Segal Center Faculty Research Fellowship Call for Applications

Heterodox Academy (HxA) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that advances the principles of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement to improve higher education and academic research. With an international membership of over 7,000 professors and other academic insiders, HxA helps colleges and universities live up to their highest ideals — and resist the destructive temptations of groupthink and tribalism. Working for change in higher education, HxA communicates and engages with faculty, students, administrators, philanthropists, journalists, and the general public; develops research, tools, trainings, and events; and facilitates online and on-campus communities.

Thanks to the generous support of the Mike and Sofia Segal Foundation, the Templeton Religion Trust and other donors, HxA is pleased to announce a call for residential faculty research fellowships at the Segal Center for Academic Pluralism.

The Segal Center hosts researchers to explore and disseminate research insights concerning the philosophy, law, history and science (broadly construed) of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement in higher institutions of research and education. We are especially interested (though not exclusively so) in applications that propose to research questions like the following:

What are the various models of university governance? How do they vary across types of institutions? What models of governance best promote open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement? What are the duties and responsibilities of faculty, students, university staff and leadership, trustees and elected officials when it comes to university governance?
What are the likely effects of recent state laws to promote free speech protections on campus, ban teaching of “divisive concepts”, bar the use of diversity statements in faculty hiring, or foster greater intellectual diversity on campus? From the perspective of advancing open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement, how appropriate are such laws? What is the role, if any, of legislation in advancing open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement in academia?
How effective are various systems of tenure in protecting open inquiry or fostering viewpoint diversity? Are there alternatives to tenure that might accomplish these same goals at lower costs, or is tenure the best mechanism for securing academic freedom?
What policies can colleges and universities implement to protect open inquiry?
What policies can colleges and universities implement to ensure that their students and faculty engage with a wide variety of viewpoints in the classroom and in research?
To what extent is the rise of scholar-activism a threat to open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement? How can scholars best balance their duties as researchers with their rights to advocate for their political views?
What messages about the nature and purpose of the university are communicated in marketing materials and student orientation programs? How effectively do these messages prepare students for an environment of open inquiry from diverse perspectives?
What accounts for the overrepresentation of ideological liberals in institutions of higher research and education? Is balancing representation between liberals and conservatives the only or best way to promote inquiry that accounts for a broader array of viewpoints, or are there alternatives? Is such balancing compatible with a commitment to academic merit?

Faculty Fellowship Responsibilities

Faculty Fellows will be expected to:

Conduct original research in accordance with their research proposals
Participate in the Segal Center’s weekly discussion and research seminar in its Manhattan office
Participate in a special workshop in New York in May 2025 to present their research project proposals and meet the 2024-2025 Fellows
Write and present for public audiences about their research in HxA outlets and at HxA-sponsored events
Become a member of Heterodox Academy (there is no cost to join)
Give advice and feedback, where appropriate, on HxA’s internal research projects
Contribute to a collaborative annotated bibliography of scholarly and popular resources on pluralism in academia
Be available to engage with HxA’s Campus Community Network and present as a member of HxA’s Speakers Bureau.

Faculty Fellowship Privileges

Faculty Research Fellows are awarded up to $100,000 as part of their fellowship, which funds may be used for course buyouts, to supplement a Fellow’s existing salaries, or to hire research personnel (such as a graduate assistant) to help with the proposed research; however, this award cannot be used for fringe benefits, which should continue to be supported by the Fellow’s home institution. Fellows will also receive office space in CAP’s office in Manhattan for their use and a generous budget, over and above the $100,000 cap, for research costs.

We offer two fellowship lengths.

Applicants desiring a fellowship for a full academic year may receive the maximum award of up to $100,000.
Applicants desiring a fellowship for one academic semester (or the equivalent of one half of the academic year) may receive a prorated maximum award amount of up to $50,000.

Applicants must state their preference for either a full-year or half-year fellowship in their application materials.

How to Apply

In order to apply for a Segal Center Faculty Fellowship, applicants must hold a tenured, emeritus, tenure-track, or otherwise permanent position at an accredited institution of higher education or a well-established research institution such as a think tank (e.g, Brookings Institute, Hoover Institution, AEI, etc.). Applicants must also either be members of HxA or have applied for membership before submitting their application. Membership in HxA is free, so please apply today.

To apply for the Faculty Research Fellowship, applicants should assemble the following:

An up-to-date CV.
A cover letter outlining your general interest in the Segal Center’s mission, and how a term at the Segal Center would fit into your academic goals.
A rough budget breakdown of how the award money would be spent.
A research proposal not to exceed 2,000 words. Proposals should identify specific questions to investigate, briefly contextualize those questions in relation to existing research and the Segal Center’s mission, explain how the applicant’s own plan might yield progress on those questions, and enumerate specific deliverables and outputs of the research plan.
A letter from the applicant’s department chair or Office of Sponsored Research (or equivalent authority) supporting the applicant’s project proposal and acknowledging that the financial terms of any possible award are understood.

Please submit these materials using the online form.

UPDATED: Applications are due at 11:59PM EST on Tuesday January 31, 2025, with review to follow thereafter. Promising applicants may be contacted to schedule a phone call or virtual meeting to learn more about their projects. HxA aims to make decisions on fellowship awardees no later than January 31, 2025.

Evaluation criteria

Successful applications for a Faculty Research Fellowship will:

Clearly articulate a plan of research that addresses an issue pertinent to pluralism in academia. Proposals should identify specific questions to investigate, briefly contextualize those questions in relation to existing research and the Segal Center’s mission, explain how the applicant’s own plan might yield progress on those questions, and enumerate specific deliverables and outputs of the research plan.
Exhibit a track record of successful research publications in peer-reviewed venues such as scholarly journals and academic presses.
Demonstrate a commitment to actively participate in the academic life of the Segal Center, including a commitment to be physically present in New York City during the fellowship period— either residing in the city or regularly commuting—for weekly meetings and regular work time in the Segal Center’s office in Manhattan.

Other criteria that will be considered, though are not essential to fulfill, include:

A history of practical, professional, or scholarly experience working on issues in the philosophy, law, history and science (broadly construed) of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement in higher institutions of research and education.

A history of advancing HxA’s mission in campus contexts.
Experience engaging with non-academic audiences, whether in print or in non-academic presentations.

If you have any questions about the Faculty Fellowship, please write fellowships@heterodoxacademy.org.