The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement announces its Faculty Fellow Program and Faculty Fellow-in-Residence Program, which recognize Drake University faculty whose scholarship, creative activity, and public intellectual contributions align with and advance The Harkin Institute’s mission in fields related to public health, wellness, nutrition, agriculture, environmental health, retirement security, long-term care, labor and employment policy or history, or disability policy.

During their fellowship, Faculty Fellows will have opportunities to contribute to Harkin Institute projects, including research and publications; to serve as principal or associate investigators on Harkin Institute grants; to appear as panelists or presenters at Harkin Institute events; to present public lectures or presentations; and/or to take on contracted work on behalf of The Harkin Institute. They will style themselves a “Fellow of the Harkin Institute” when speaking, writing, or applying for funding related to The Harkin Institute’s mission and strategic priorities during the term of their fellowship. Tenured Faculty Fellows at the rank of Full Professor will be considered Senior Fellows.

Benefits of the fellowship include:

• Support from THI in securing and managing grants and grant compliance.
• Opportunities to collaborate with policy directors on current Harkin Institute projects (at the request of Fellows).
• Research and administrative assistance from student associates, including assistance with document and presentation formatting.
• Personalized Harkin Institute Fellow business cards.

Faculty Fellows will be included on The Harkin Institute website along with a brief bio and description of their work. Harkin Institute Faculty Fellowships are unremunerated unless (1) specific outside funding is secured in support of a fellow’s work or (2) the fellowship fulfills, in part, a faculty member’s sabbatical reassignment.

Harkin Institute Faculty Fellowships fall into two categories:

• Harkin Institute Faculty Fellowships are unremunerated affiliations available to Drake faculty members who demonstrate high-quality, ongoing peer-reviewed research or creative activity or public scholarship in an area related to The Harkin Institute’s Mission. Faculty Fellows are not under the direction of Harkin Institute staff unless they opt to take part in a Harkin Institute grant, contract, initiative, or project. 

• Harkin Institute Faculty Fellowships in Residence recognize Drake Faculty reassigned to The Harkin Institute during their sabbatical and whose sabbatical project contributes directly to a Harkin Institute initiative or project. Their work falls at least partly under the direction of The Harkin Institute’s executive director and a director of policy.

The deadline for application for FY 2027 Fellowships is September 25. Application materials (see below) should be emailed to harkininstitute@drake.edu. Inquiries should be sent to Craig Owens, Executive Director, cc’ing Mindy Jones, Chief of Staff and Director of Operations.

Faculty Fellows are appointed to renewable fiscal-year terms either through special invitation or via application:  

• By Invitation: The Executive Director of The Harkin Institute will contact faculty directly with an invitation to consider accepting a one-year renewable Faculty Fellowship and to provide an updated vita for review. Deans and department chairs may nominate members of their faculty via email to the Executive Director of The Harkin Institute.  

• By Application: Each August, OnCampus will publish a call for applications.  

Faculty Fellowship (non-residential) require (as a single document) 

• A brief statement (350-500 words) explaining the applicant’s qualifications, including how their work intersects with the mission of the institute.  

• The name of one professional reference who can speak to the quality of the applicant’s scholarship or creative activity.  

• A complete, up-to-date cv. 

Faculty Fellowship in Residence: 

• Applicants will meet in-person with the Executive Director to discuss residential opportunities in the fall of their application for sabbatical.  

• The formal application will consist of a copy of the applicant’s sabbatical application and supporting materials, including complete, up-to-date vita. It will require that the applicant affirm that they have consulted with their dean and their department chair or program director before accepting any offer of fellowship. 

• Fellowships in Residence require approval of the sabbatical request.  

• Residential Fellows will spend two-to-three (2-3) days weekly in residence at The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center except when their sabbatical project requires offsite travel.   

• Residential Fellowships require the final approval of the applicant’s dean, to be sought by a member of The Harkin Institute leadership. 

— Mandy McClure, The Harkin Institute