Positioning Yourself for Tenure & for Grants

This week, ORDE hosted a panel of faculty on the Denver campus to discuss how to position oneself for tenure and in grant applications. Our panel included Bob Damrauer, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research; Donna Sobel, Associate Professor Emerita in Special Education; and Kat Vlahos, Professor and Chair of Architecture. The panel offered many important insights and takeaways to participants, and below are some highlights:

Write clearly:
Dr. Damrauer began the conversation, saying, "I only have one thing to say...The most important single skill you need in order to succeed in an academic career is to write well. Learn what a simple declarative sentence is and use it." As we've seen, many faculty members get quite a way through their career only speaking to and writing for those in their field, but they face an eventual barrier when they come to the point where they need to illustrate the importance of their work to someone besides their immediate colleagues.

Integrate and distinguish:
Dr. Vlahos stressed that when presenting your case for tenure and/or promotion, you must be able to both integrate your work in research, teaching, and service, but also be able to speak about them distinctly. In this way, you can clearly show your work and accomplishments in each area, as well as tell the story of your work as a whole.

Organize your work:
Dr. Sobel made the point that when you have people reviewing your work, be they reviewers for your grant or dossier, "Don't make them look for it!" When folks are reviewing scores of applications, there is little that is more frustrating than when they can't find what they need to assess your work. Needless to say, you don't want to frustrate someone who is reviewing your case for tenure or your grant application. Dr. Vlahos reiterated this, saying that one of the greatest strengths of her dossier was its clear organization.

Offer context:
All of the panelists talked about the importance of bringing your reader/reviewer up to speed. You should not assume that they understand your jargon, that they know your history, or even your perspective. Be explicit and tell your story so that that your work can make sense to a broad audience.

Throughout the discussion, the panel stressed the importance of seeking mentorship and getting help when you need it. Resources include ORDE, The Office of Research Services, and the Center for Faculty Development. We're happy to help!

Resources:
Elevator Pitch Video - NSF
Ask the right questions - Inside Higher Ed