Faculty Development

The University of Maine is committed to supporting faculty success at every stage of the academic career. Faculty development is an ongoing process that includes strengthening teaching and mentoring, advancing research and creative work, developing leadership capacity, and fostering meaningful engagement with students, communities, and disciplinary fields. By investing in faculty growth, the university strengthens its ability to fulfill its mission as Maine’s flagship public research university and a land-grant institution committed to educational access, discovery, and public impact.

Faculty development at UMaine is a shared effort across campus. The Office of the Provost works closely with partners such as the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL), the Office of Research Development, Fogler Library, and the academic colleges to provide programming and resources that support faculty throughout their careers. These efforts include workshops, consultations, mentoring initiatives, and opportunities for collaboration that help faculty refine their teaching practices, expand their scholarly and creative work, and connect with colleagues across disciplines.

Faculty members’ professional needs evolve over time. Early-career faculty may be establishing research agendas and developing their teaching approaches, while mid-career faculty often seek opportunities to expand scholarly impact or pursue leadership roles. Senior faculty contribute to the university through mentorship, institutional leadership, and sustained scholarly engagement. This site is designed to connect faculty with resources that support these different phases of the academic career and to help foster a vibrant intellectual community across the University of Maine.

We invite faculty to explore the opportunities described here, participate in programs that support their goals, and engage with colleagues across campus who share a commitment to teaching excellence, research innovation, and student success.

Current Opportunities:

The Provost’s Faculty Development Small Grant Program provides targeted discretionary funding—up to $1500 per award—to support innovative teaching, research, and creative activities. Faculty may apply for grants once every two years.

Funds may support a range of items such as conference travel, book indexing and copyediting, equipment, manuscript publication, and student research assistance. Priority will be given to pre-tenure faculty and lecturers who have not yet earned just cause protection. Funding will not be awarded for activities or items for which the faculty member has startup, external grant funds, departmental/school, or college support.

Awards will be based on the quality of the proposal, including concrete deliverables, feasibility, impact on the applicant’s career, and broader impact.

Please email your completed application to Jessica Miller, Director of Faculty Development, at jessica.miller@maine.edu no later than Friday, October 23, 2026. You may also contact Jessica with any questions regarding eligible expenses or the application process.

Download the fillable PDF application form here.