Faculty Awards

Faculty Awards

The Provost’s Office accepts applications each year for competitive Senior Faculty Research and Scholarly Leaves funded by Kenan, Pogue, William R. Kenan, Jr., William N. Reynolds, and Reynolds Industries, Inc. Award recipients receive one semester of scholarly leave and a $4,000 research fund.

The Junior Faculty Development Awards are funded by IBM and R. J. Reynolds Industries, Inc. and are typically announced in the late fall. This award grants $10,000 to support scholarly pursuits over one calendar year.

Junior Faculty Development Awards - Application Process for 2025-2026 Awards

JUNIOR FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AWARDS FOR 2025-2026 Academic Year

At this time, the application to apply for the Junior Faculty Development Awards for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is now closed. Faculty members interested in applying for the awards should check back in during the Fall 2025 semester.

Please contact the Office of Faculty Affairs atfacultyaffairs@unc.eduif you have any questions about the nomination process.   

2023-2024 Junior Faculty Development Award Recipients

First NameHome Department Name
Adesola AkinkutoSchool of Medicine (Surgery-Pediatric)
Katie BaldwinSchool of Medicine (Cell Biology and Physiology)
Jiayi BaoPublic Policy
Gedas BertasiusComputer Science
Malia BlueExercise and Sports Science
Elizabeth BrunkSchool of Medicine (Pharmacology)
Taylor CowderyEnglish and Comparative Literature
Christina CruzSchool of Medicine (Psychiatry)
H.M. CushmanEnglish and Comparative Literature
Scott DavisEshelman School of Pharmacy (DPOP)
Rob DowenSchool of Medicine (Cell Biology and Physiology)
Olivia DumitrescuMathematics
Saba EskandarianComputer Science
Ben FreyAmerican Studies
Steven GroverSchool of Medicine (Hematology)
Lauren HillGillings School of Global Public Health (Health Behavior)
Suzanne LyeClassics
Andrew MannPhysics and Astronomy
Ichiro MisumiSchool of Medicine (Genetics)
Benyam MulunehEshelman School of Pharmacy (DPET)
Alexandra OpreaPolitical Science
Aaron ShapiroCommunication
Caroline Sibley (Robinson)Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Erin Siegal McIntyreHussman School of Journalism and Media
Ana Maria Silva CampoHistory
Jacqueline TileyEshelman School of Pharmacy (DPET)
Francesca TripodiSchool of Information and Library Science
Michael VazquezPhilosophy
Nadja VielotSchool of Medicine (Family Medicine)
Ana VineaAsian and Middle Eastern Studies
Mollie WoodGillings School of Global Public Health (Epidemiology)
Ya-Ke (Grace) WuSchool of Nursing
Rose Mary XavierSchool of Nursing
Zhengwu ZhangStatistics and Operations Research
Xinyan (Eva) ZhaoHussman School of Journalism and Media

Senior Faculty Research and Scholarly Leaves - Application Process for 2025-2026

SENIOR FACULTY RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY LEAVES FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

Each year, theOffice of the Executive Vice Chancellor andProvost acceptsapplicationsforcompetitiveSenior Faculty Research and Scholarly Leaves paid from Kenan, Pogue, William R. Kenan, Jr., William N. Reynolds, and R.J. Reynolds Industries funds. 

At this time, the application to apply for the Senior Faculty Research and Scholarly Leaves for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is now closed.

Please contact the Office of Faculty Affairs atfacultyaffairs@unc.edu if you have any questions about the nomination process.

2023-2024 Senior Faculty Research and Scholarly Leave Award Recipients

First NameHome Department/School
Brandi BrimmerAfrican, African American and Diaspora Studies
Jinsong HuangApplied Physical Sciences
Todd VisionBiology
Kevin WeeksChemistry
Mohit BansalComputer Science
Xiaoming LiuEarth, Marine and Environmental Sciences
Elizabeth (Betsy) OlsonGeography
John PreisserGillings School of Global Public Health (Biostatistics)
Lisa LindsayHistory
Sarah ShieldsHistory
Richard McLaughlinMathematics
Adrienne ErickcekPhysics and Astronomy
Jeff Spinner-HalevPolitical Science
Donald LyslePsychology and Neuroscience
Barbara AmbrosReligious Studies
Jessica BoonReligious Studies
Carissa HessickSchool of Law
Jill FisherSchool of Medicine (Social Medicine)
Nicole Else-QuestWomen and Gender Studies

ELEVATE Fixed-Term Faculty Development Awards for 2025-2026

ELEVATE FIXED-TERM FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AWARDS FOR 2025-2026

At this time, the application to apply for the Elevate Fixed-Term Faculty Development Award for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is now closed. Faculty members interested in applying for the awards should check back in during the Fall 2025 semester.

Please contact the Office of Faculty Affairs atfacultyaffairs@unc.eduif you have any questions about the nomination process.   

University Distinguished Professorships

UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIPS

At this time, the application to apply for the University Distinguished Professorships for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is now closed. Faculty members interested in applying for the awards should check back in during the Fall 2025 semester.

Please contact the Office of Faculty Affairs atfacultyaffairs@unc.eduif you have any questions about the nomination process.