Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

THE AF SFFP IS NOW COMPLETE FOR SUMMER 2008, APPLICATION WILL RE-OPEN AUGUST, 2008 FOR THE SUMMER 2009 PROGRAM

On September 30, 2004, the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) was awarded a contract for execution of the Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP).

List of 2007 SFFP Awardees

List of 2006 SFFP Awardees

List of 2005 SFFP Awardees

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP) offers hands-on exposure to Air Force research challenges through eight (8) to twelve (12) week research residencies at participating Air Force Research Facilities for full-time science and engineering faculty at U.S. colleges and universities. This program is administered by ASEE, which provides the oversight and administrative structure for the selection and appointment of applicants. The objectives of the Summer Faculty Fellowship Program are to:

• stimulate professional relationships among SFFP participants and the s cientists and engineers at Air Force Research Facilities;
• enhance the research interests and capabilities of faculty (both new and experienced researchers) in the U.S. academic community;
• elevate the awareness in the U.S. academic community of Air Force research interests;
• provide the SFFP participant opportunities to perform high-quality and meaningful research at Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Directorates, the United States Air Force Academy, or the Air Force Institute of Technology;
• provide nationally accredited mentoring of academic researchers at Technical Directorates of the AFRL, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

During the summer, the faculty, under the mentorship of Air Force researchers, will conduct research at Air Force Research Facilities for a continuous period (other than federal holidays and weekends) of eight (8) to twelve (12) weeks. SFFP participants may choose to perform their research at Air Force facilities around the United States, but only in those research areas and with those approved advisors listed on the SFFP website.

Eligibility

• Applicants to the Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP) must be citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States.
• Applicants must hold a full-time appointment at a U.S. college or university.
• Participants are expected to conduct research at an Air Force Research Laboratory Directorate, U.S. Air Force Academy, or the Air Force Institute of Technology, not at their home institution or any other site.

Tenure

The duration of the fellowships is from eight (8) to twelve (12) continuous weeks. Applicants should be aware that no leave will be granted during the SFFP tenure and that fellows are required to conduct their research on-site.  All SFFP participants at the Air Force Research Laboratory Directorates, U.S. Air Force Academy, and the Air Force Institute of Technology are considered guest investigators and are subject to Air Force regulations governing visiting scientists.  

Stipends and Allowances

All appointments are subject to the participant’s successful security investigation and approved access to unclassified government information systems. 

SFFP participants receive a weekly stipend; the weekly stipend amount depends on the faculty status of the participant’s application.  The levels for the 2008 SFFP are as follows:
 

A suitable relocation reimbursement for personal travel to the Air Force research facility will be determined for each awardee. Details will be provided at the time of the award.

A daily expense allowance is provided to SFFP Fellows with a commute distance greater than fifty miles (one way by the most direct route) and who have obtained a temporary residence while working at an Air Force Research Facility.  The daily expense allowance is $50 per workday. 

Please note:  Applicants should be aware that stipend payments from other federal funding sources including research grants and contracts may not be accepted during the ten week tenure of a summer faculty appointment.

Finding a Research Advisor

Each research opportunity offered through the SFFP has a research advisor (in some cases two research advisors) who directs all work involved with the project.  To be eligible for an award, each application must be approved by the designated research advisor for that research opportunity and endorsed by the appropriate Air Force Research Facility.  Although essential to the application process, an endorsement by a research advisor or laboratory does not imply nor guarantee an award.   

Each applicant must get approval to apply to a program from the Advisor before uploading his/her proposal. We recommend that you first find an Advisor and work with them and show them your research proposal before applying to the program.

Click here to learn more about the process of finding a research advisor.

Click here to learn more about the areas of interest to the various Air Force Research Facilities as well as contact information for each facility.

Reapplication

Each Summer Faculty Fellowship award is for one summer. SFFP awardees may apply for renewal of their award for a 2nd and 3rd year, providing they wish to renew at the same SFFP Laboratory and will work with the same SFFP Research Adviser.

Candidates who were not offered an award because of funding or other limitations, or who were not recommended for an award by the panels, may reapply for an award for the following summer.

SFFP participants who have held an award for three (3) years may not reapply for at least two years following completion of their final year of award tenure.

Evaluation and Selection

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research plans to award new summer faculty fellowships in February 2008, subject to the availability of funds. AFOSR will offer these fellowships to individuals who hold PhD’s in science and/or engineering; who are faculty members at a U.S. college or university; and whose research interests are in line with the interests and needs of the various Air Force Research Facilities, including nine Air Force Research Laboratory Directorates, the United States Air Force Academy and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Evaluation of the applications received from eligible research candidates, which also considers Air Force relevance of the proposed area of research, is performed by a panel of experts designated by ASEE and approved by AFOSR.  Each Air Force Research Facility directly monitors the awards conferred to fellows in research areas closely related to its mission.

Application and Award Dates

Applications and Curriculum Vitae must be submitted electronically by 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Standard Time on November 30, 2007.  Reference forms must be submitted electronically by 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Standard Time on December 7, 2007.  Award notifications will be made in February, 2008. 

Conditions of Appointment

• A fellow may not accept simultaneous remuneration from other federal funding sources including research grants and contracts during tenure with the Air Force SFFP. 
• Applicants should be aware that no leave will be granted during their tenure with the Air Force SFFP and that fellows are required to conduct their research on-site.
• Fellows may reapply for a second and third summer.  Renewal fellows must reapply and have satisfactorily completed all requirements from prior SFFP awards, including the end-of-tenure report and program evaluation. 
• Fellows are required to furnish complete information to the Air Force Research Facility regarding any invention first conceived or reduced to practice while a SFFP Fellow and for which a patent application is filed.
• An award is contingent on the fellow’s ability to successfully pass a Natinal Agency Check.

Final Report

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) requires that all SFFP Fellows submit final reports at the end of their tenure with the program.  The final report, comprised of text as well as figures and references, should include major technical and scientific findings of the fellow’s research.  The report is to be submitted to the participant’s research advisor and laboratory point of contact before the SFFP Fellow leaves the research facility. 

Program Evaluation

Participants are asked to evaluate their experience at the end of the program. Questionnaires will be used to obtain information and recommendations for improving future programs.  At the end of the summer appointment, evaluation forms will be available on the SFFP website and participants will be able to submit evaluations online. 

Application

• The online application to the 2008 Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program will be open from August 1, 2007 to November 30, 2007.  References are due by December 7, 2007. 
• Click on the Application Instructions option on the left hand side of this website to learn about the application process.
• Click on the Apply Online option on the left hand side of this website to apply to the 2008 Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program.
• Please contact the Projects Department at sffp@asee.org for guidance in the application process.

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