Research and Faculty Development

We support the scholarship and development of our faculty. We recognize and celebrate the intellectual and creative achievements of our faculty and librarians. These activities both spring from and feed our central teaching mission.

Faculty Development Day is a triannual conference that provides resources to build community and enhance faculty life at Fitchburg State.

This includes plenary sessions, deep dives into faculty research, and informational resources that are relevant to faculty at all career stages. Additionally, we celebrate faculty accomplishments with an annual award celebration that recognizes excellence in specific areas of teaching.

Past development sessions have included curriculum balance, understanding and supporting diverse segments of our student population, and an exploration of growth mindset.

Review past Development Days

See Faculty Awards

Funding Sources for Faculty Development

and Additional Development Resources

Proposal Narrative Form (PDF)
The Faculty/Librarian Special Projects Grants are supported with funds from the office of the Provost. They are designed to support faculty/librarian scholarly impact aimed at contributing to faculty professional development, including:

  • Professional development
  • Scholarly impact
  • Student research
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration
  • External funding leverage
  • Junior faculty development

The Vice President calls for proposals via email with detailed instructions on applying for funding in mid March with a due date of late April.

Per the MSCA contract, with effect on September 1 of each academic year, monies shall be allocated to each full-time member of the bargaining unit who is employed as such during the fall semester of such year, an amount equal to the amount calculated for the nine, state universities.

On or before December 31, he/she shall first submit to the Vice President a description of the purpose for which such monies (or any portion thereof) are to be expended and, on or before January 31, the Vice President shall thereafter approve the same unless he/she shall have determined that the intended expenditure does not constitute support of continuing scholarship.

Whenever the Vice President shall have approved the purpose for which an expenditure is intended to be made, the Vice President shall thereupon authorize the payment of the amount required (but not more than the amount computed under the preceding subsection) to the bargaining unit member as a stipend for continuing scholarship.

The total sum of the monies whose expenditure has not been authorized (those faculty who did not apply) shall be divided by the number of members of the bargaining unit to whom an allocation of monies was approved.

The Vice President calls for proposals via email in October providing the link to the online form.

Professional Development Request Form (PDF)

This Committee annually calls for proposals from faculty for professional development funds and makes recommendations to the President for awards. These recommendations are based on the criteria as outlined in Article XIV of the MSCA collective bargaining agreement. The MSCA agreement notes that the professional development activity is designed:

  • To improve teaching and student advising and to relate those to a changing curriculum that is itself responsive to the larger needs of society
  • To develop new teaching skills and an appropriate facility in the use of media, teaching aids and other supportive techniques where those are appropriate
  • To improve student advising techniques and the faculty member’s command of relevant bodies of knowledge in this area
  • To increase the faculty member’s command of the body of knowledge that constitutes his/her own discipline
  • Where appropriate, to enable a faculty member to develop a command over a body of knowledge in a related discipline
  • In the case of any librarian, to improve such librarian’s professional skills and techniques and to relate those to a changing curriculum that is itself responsive to the larger needs of society and to develop new professional skills and techniques to the same end
  • To provide retraining to members of the bargaining unit who have been or may be given notice of retirement.

Portrait of Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio

Through a generous donation of $1,000,000 from the late Amelia Gallucci-Cirio, Class of 1938, the Fitchburg State University Foundation, Inc. established an endowed fund. The fund provides support for activities and projects that promote Mrs. Gallucci-Cirio’s long-held interest in the study of Italian language, culture, and Western Civilization.

Each year, net earnings (after fees) produced by the endowment will be available to support projects, which conform to the guidelines established by the endowment agreement. A selection committee shall review all proposals and recommend finalists to the Fitchburg State University Foundation Board of Directors at their annual meeting in the fall. This selection committee shall be comprised of:

  • Chief academic officer
  • Chief development officer
  • Dean of Arts and Sciences
  • Chair of the Department of Humanities (or their designee)
  • President of the Center for Italian Culture advisory board
  • Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education

Academic Affairs calls for proposals via email with the application form in August with a due date of October.