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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the eligible fields for the Fellowship?
A: Faculty in the fields below are eligible for the Fellowship. If you question the eligibility of your particular field, please contact us to inquire: [email protected].

Q: What do I do if my field is similar to some of those listed, but is not among them? (Examples: I am in gender/sexuality studies, not women’s studies; I am in organizational dynamics, not management; I work in an interdisciplinary unit that is in the arts and sciences but isn’t quite like anything on this list.)
A: Please choose the field that best matches your own and specify your department in your application materials. If you have further questions about field eligibility, please contact us at [email protected].

Q: What if my institution has a different kind of tenure process? May I still apply?
A: If your institution has a different tenure process (for instance, 2nd year vs. 3rd year review), or your own tenure timeline has been modified, please contact us at [email protected] to determine your eligibility. If your tenure process is different, you will need to include a clear note in your application’s research statement and/or in the letter of recommendation from your chair about your particular tenure timeline.

Q: My institution won’t allow me to hire student assistants. May I use the funding designated to that purpose in other ways?
A: At institutions that do not permit the hiring of students for such purposes, or where it is not feasible to spend $30,000 on the hiring of such assistants, funds may also be budgeted toward costs of outsourcing manuscript preparation, creation of course materials, or other expenses that support research and teaching. The necessity of and plan for any such expenditures must be articulated in a brief narrative that is part of the budget you submit with your fellowship application. No funds may be applied to course buyouts.

Q: I really need to apply some funds to course buyouts in order to conduct research for my next project. Is there a way to accommodate that in my budget?
A: The Fellowship is intended to reward greater engagement in teaching, not to encourage less; therefore, no Fellowship funds may be used for course buyouts.

Q: I am an Assistant Professor teaching in an Education or Public Health or program/department or in a professional school (nursing, medicine, pharmacy, etc.) Am I eligible for the award?

Unfortunately, fields outside the liberal arts/sciences and business are not eligible at this time. If you have further questions about field eligibility, please contact us at [email protected].

I only teach graduate students; does this make me ineligible for the award?

The Fellowship is intended for faculty who demonstrate excellence in undergraduate teaching, and evidence of a commitment to teaching and advising undergraduates—though it is understood that eligible faculty may teach both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate teaching should be the focus of the application, and applicants should present evidence of departmental or campus endorsement, such as teaching awards or excerpts from student evaluations, in the essay describing the applicant’s teaching philosophy and approaches.

I would like to apply research assistant funds to summer 2019. Is this possible?

The award year for the Course Hero-WW Fellowship is the 2018-19 academic year, and all fellowship payments will be made by the conclusion of that year. However, if you chose to manage your resources so as to support student researchers during the subsequent summer of 2019, please write a note of explanation as part of the 200-word narrative that accompanies your budget.

My institution requires me to budget indirect costs for external grants I apply for. Is this allowed?

Overhead or indirect costs are not allowed as part of the budget in any case.