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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Villanova Strategic Initiative for Climate, Justice, and Sustainability (SICJS) 2025 Faculty Fellows Program

The Strategic Initiative for Climate, Justice, and Sustainability (SICJS) invites you to apply to the 2025 Faculty Fellows Program.

Updated 1/29/2024

Villanova University Strategic Initiative for Climate, Justice, and Sustainability (SICJS)

Overview of the Initiative:
The Villanova Strategic Initiative on Climate, Justice, and Sustainability (SICJS) is a university initiative, created under the auspices of the Office of the Provost.  Our aim is to foster sustainability research and teaching across all disciplines and all six colleges at Villanova University.  We are laying the foundations for a campus-wide Villanova Institute for Climate, Justice, and Sustainability (VICJS).

The Institute will be the academic and intellectual home for Villanova’s institutional commitment to sustainability.  We aim to further our awareness and understanding of the environmental crisis that looms before humanity and the earth, finding solutions to mitigate harm and create a more just and sustainable future.  The Institute will support existing academic centers and groups within Villanova and facilitate interdisciplinary work across colleges and departments.

Updated 8/13/2024

SICJS Faculty Fellows:  Program Description
The SICJS Faculty Fellows are the intellectual heart of the Initiative.   They will define and grow Villanova scholarship and expertise in climate, environmental justice, and sustainability while developing and serving as campus leaders and ambassadors for the SICJS.

The scholarly and academic work of the Faculty Fellows will exemplify and amplify the vision and mission of the SICJS.  By generating interdisciplinary partnerships within and outside of Villanova, our Faculty Fellows will be expected to achieve goals in one or more of the following broad Initiatives: (i) advance research in one or more of the thematic areas of the Initiative, preferably with interdisciplinary academic and community partners , (ii) foster climate literacy at Villanova through the development of methods and materials for a multi-purpose curriculum in sustainability and climate action, and (iii) develop methods and structures to support student environmental and sustainability advocacy and community involvement.

Fellowship Support 
For the 2025-26 academic year, SICJS will fund one Faculty Fellow. The SICJS Faculty Fellow will receive a stipend of $12,500 in compensation that can be used in the summer or during the academic year.  Fellows will receive an instructional teaching reduction for the academic year (per agreement with their College).  Applicants may apply for an additional stipend of $12,500 for a graduate research assistant to work with the Fellow during the period of the Fellowship.  The granting of the additional stipend is dependent on the availability of funding.

Eligibility 
Full-time Villanova University faculty from any college may apply for the Fellowship.  Faculty members who will be on sabbatical during the period of the Fellowship are eligible.

Application Requirements
A link to the application can be found at the bottom of the page. The application consists of an information page plus the following sections to be uploaded as a PDF file:

Proposal (2 pages) with the following sections:

1. Statement of Purpose

A brief Abstract of the proposed research during the Fellowship, including the focus of the research and, where relevant, how it may contribute to the Initiative’s curriculum development, community engagement, and/or student engagement and advocacy

A brief statement explaining if and how:

  • the work will impact problems of climate, environmental justice, health, or sustainability
  • the Fellowship will foster interdisciplinary partnerships that may lead to shared research, proposals, curricula, and/or engagement with students and regional communities
  • the Fellowship will further the applicant’s career goals
  • the work will advance the vision or mission of the SICJS

 2. Brief Narrative

During the Fellowship year, Fellows may undertake more than one sub-project under an overarching theme that integrates individual projects.  Please describe:

  • Overall Goals of the Fellowship year
  • Projects to be undertaken (for each)
  • Describe approach or methodology
  • Describe expected outcomes
  • Resources needed to achieve the goals
  • Anticipated timeline
  • Please list up to five relevant publications related to the work proposed.

Applications will be due November 22, 2024. Proposals will be reviewed by the Strategic Initiative Steering Committee and Fellows will be announced in January 2025.  Each proposal will be reviewed based on the following criteria: the project's potential to advance the SICJS, the project’s feasibility, and the proposal’s and the project’s overall quality.

Questions can be addressed to: