Call For Proposals: 2018-19 Faculty Research Fellows

The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future announces a call for proposals for Faculty Research Fellows, Faculty Associates, and Sabbatical Leave Scholars for the 2018-19 academic year. Faculty Fellows, Associates, and Sabbatical Scholars are critical partners in achieving the Center’s core mission of developing and disseminating interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research on topics of global significance.

The Pardee Center’s research priorities focus on solution-oriented scholarship. We are primarily interested in interdisciplinary research that uses excellent scholarship to provide a sound foundation for better decision-making to solve problems. The Center’s long-standing interests focus broadly on five themes:

  • the future of energy and urban systems, i.e. understanding how rapidly-evolving energy systems intersect with the ongoing expansion of cities, especially in the developing world, and best options for providing sustainable energy.
  • coupled human and natural systems, i.e. investigation of how governance, social, and economic systems are intricately connected to natural systems, and the trade-offs that confront those making resource management decisions.
  • global environmental change, i.e. how are issues such as food security, energy security, migration trends, and development policy affected by global changes in climate, land-use, and other trends.
  • institutional and economic governance, i.e. understanding how international financial and environmental institutions are evolving to respond to environmental challenges at the national and regional scales.
  • public health in the developing world, i.e. understanding trends in responses to emerging diseases and health service delivery issues in developing countries amid rapidly changing local and regional contexts.

Specific examples of ongoing Pardee Center research projects led by our current Faculty Fellows and postdocs can be found here.

Within these broad themes, the Center encourages truly interdisciplinary research programs that engage faculty from a wide variety of departments, schools, and colleges from across the University. We are especially interested in proposals that expand the breadth of research questions and involve disciplines not currently strongly represented, such as behavioral economics, psychology, math and statistics, computer science, and the humanities. We also welcome proposals that have the potential to explore new thematic areas for the Center’s research.

The Center offers three main categories of association that BU Faculty may request. Each category has specific roles and responsibilities and length of services. All BU Faculty and BU-associated researchers, including Research Faculty and Research Scholars, and Visiting Scholars, are eligible. Currently supported Faculty Research Fellows are not eligible to apply.

Faculty Research Fellows (Three-year term)

Applicants for Faculty Research Fellow should propose at least one of the following activities:

  • Perform some tangible piece of Pardee Center-oriented research
  • Plan a conference or event with Pardee Center staff and oversee the written product(s)
  • Convene a Pardee Center task force or experts’ workshop

Faculty Associates (Annual)

  • Attend as many Pardee Center seminars and events as possible
  • Promote the Graduate Summer Fellows program
  • Assist with review of Graduate Summer Fellows proposals if possible
  • Suggest seminar topics/speakers to the Pardee Center Director and staff
  • Participate in small group discussions with featured speakers on topical issues

Sabbatical Leave Scholars

Please note: Sabbatical Leave Scholars receive office space and basic administrative support services for up to one academic year, but do not receive salary or other direct financial support.

Selected Sabbatical Scholars will:

  • Work in residence at the Pardee Center and become an active member of the Pardee House community, which includes the Director, staff, and postdocs
  • Participate in seminars, events, and research collaborations
  • Publish with acknowledgement of Pardee Center support

Proposals will be reviewed through the end of June, with the intent of making announcements in late July for appointments beginning in September.

Click here for full details on the proposal process