UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (August 28, 2018) – Penn State’s Center for Security Research and Education (CSRE) invites Penn State faculty to apply for the CSRE Faculty Fellows Program. The deadline for spring 2019 applications is November 1.

The CSRE fellowship program provides fellows with the opportunity to propose and lead an interdisciplinary research and education program related to security. CSRE defines security broadly to include threats to homeland, national, and global peace and security; the underlying causes of these threats; strategies and techniques for prevention and consequence management; and the effects of security measures on individual liberties, human rights, economic well-being, and culture.  CSRE’s mission is to bring the many dimensions of Penn State to bear on the emerging and significant security challenges facing the nation and world today.

CSRE will award a maximum of two full-year fellowships for calendar year 2019. The preference is for two-semester fellowships (e.g. spring and fall 2019) to achieve maximum impact; however, other durations or time periods may be considered on an individual basis. Each fellowship carries a one-course buy-out/release per semester plus a reasonable expense allowance. If course release is not desired or desirable for the selected fellow, other reasonable terms can be negotiated. In either case, the fellowship application and the fellowship terms must have the support of the applicant’s department head and be endorsed by the college dean; applications must therefore be accompanied by a letter of support from the applicant’s department head, indicating whether or not the one-course release is feasible for the applicant and the department.

A CSRE Fellow will be expected to lead an interdisciplinary team to produce impactful research resulting in publication and/or external funding related to the chosen topic. In addition, the fellow will be expected to provide intellectual leadership to create a symposium, conference, or public event related to their chosen topic. (Fellows will be assisted by CSRE staff who will execute the administrative and logistical support for such events.)

The successful fellowship applicant will propose a research project, and, an education or outreach project, each of which must integrate multiple disciplines around a significant security-related topic. All broad-scope, interdisciplinary proposals related to security are welcome. Proposals formed around threats to food, water, energy, and public health are particularly encouraged, as are proposals focused on the challenges of artificial intelligence and cyber. Applicants are encouraged to think broadly across multiple disciplines with a special emphasis on integrating the sciences and engineering with the social sciences, law, and policy. Upon completion of the fellowship, CSRE Fellows will retain their CSRE Fellow title, be invited to CSRE events, and, on occasion, be asked to participate in, and advise on, CSRE programs.

Applications must include:

  • A full curriculum vitae.
  • A three-page maximum proposal describing the candidate’s research proposal as well as a proposal for an impactful educational or public event reinforcing or related to the research proposal.
  • A letter of support from the applicant’s academic unit.

Applications should be sent to James W. Houck, director of the Center for Security Research and Education at jwh32@psu.edu. Interested faculty with questions may contact Houck before submitting an application.