Faculty Excellence Awards

The College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah is dedicated to supporting a diverse and dynamic learning community that fosters continuous growth and development in teaching, research and service for all faculty members (tenure-line, career-line, adjunct, and visiting).

To recognize significant contributions to the College of Fine Arts, two faculty members are chosen each year to receive the College of Fine Arts Faculty Excellence Awards. These awards recognize outstanding distinction in one of two areas: Teaching and Research. Criteria leading to a nomination may include innovative pedagogy, exemplary contributions to the educational process inside and outside the classroom, integration of student involvement with research opportunities, or excellence in creative or scholarly research. 

Each award includes a $1000 honorarium, and recipients of the CFA Faculty Excellence Awards are honored at both the College of Fine Arts Convocation in the Spring and the Fall College of Fine Arts Faculty & Staff Reception.

Teaching Award nominations are evaluated on evidence of:

• innovative pedagogical practices
• curricular and program development
• student mentoring (including student engagement in research projects)
• exemplary contributions to the educational process inside and outside the classroom

Research Award nominations are evaluated on evidence of:

• the creation of new knowledge and new ways of knowing
• development of innovative creative and/or scholarly research methods
• national and/or international impact of research

Faculty Excellence in Research Nomination Form

Faculty Excellence in Teaching Nomination Form

Nominations

Eligible nominees must:

• Have at least four years of teaching service as a tenure-line and/or career-line faculty member in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah (may include the academic year the nomination is submitted)
• Be tenured, tenure-track, or career-line faculty
• Wait five years after receiving a University-wide teaching or research award (for example, Early Career Teaching Award, Distinguished Teaching Award, Distinguished Research Award, etc.) Note: this does not include University-wide research and teaching grants).

*Note that faculty members can only receive each award once. Please see below for a list of former recipients. 

Nomination Instructions:

Faculty Excellence Award Nomination Forms are submitted online (linked above). Nominators will need to fill out information about the nominee (name and department/school), and include a brief reason for their nomination.  The nominator may be contacted if additional information is needed.  Self-nomination is also encouraged. 

Once nominations are received, the faculty nominees will be contacted and asked to provide additional materials: CV, Personal Statement, Letters of Support from colleagues, students, collaborators, publishers, curators, etc., and either Course Evaluations (for Teaching Awards) or Samples of Research (for Research Awards). After materials have been received, the Dean's Office will contact the chair/director of the academic unit to add their support to the nomination. All of the above information will be reviewed by the CFA Faculty Excellence Award Committee, and the committee will make award recommendations to the Dean. Note: Nominators should excuse themselves from serving in the Faculty Excellence Award Committee, and current/active committee members should excuse themselves from discussing any faculty members to whom they provide letters of support. 

Timeline for Process:

• Nominations period (March 1 – April 15, 2024)
• Support requests from Chairs/Directors (April 15 – April 22)
• Notification of nominees & consolidation of files (April 22 – May 30)
• Committee meeting (August)

Former recipients: 

2023
Excellence in Teaching: Michael Chikinda (Music)
Excellence in Research: Sonia Albert Sobrino (Film & Media Arts)

2022
Excellence in Teaching: Miriam Albert Sobrino (Film & Media Arts)
Excellence in Research: Elizabeth Craft (Music)

2021
Excellence in Teaching: Alison (Al) Denyer (Art & Art History)
Excellence in Research: Brian Manternach (Theatre) 

2020
Excellence in Teaching: Carol Sogard (Art & Art History)
Excellence in Research: Jane Hatter (Music)

2019
Excellence in Teaching: Sarah Hollenberg (Art & Art History)
Excellence in Research: Sarah Sinwell (Film & Media Arts)

2018
Excellence in Teaching: Catherine Mayes (Music)
Excellence in Research: Wendy Wischer (Art & Art History)

2017
Excellence in Teaching: Sandy Brunvand (Art & Art History)
Excellence in Research: Lien Fan Shen (Film & Media Arts)

2016
Excellence in Teaching: Pamela Jones (Music)
Excellence in Research: Eric Handman (Modern Dance)

2015
Excellence in Teaching: Tim Slover (Theatre)
Excellence in Research: Ed Bateman (Art & Art History)

2014
Excellence in Teaching: Chris Lippard (Film & Media Arts)
Excellence in Research: Sarah Shippobotham (Theatre)

2013
Excellence in Teaching: Pamela Geber Handman (Modern Dance)
Excellence in Research: Beth Krensky (Art & Art History)

2012
Excellence in Teaching: Sydney Cheek-O'Donnell (Theatre)
Excellence in Research: Elena Shtromberg (Art & Art History)

Staff Excellence Awards

Each year, the College of Fine Arts recognizes the superior performance of its staff members within the college.  Staff members must show exceptional ability in terms of Service Excellence and Commitment to the College of Fine Arts.  

Each year, one staff member will be awarded with a prize of $1000 and will be recognized at the annual CFA Staff Conference. Nominations may be made by current students, alumni, staff or faculty members.  Nominees must have at least 3 years of continuous service in the College and be .75 FTE or higher.  Previous recipients of the Staff Excellence Award will be re-eligible for the award 3 years after receiving it. Faculty, director-level staff and above, and part-time hourly employees are not eligible for this award.

Nomination Instructions:

Staff Excellence Award Nomination Forms are submitted online. Nominators will need to fill out information about the nominee (name and department/school), and then answer two questions:

• What traits are exemplified by the nominee that result in superior work performance?
• What actions are taken by the nominee to assist in achieving the Department/College mission and that contribute to long-lasting benefits in the College/University community? 

Information about the nominator will be requested in case additional information is needed.  

Staff Excellence Nomination Form

Timeline for Process:

• Nominations open (March 1 – April 15, 2024)
• Committee meeting (August) 

Previous awardees:

• 2023 - Halee Rasmussen (Theatre)
• 2022 - Andrew Grace (Dean's Office)
• 2021 - Sean Carter (Dance)
• 2020 - Penny Caywood (Theatre)
• 2019 - Michelle Addison (School of Music)
• 2018 - Robin Wilks-Dunn (UtahPresents)
• 2017 - Cami Rives (Dean's Office)
• 2016 - Spencer Kellogg (Music)
• 2015 - Shawn Porter (Art & Art History)
• 2015 - Wayne Coons (Modern Dance)
• 2014 - Holly Christmas (CSIS)
• 2014 - Tyler Kunz (Dean's Office)
• 2013 – Paula Lee (Film & Media Arts)
• 2013 – Amy Walchli (Art & Art History)
• 2012 – Glenda Staples (Modern Dance/Ballet)
• 2012 – Rob Yeo (CSIS)

Dean's Travel Fund: Rolling deadline

The Dean's Travel Fund awards grants for tenured and tenure-line faculty, as well as career-line and visiting faculty members (.50 FTE and above), to present their research nationally and internationally. For tenured and tenure-line faculty a smaller amount of money is available for service obligations as an officer in a professional organization or for national/international teaching opportunities. 
Please note: All domestic travel fund requests must be received by the Dean's Office 3 weeks prior to the trip departure date and all international travel fund requests must be received by the Dean’s Office 4 weeks prior to the trip departure date. 

Notice About International Travel – Per University Rule R3-030D, all international travel participants must: Register their University-related travel at least 3 weeks prior to departure date, Enroll in University-affiliated international and emergency evacuation insurance, and Abide by all active travel warnings and restrictions. Failure to do so will result in no reimbursement of travel related expenses and, in some cases, university disciplinary action.

Tenure-Line Faculty Travel Application 2023-24 (FILLABLE) updated 2/14/24

Career-Line Faculty Travel Application 2023-24 (FILLABLE) updated 2/14/24

CFA Fund for Excellence Awards: Rolling deadline

DESCRIPTION

The Dean will provide Fund for Excellence Awards on a first-come-first-served basis for projects that illustrate work of particularly high quality, as measured by the criteria listed below. Although the funds are primarily intended for student projects, in certain circumstances particularly worthy faculty projects that benefit students may also be considered. All proposed projects should illustrate extraordinary learning and/or research activities. The Fund for Excellence is supported entirely by contributions from generous donors to the College of Fine Arts.

CRITERIA

Financial Matters

• • In order to receive a Fund for Excellence Award, other College monies must not be available for the project (e.g., FAF, grad travel)
  • Fund for Excellence Awards are not meant to replace what should be covered in the department's/school's base budget
  • The relevant department/school must provide some funding for the project

The High Caliber of Fund For Excellence Projects

• • A Fund for Excellence Award is an indicator of the high caliber of the CFA, as measured by our disciplines. Evidence of high caliber includes, but is not limited to:

- National/international dissemination and impact

- Top-tier location/venue

-  A Fund for Excellence Award will be an activity we can report to campus and our disciplines to illustrate the excellence of CFA students

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications will be accepted at any time, but please keep in mind that:

• • A Fund for Excellence application must be made well in advance of the event
  • A truly excellent opportunity generally will not be "last minute"
  • The Dean will review Fund for Excellence applications approximately once a month

A Fund for Excellence application must include a clear, detailed, and complete budget and a statement of support from your Chair/Director.

Click here to access the application form.

Pre-tenure Professional Development Fund: Rolling deadline - for 2023-2024 Academic Year: March 1, 2024

The CFA offers funds for the professional development of tenure-line faculty members in their probationary period, as well as the CFA's Morales Fellows.  Each eligible faculty member has access to $750.00. Click here to access the CFA Pre-tenure Professional Development Fund Application.

CFA Faculty Course Release Program (Academic Year 2024-2025): Due to Chair/Director: February 2, 2024; Due to Dean's Office: February 16, 2024

The CFA Faculty Course Release Program aims to provide an opportunity for full-time faculty members to request a release from teaching responsibilities (1-course/3-credit hours/.25 FTE equivalent) to support a significant research, teaching, or service project.

How does it work?

• An eligible faculty member submits an application to their Department Chair/School Director. The application must clearly explain a specific opportunity and communicate a clear plan for engaging in a significant research, teaching, or service project.
• The Department Chair/School Director considers all the applications submitted within the unit, and forwards the proposals they wish to support to the Dean’s Office. (Chairs/Directors should take into account any other leaves within the unit, in order to ensure that the release will not negatively impact the unit, and will need to provide a ranking should multiple applications come from the same unit).
• The academic unit must commit to contributing 1/3 of the total request cost (maximum $7,500, with a contribution maximum of $2,500 from the unit).
• The CFA Grants Committee reviews the applications during the spring semester CFA grant cycle and makes recommendations to the Dean.
• The Dean makes the final decision concerning awards.

Who is eligible?

All full-time CFA faculty (tenure-line and career-line) who are not already on leave for the requested semester. Faculty members must not have been awarded a CFA course release or a sabbatical within the past year and should not be eligible for a leave/sabbatical or departmentally awarded course release during the requested semester. Faculty members receiving course load credit or a course release for serving in administrative roles, such as Director of Graduate Studies, may still apply with the support of their Chair/Director. Faculty members may only apply once per academic year. 

When are applications due?

Applications for both Fall and Spring semester of the next academic year will be due to the College on February 16th. Click here to access the CFA Faculty Course Release Program application. Faculty members need to have discussions with their Chair/Director prior to completing this form, and submit their applications to the Chair/Director at least two weeks prior to the college submission date. Your application will then be submitted by the Chair/Director to Velma Rippstein via email.

Prioritization of Requests

• Faculty members not awarded leave/sabbatical or course release in the past year
• Pre-tenured faculty proposing projects to support tenure
• Faculty members seeking support for significant projects

Dee Grants: Due date: January 19, 2024

The Council of Dee Fellows invites applications for projects that enhance effectiveness in teaching, positively impact departmental or college curricula, or promote innovative interdisciplinary educational programs. For more information, please visit the Dee Grants website.

CFA Faculty Fellow Awards (Academic Year 2023-2024): Due date: November 15, 2023; February 16, 2024

The CFA Faculty Fellow Award compliments the URC Faculty Fellow Awards. To be considered for the CFA award, faculty members must first apply for the Faculty Fellow award or for the Internal Faculty Fellowship in the Humanities through the Tanner Humanities Center.  If candidates are not awarded at the university level with the Faculty Fellow or Humanities Center, they may then be considered for the CFA Award. Max. award: $10,000 to unit for teaching release. Click here to be taken to the CFA Faculty Fellow application.

Faculty Research Grants (Academic Year 2023-2024): Due date: November 15, 2023; April 15, 2024

The CFA Faculty Research Grant complements the University’s Faculty Small Grant Program. To be considered for the CFA Grant, faculty members must first apply for the URC Grant. If candidates are not awarded at the campus level, they can submit the same application to the College in order to be considered for the CFA Grant. Max. award: $6,000. Click here to be taken to the CFA Faculty Research Grant application.

Make-Time-for-Research Grants (Academic Year 2023-2024): Due date: November 15, 2023; February 16, 2024

The CFA Make-Time-for-Research Grant is given on a competitive basis to support the research of tenure- and career-line CFA faculty by providing resources to “make time” for their research. Any proposal will be considered, as long as it fits within University funding guidelines. Max. award: $2,000. Click here to be taken to the CFA Make-Time-for-Research Grant application.

Research-In-Progress Grants (Academic Year 2023-2024): Due date: November 15, 2023; February 16, 2024

The CFA Research-in-Progress Grant is given on a competitive basis to support the completion of a significant research project already in progress with the intent of strengthening the research profile of assistant and/or associate professors as they approach tenure and/or promotion review. Max. award: $2,000. Click here to be taken to the CFA Research-in-Progress Grant application.

CFA Research Incentive Seed Grants (Academic Year 2023-2024): Due date: December 4th, 2023

 The CFA Research Incentive Seed Grant Program is a collaboration with the VPR’s Research Incentive Seed Grant Program. It supports new areas of research (creative and/or scholarly) for a principal investigator (PI) seeking to generate extramural funding to perpetuate their research OR preparing to apply for an important extramural fellowship. This competition is run by the CFA for CFA faculty and funded in partnership with the Office of the Vice President for Research: Max. award: $17,500. The call will run from October 4th – December 4th, 2023. Reviews of all submitted proposals will run from December 5th to February 5th. Recommendations are forwarded to the VPR Office. The VPR office will contact Awardees and Colleges of award status between February 6th – February 28th. Awardee submits the DSS through eProposal. Projects begin on May 1, 2024 and end on April 20th, 2025. Click here to be taken to the CFA Research Incentive Seed Grant application. 

Please contact for more information on criteria and guidelines. Please contact your Associate Dean for Research, Becky Zarate, if you have any other questions about preparing your submission.

CFA Teaching Grant (Academic Year 2023-2024): Due date: November 15, 2023; February 16, 2024

The College of Fine Arts Faculty Teaching Grants complement the University of Utah Teaching Grants. Like the University of Utah Teaching Grants, the CFA Faculty Teaching Grants are awarded on a competitive basis in order to stimulate and encourage faculty projects that will enhance their teaching or abet curricular innovation. Both individual and group submissions are welcomed. Proposals may be awarded up to $7,000 for individual or group submissions. Special consideration will be given to grants that are congruent with the CFA Strategic Plan. Faculty members must first apply for the University of Utah Teaching Grant before they may be considered for a CFA Faculty Teaching Grant. Click here to be taken to the CFA Teaching Grant application.

*Note: due dates subject to change based on the University Teaching Grant application dates

Community-Based Research Grants: Due July 1 by 11:59 p.m.

The Community-Based Research (CBR) Grants Program at the University of Utah seeks to support research partnerships between academic researchers and community-based partners that inquire into and address real-world issues through an approach rooted in equity and inclusion.  Max. award: $30,000.

Distinguished Research Awards: Due December 13, 2023 by 11:59 p.m.

The Distinguished Research Awards (DSCRA) is a prestigious recognition for tenured faculty members who have made significant scholarly contributions to their fields.

Faculty Fellow Awards: Due October 5, 2023 by 11:59 p.m.

Faculty Fellow Awards are available to tenure-line faculty to provide a semester of release for scholarly pursuits of research or creative projects.  Please notify Velma Rippstein in the Dean's Office when applying for this award. Faculty Fellow applications not awarded at the University level will be considered by the CFA for support. Departments of awarded faculty will receive up to $15,000 to defer the cost of the awardee’s release time.

Faculty Small Grant Program: Fall 2023 due October 3 by 11:59 p.m., Spring 2024: March 12, 2024 by 11:59 p.m.

The Faculty Small Grant Program (FSGP) supports significant scholarly research and creative projects. Please notify Velma Rippstein in the Dean's Office when submitting an FSGP application. FSGP applications not awarded by the University may be considered by the CFA for support. 

Tanner Humanities Center Fellow: Due to Director/Chair: October 2; Due to Tanner Humanities Center: October 16

The Tanner Humanities Center will award up to four, one-semester fellowships to tenured or tenure-track University of Utah faculty. Humanistic projects in any of the following fields are eligible for support: anthropology and archaeology, communication, history, philosophy, creative writing, religious studies, ethnic/gender/ cultural studies, jurisprudence, history/theory/criticism of the arts, languages and linguistics, literature, and historical or philosophical issues in the social and natural sciences or the professions. Max. award: $10,000 to unit. Please notify Velma Rippstein in the Dean's Office when applying for this award. Applications that are not awarded at the university level may be considered for the CFA Faculty Fellow Award.

University Teaching Grants: Due dates: October 4, 2023 / January 29, 2024 / March 13, 2024

University Teaching Grant awards are made to faculty to undertake projects that will enhance their teaching or abet curricular innovation. Tenure-line and Career-line faculty are eligible to propose individual and group grants. Preference will be given to applicants whose primary professional affiliation is as faculty at the University of Utah. Individual Teaching Grants and Group Teaching Grants will be accepted in the amount of $7,000 or less. Applications that are not awarded at the university level may be submitted to the CFA Teaching Grant for consideration.

What Is External Funding?

External funding refers to resources that support faculty and/or graduate student research that come from organizations outside of the University of Utah. These sources may be Federal or State agencies or they may be private foundations. Depending upon the organization and the specific requirements of the grant, funds are available to offset the various “costs” of research—from travel expenses to artist salaries. For all questions regarding external funding, please contact the Associate Dean for Research, Becky Zarate.

Why Pursue External Funding?

Simply put, external funds can broaden your research horizons and elevate your national and international profile, as well as the University’s. It can be used to buy time, support research assistants, pay collaborators from outside academia, rent space for a performance or exhibition, and more. Finally, external funding often brings additional resources into the University and College beyond the direct funding that is used to support a specific research project. 

Where Do I Find External Funding?

The most high profile and typical funding organizations for arts faculty are the NEA and the NEH, which have fairly consistent funding programs that are available from year to year. However, these are by no means the only sources of external funding out there. Check out the Marriott Library’s Arts & Humanities Funding page, which has links to a wide variety of opportunities, from artist residencies to funding databases. An important database to search (and keep searching) is Funding Institutional (formerly SciVal), which has information on over 20,000 current funding opportunities in the US and 2 million awarded grants. You can also take a look at the Hall Center for the Humanities’ website, which maintains lists of relevant opportunities for artists and arts scholars. Sign up for “The Post” - the newsletter from the Vice President for Research Office, which publicizes opportunities from private foundations as well as limited submission opportunities. 

For all questions regarding external funding, please contact the Associate Dean for Research, Becky Zarate.

Office of Sponsored Projects

The Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) was established in 1967 at the University of Utah. Our mission is to enhance research by providing service and support to administration, faculty, and staff in their efforts to secure and manage external funding for University activities.Each Sponsored Projects Officer is part of a specialized area (federal and foundation grants & contracts, industry contracts, or clinical trials) and is assigned to focus on proposals and awards for a set of departments, schools and/or colleges. Find someone in their staff directory.

Pre-Award Office

The mission of the Vice President for Research Pre-Award Office is to assist investigators with the preparation and submission of applications for extramural funding. Some of the services offered by the Pre-Award Office include researching the funding opportunity, starting and managing the application, providing instructions and checklists of requirements for the opportunity, reviewing all submission documents, assisting with budget preparation, and liaising with the Office of Sponsored Projects to submit the application. For more information, visit the VPR Office's website here.

Sabbatical Resources

A sabbatical is a research leave for tenure-line faculty members lasting either one or two semesters. The purpose of a sabbatical leave is to increase the scholarship and professional development of members of the faculty and thereby enhance their capacity for continued research, teaching, and service. Leave of this type from academic duties is a privilege granted to afford the faculty member the opportunity for intensive study, investigation and research.

Information on Sabbaticals can be found here.

Vice President for Research

In 1968, the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR) was created to promote and build research excellence at the University of Utah. The VPR office oversees numerous research administration units that provide support services, research opportunities, and professional development for researchers, students, and staff on campus. The reporting VPR units are responsible for; compliance and safety, research education and training, technology patent and commercialization, grant proposal development and submission, and more. Through strategic leadership and planning, the VPR office is dedicated to providing effective resources that serve the University’s research community and accelerate innovation and discovery at the U.