Festival, ICAT Day, or Hokie for a Day)

  • Participate in or attend CENI events; serve on committees or as a peer reviewer for CENI’s Dialogues in Education publication 

  • Annually, submit a progress report for publications, grants, and programs

Other opportunities for Faculty

Apply for an ICAT SEAD grant

  • Researchers at Virginia Tech whose work aligns with CENI’s mission may be eligible to apply for funding through ICAT’s SEAD funding opportunity. With emphasis on Engaging Community, Reimagining Education, Designing a More Sustainable World, and Creating the Future of Work (and more), SEAD grants are an excellent way to launch a new education-focused project.