Writing a COVID Impact Statement

Writing a COVID Impact Statement

The COVID Impact Statement:

• Should not contain ANY personal information (e.g., dependent care inaccessibility challenges, personal or dependents’ health information, etc.).
• Should include time period (ONLY– not the reason) for approved medical or personal leaves.
• Should describe the faculty member’s workload, performance and trajectory prior to COVID.
• Should describe the impact COVID has had on workload, performance and trajectory in each of the relevant areas of specialization (research and creativity, teaching, advising, service, awards).
• Should describe how the faculty member has adjusted or plans to adjust their work in light of COVID to continue or re-build their trajectory.
• Should not be longer than two pages.
• May detail different kinds of professional impact on faculty work (negative and/or positive).

For examples of professional impacts that could be included in the COVID Impact Statement, please see the Faculty Annual Review in 2020-21 and COVID Impact Statements.

Impact on Reviews

COVID’s impact does not change the standards for review and promotion, nor is it meant to be an explanation for not meeting standards. The 2020-21 Provost’s Office’s General Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure currently mentions consideration of the pandemic’s impact on CIS ratings as well as its potential disruption of scholarly productivity and products and creative performance. Future versions of the General Guidelines will include guidance for candidates to highlight the specifics of COVID’s impact in the statements associated with each area of specialization (e.g., research, teaching, service, etc.). External reviewer solicitation letter templates will also be updated to include a reminder about considering COVID’s impact.

In addition, the College of Natural Sciences may add additional guidelines for promotion and tenure, mid-probationary and comprehensive periodic reviews around inclusion of COVID Impact Statements. Departments will be informed if and when guidelines are added for these periodic reviews.

Helpful Links

• Faculty Annual Review in 2020-21 and COVID Impact Statements
• Provost's Office FAQ on COVID Impact Statements

Eligibility

Eligibility

The Research Reboot program is open to tenured and tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professors.

Since this program is intended to support early-stage faculty, tenured full Professors are not eligible. Also, tenured Associate Professors who are up for promotion in the current and next academic year (i.e., up for review in fall 2020 and fall 2021 with promotions effective in fall 2021 and fall 2022, respectively) are not eligible for a Research Reboot course release.

Program Criteria

Program Criteria

The following three universal criteria will be used to select recipients of the Research Reboot award:

1. Evidence of a strong record of research, scholarly and creative accomplishments prior to COVID-19.
2. Sound, feasible research plan to go into effect during the faculty member's release time for the purpose of rebuilding their research trajectory.
3. The magnitude of the professional disruption resulting from COVID’s impact. This opportunity will be prioritized for those faculty members experiencing larger disruptions to their research, scholarship and creative accomplishments and trajectories.

In addition, for CNS applicants:

• Faculty who are scheduled to teach a total of two or fewer courses over the two-year period, including academic years 2021-22 and 2022-23, are expected to consult their Department Chair before applying, to explore whether teaching release would be an effective way to reboot their research program.
• All applicants should work with their Department Chair to identify the timing of the release.

Submit an Application

Research Reboot Applications

Submit an application here.

Required Materials

Applications should include the following documentation, in the order outlined below, as a single PDF document:

• Need Narrative
  • Maximum of one page
  • Record of research accomplishments and trajectory prior to COVID-19
  • Evidence of negative professional impact of COVID-19 on research accomplishments and trajectory
  • Course Release Time information
    • Identify timing of desired release: fall or spring and in which academic year (AY21-22 or AY22-23)
    • Justification supporting that the release time will help re-start research trajectory
• Project Plan
  • Maximum of four pages
  • All project plans should clearly explain the merits of the research project relative to advancement of the discipline or field of work. The plan should address how its success would put the applicant back on their previous upward trajectory. Last, include the need for compliance approval, such as IRB, IACUC, and IBC.
• References and/or graphics
  • Maximum of one page; optional.
• Curriculum Vitae
  • Maximum of two pages
  • In outline form, including a list of publications, creative products and grants and a list of in-press and submitted works (clearly labeled as such).

Review Process

Applications from each department will be reviewed by a departmental subcommittee consisting of colleagues at the rank of Professor. The subcommittee will advise the Department Chair by assessing applications and providing a rank based on eligibility criteria mentioned in the "program criteria" tab above.

The Department Chair will then review the applications, rank lists and feedback from the subcommittee, with the option of adjusting the ranking. The Department Chair will then submit to the CNS Faculty Affairs Office the ranked lists of candidates, assessment of applications, and plan on when each candidate would take a release, if selected to receive this award.

The Dean, in consultation with the CNS Associate Deans, will review the ranked lists of applications from each department, selecting the recipients of award. Faculty who are provided with Research Reboot awards will receive either a fall or spring semester’s release from organized teaching in academic year 2021-22 or 2022-23. CNS will not be offering summer support instead of teaching release.

Timeline

2020-21 Research Reboot Deadlines

• January 22, 2021: Applications due by 5pm CST. Committees begin review process.
• February 10, 2021: Results from the departmental committee and Department Chair are due to the College.
• March 1, 2021: Decision notifications.

Helpful Links

• Provost's Research Reboot Program
• CNS Q&A Session on the Research Reboot Program (PowerPoint)