Building Future Faculty 2023 Cohort

Building Future Faculty Program

The Building Future Faculty Program helps launch academic careers.

The NC State Building Future Faculty (BFF) Program is a two-and-half day all-expenses paid workshop for doctoral students and post-doctoral scholars who are interested in pursuing academic careers and who are committed to promoting diversity in higher education. The program targets graduate students who are in the dissertation phase or post-doctoral.

The mission of the program is to prepare graduate students and postdoctoral scholars for faculty careers, with a special emphasis on students who are committed to increasing the inclusiveness and representation of historically underrepresented groups. Note that different groups may be underrepresented in different disciplines.

During the workshop, which is held each spring at NC State University, participants attend sessions covering life as a faculty member at a research-extensive university, expectations of new faculty and resources available to faculty for help with research and teaching. Participants attend presentations on research, teaching and faculty development and have discussion sessions with current faculty at all levels from assistant to full professor. Each participant is matched with an academic department whose interests closely match their own.

During the visits with academic departments, participants have the opportunity to meet with faculty to discuss faculty research programs and learn about the departmental culture. They tour the research facilities and laboratories, meet with current students and the department head and dean of the college in which the department resides. During these in-depth departmental discussions concerning their academic work and career interests, participants receive one-on-one advice about preparing for an academic career and may obtain feedback on which parts of their preparation are strong and which parts might need strengthening. This is an invaluable opportunity for both the BFF participants and the NC State departments to get to know each other.

The BFF program encourages applications from graduate students and post-doctoral scholars from groups that are underrepresented in their disciplines. The program aims to increase representation of diverse U.S. graduate students and post-doctoral scholars joining the professoriate.

The Building Future Faculty program is not a job placement program. Rather, it is designed to provide invaluable information for graduate students and post-docs preparing for faculty careers.

Who Will Benefit?

Graduate students and post-docs who are seriously considering faculty careers and graduate students who are far enough along in their dissertation research to make a brief presentation about their research will both benefit from participation in the program.

Program Dates

March 20-22, 2024

Selection Criteria

The Building Future Faculty program provides information for graduate students and post-docs preparing for faculty careers. It is not a job placement program. Those who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply.

  • individuals with the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to diversity and inclusion in higher education;
  • individuals in a doctoral or post-doctoral program corresponding to a discipline at NC State;
  • post-docs and graduate students who have begun their dissertation research;
  • those who desire an academic teaching career at a research institution and/or who desire to pursue independent research as a faculty member;
  • those who demonstrate the potential to become a faculty member;
  • availability during the program dates.

Program Benefits

Participation in BFF provides many benefits:

  • a behind-the-scenes view of faculty life and expectations of faculty;
  • success strategies for increasing research productivity and navigating academic life;
  • skills development for teaching, networking and public speaking;
  • information and feedback on the application process and materials, such as a CV, cover letter and research planning; and
  • opportunities to interact with faculty in your discipline and other scholars.

Application Period

The application period was from August 1 to September 15, 2023.

Application Information

We strongly encourage you to take your time completing the application. Be sure to have all the information you need available. Review your responses and check for accuracy.

Please read the instructions carefully. If you don’t complete the online application form in one sitting, you may be able to resume filling out the form if you use the same computer and your browser is set to allow cookies. Otherwise, you will not be able to resume filling out the form and will need to start over. You will need to attach one file that contains the following three items; please put the following into one document and have it ready to upload with the application form:

  • Cover letter: Include a cover letter that describes what you hope to accomplish or gain by participating in the NC State Building Future Faculty Program. Include the name and departmental affiliation of three NC State University faculty members you would want to meet during your visit. Finally, since the Building Future Faculty program focuses on diversity and inclusion, indicate how your research and teaching has enabled you to engage with diverse populations and communities and/or what you would do to promote diversity in higher education.
  • Curriculum vitae: Your CV should include your name and contact information, education, employment history, awards and recognition and publication list with entries clearly marked as to whether they are peer-reviewed or not, presentations, with invited presentations clearly marked, teaching experience, synergistic activities (e.g., volunteer work, outreach to K-12, service, awards unrelated to career), professional affiliations, patents, funding and current date.
  • Statement of teaching and research interests (500-word limit).

Resources