Cluster Applications

The Office of the Provost, with support from the Vice Provosts for Diversity and Inclusion and Faculty Affairs, has developed the following Call for Proposals for the Fannie Gaston-Johansson Faculty of Excellence Program (FGJFEP), a program designed to support the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty who demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence.

The program will adhere to the following:

Schools will have to make a commitment to locate the members of the cluster in ways which foster scholars’ opportunities for collaboration and scholarly success.
Each scientific cluster will be led by two senior JHU faculty members who will be responsible for and specifically trained to form and guide effective searches, act as lead mentor for the career development of all faculty members in that cluster, and facilitate the development of community and other aspects of successful retention.
Central Administration will provide up to $1M in matching funds for startup costs per faculty hire up to a maximum of $20M.
The division/department is expected to dedicate matching funds to startup, and provide appropriate salary support for the incoming faculty.

The goal of the FGJFEP is to hire and support:

20+ tenured or tenure-track faculty members
- who substantially contribute to promoting diversity and inclusive excellence in STEM,
- in four to seven distinct clusters over six years (FY23 through FY28)
10+ non-STEM tenured or tenure-track faculty members
- who substantially contribute to promoting diversity and inclusive excellence,
- in non-STEM over six years (FY23 through FY28)

A key benefit of this program is that departments are allowed to recruit faculty outside the traditional search timelines.

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APPLICATIONS OPENING SOON

Cluster Eligibility

Cluster size consists of a minimum of 3 faculty of which one must be a Senior Faculty. Departments will have 2 years to complete the hiring of their Cluster.

Cluster hires will occur in the following two categories:

STEM Clusters

They should be broadly intellectually coherent
Preference would be given to those clusters which span more than one department
Funding would be directed at matching startup
There would be a timeline for hiring (i.e. 3 people over 2 defined years)

^{Eligible STEM Disciplines & Departments include Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Biological Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Biophysics, Biostatistics, Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology and Biophysics, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Cellular Molecular Physiology, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Chemical Biology, Chemistry, and Civil And Systems Engineering, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Cross-Disciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Environmental Health and Engineering, Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Health Sciences Informatics, Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Immunology, Materials Science and Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Neuroscience, Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Psychological and Brain Sciences.}

Non-STEM Clusters

They should be broadly intellectually coherent
Preference would be given to those clusters which span more than one department
Broad clusters can be identified when there is an articulated strategic reason for doing it.
There would be a timeline for hiring (i.e. 3 people over 2 defined years)

Cluster Timeline

02-01-2023 | University-wide call for Cluster Proposals
03-10-2023 | Letter of Intent due by 5 PM
03-20-2023 | Invitation to Submit a Full Proposal
07-19-2023 | Invited Proposals due by 5 PM
09-30-2023 | Selection of 2-3 Clusters by Provost and President
10-30-2023 | Public Announcement of Selected Clusters

Cluster Evaluation Criteria

Prerequisites:

Aligns with priorities of divisional leadership (support from the deans/directors)
Cluster Hire will add to the diversity at Johns Hopkins

Evaluation Criteria (scored 1 – 5)

Recruitment area seeks to solve a pressing world problem or is focused on important scientific discovery and scholarship that improves diversity at Hopkins
Clear description of potential hires and the range of departments/center in which they might be located, and how these hires will work with each other and other faculty in their respective departments/centers.
Cluster hires have past experience in DEI efforts
Detailed Mentoring and Success plans for the Cluster hires regarding faculty development, retention, progression, and promotion
Reasonable resources needed for cluster’s success

Note | When considering clusters, we encourage you to consult with colleagues and leadership across the university. All clusters will be strengthened by co-investment from participating schools and those that are aligned with the strategic plans of the divisions.