Faculty Fellowship Program

Applications are open through October 8, 2026. 

Overview

The EdEC Faculty Fellowship Program (FFP) provides opportunities and resources for faculty employed at U.S. universities to work in residence at the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR). The program will provide financial support for faculty members, covering travel and living expenses for 1-3 month duration visits to NSF NCAR. This program is an opportunity for faculty to collaborate with NSF NCAR scientists and engineers while taking advantage of the facilities and resources at NSF NCAR. 

A key aspect of the program involves knowledge exchange between faculty and NSF NCAR staff. The anticipated, mutually beneficial, outcomes include the development of new research collaborations, and joint research proposals and scientific publications that further NSF NCAR’s strategic priorities. In addition, the program can support the development of classroom content and contribute to skills exchanges between NSF NCAR staff and faculty. As part of the visits, faculty will be required to contribute their expertise through at least one skill-sharing activity. Faculty will also have the opportunity to participate in workshops, seminars and lectures, and to disseminate their findings to the broader NSF NCAR community.

Through on-site visits and direct collaboration with NSF NCAR staff, the program enhances NSF NCAR’s university partnerships and opens avenues for collaboration. The program will support research aligned with NSF NCAR focus areas, strategic projects and priorities, for example:

  • Conducting research to reduce damage and disruption to livelihoods, safety, and critical infrastructure from weather and space weather hazards. 
  • Supporting air quality management and water, energy, and food availability.
  • Advancing predictive science and technology for weather and water risks.
  • Assessing and predicting societally relevant Earth system variability across time scales and corresponding societal responses.

Learn about the range of research topics in Earth system science conducted in our NSF NCAR labs and programs.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

There is no limit to the number of times any individual may apply, however, applicants who have previously received funding from this program are not eligible to apply.

To be eligible, applicants must:

  • Be employed as faculty (all career stages; e.g., assistant, associate, and full professors, or research faculty) at a U.S. college or university. 
    • Non-US citizens will be required to submit a statement from their sponsoring Institution confirming that the applicant can participate in the program. This is not a letter of support/reference letter. 
    • Postdoctoral fellows are not eligible to apply. 
  • Identify the NSF NCAR scientist or engineer(s) they will collaborate with during their visit. They will serve as a host and must complete a short host form on your behalf. 
  • Propose visits within the 2027 calendar year.

The selection will be determined through a competitive process, with applications reviewed by EdEC and FFP staff. Selection will be based on innovative science proposals and demonstrated need to spend time at NSF NCAR to conduct research. Consideration will be given to proposals addressing grand challenges in atmospheric science and Earth system science aligned with NSF NCAR strategic priorities. Evaluation criteria will assess:

  1. Faculty qualifications (commensurate with experience)
  2. Visit purpose and strategic alignment with NSF NCAR priorities: Purpose and need for the visit is clearly articulated, and there is a strong alignment and connection to NSF NCAR research priorities.
  3. Plan for skill sharing: Plan to share knowledge with staff during the course of the visit is specific, well articulated and achievable. 
  4. Host Statement: Host statement is provided and strongly supports the visit. 

Funding

Competitive applicants selected for funding will receive travel support to/from Boulder and a living allowance of $7500/month. Living allowance is given to visitors to cover the cost of duplicate living expenses, and is only provided after a visitor completes an affidavit that confirms that the visitor maintains a residence in their home area. Living allowance checks are issued monthly and are sent directly to the visitor.

Additional travel during the visit (e.g., to conferences, university, etc.) will be the responsibility of the faculty. Resources for scientific computing will be provided by NSF NCAR to the extent possible.

Before Submitting your Application:

  • Identify collaborator(s) with whom you can develop a collaboration or have an existing work relationship with. You may contact the program for guidance.
  • Discuss prospective collaborative visit: Discuss goals for the visits, proposed length and visit dates, topics of collaboration and work proposed, needed resources (e.g., HPC/computing resources) and what skills or knowledge you plan to share with staff during the visit. 
  • Confirm collaboration potential and commitment from your host. Your host will be required to submit a short statement confirming their interest and availability to support your visit, and the availability of lab space and other resources needed. Please have your collaborator fill out this host form. Hosts will have until October 15 to submit their forms. Applications without a host form will not be considered. 

Application Process

To apply, please submit the following information as a single pdf to faculty-fellowship@ucar.edu. 

  1. Cover sheet
    1. Applicant information
      1. Full name, job title, institution, academic department and/or program and institutional address
    2. Host information
      1. Collaborator name and lab affiliation
    3. Visit information
      1. Proposed dates of visit (approximate dates)
  2. Application proposal
    In a maximum of 3-pages please address the following. References do not count towards the page limit. 
    1. Outline the purpose of your visit. Provide a short description of the research to be conducted and how it aligns with NSF NCAR priorities, as well as why it merits a visit. Include a brief research summary that is informative and accessible to colleagues in related fields. If applicable, briefly describe any prior connections or collaborations with NSF NCAR. 
    2. Describe any resources needed to successfully complete your visit (e.g., computing resources, instrumentation). If requesting computing resources, please include an estimate of the anticipated resources (number of core hours) needed. For resources beyond what individual labs can offer, faculty may need to submit a University Allocation request (once notified of acceptance).  
    3. Describe your proposed skill-sharing activity. What expertise or skills do you plan to contribute and how will they be shared? You may take part in several activities during your visit so please be specific as to which skill-sharing event you would like to lead. Examples include teaching practices seminars, skills workshop or a technical training seminar. 
    4. If applicable, applicants are encouraged to indicate the extent to which generative AI was used in developing this narrative (e.g., improving grammar or clarity of your writing, developing an outline, etc.). Applicants are responsible for the accuracy and authenticity of their submission.
  3. C.V.
    Please include your 2-page or full C.V. Do not submit biosketch formatted CVs.

Timeline

  • August 31: Applications open
  • October 8: Deadline for faculty applications 
  • October 15: Deadline for NSF NCAR host form submissions
  • November 5: Awardees announced
  • January through December 2027: Awarded faculty visit NSF NCAR

Guidelines for NSF NCAR Collaborators

  • Staff may be contacted by prospective faculty or may invite faculty to apply. Staff and faculty should work together in planning for the proposed visit and collaboration. 
  • Please assess your availability in serving as a collaborator and host. Confirm with your labs that office space and moderate computing resources can be provided, and follow any established procedures by your lab when hosting. 
    • For computing resources: Please communicate with faculty the level of computing support they can receive from your labs and/or advise that they may need to submit a University Allocation for requests that can’t be accommodated at the lab level. 
  • If you receive a request and are unable to host, please consider directing the applicant to a colleague or have them contact the program for assistance.
  • Submit a host statement in support of the visiting faculty. Hosts and co-hosts should work together on the host statement and proposed collaboration, but you should only submit it as one form per faculty. By submitting a host statement, you are agreeing to:
    • Serve as the visiting faculty member's primary NSF NCAR point of contact and support the research collaboration during the 1–3 month stay.
    • Help coordinate lab space and access to needed resources for the visit duration.
    • Help the visitor coordinate their seminar and/or their proposed skill-sharing activity.
    • Help the visitor connect with the broader NSF NCAR community (workshops, seminars, lab meetings, meeting with other staff, etc). 
    • If the faculty member brings a student, help to make the student feel welcome in the lab and encourage the student to take advantage of any NSF NCAR and EdEC student events while visiting. 
  • If a co-host was not originally identified, staff must identify another colleague who can serve as backup and is willing and able to step in if they are unavailable at any point during the visit.
  • NSF NCAR postdocs are eligible to host as long as they identify a permanent staff member who can serve as a co-host. 
     

Faculty Fellowship Program - FAQ

  1. Are international faculty with visas eligible to apply?
    Yes, but international faculty must be based at a U.S. university. 
  2. Can I bring my graduate and/or undergraduate student?
    Yes. While the program is not providing funds for students at this time, you are welcome to bring them if you have other means to fund their visits. Please work with your host and host lab to coordinate a student visit. If interested in funded opportunities for your graduate student to visit NSF NCAR, check out the ASP Graduate Visitor Program. 
  3. Should I work with a specific person at NSF NCAR to develop my statement of work?
    Yes. Please identify at least one scientist or engineer with whom you can develop a collaboration, or have an existing work relationship with, and work with that person to develop your statement of work. As your host, they must submit the required host form as part of the application process. Staff profiles can be viewed through NSF NCAR’s information hub, Impacts. 
  4. Does the program provide computing resources for participants?
    Computing resources on NSF NCAR HPC systems will be provided by the hosting lab to the extent possible. Please include the anticipated resources needed in your application and communicate computing needs with your host. Faculty may have to request a University Allocation depending on the amount of resources needed.  
  5. What expenses can be covered by the living allowance?
    Living allowance is given to visitors to cover the cost of duplicate living expenses and is only paid for the dates the awardee visits Boulder. Living allowance is only provided after a visitor completes an affidavit that confirms that the visitor maintains a residence in their home area. Living allowance checks are issued monthly and are sent directly to the visitor. No receipts are required. 
  6. Can I split my visit into two trips?
    No. Your award cannot be split into more than one visit. If for any reason you need to travel during your visit, you should notify your host and the program. You will be responsible for any additional travel costs.
  7. Can I stay longer than three months?
    You may stay longer if you have additional funding, for example from your home institution or from another program at NSF NCAR. The FFP will only provide funding for up to three months.
  8. Does the Faculty Fellowship Program provide health insurance?
    No, we assume that all visitors retain their own current health insurance.

Program Contact

faculty-fellowship@ucar.edu