See EVPP: Faculty Development Leave for complete information.

For information on Faculty Development Awards, available only to professional-track faculty, see Faculty Development Award. 

Timeline for 2023-24

(For FDLs effective in 2024-25)

Date(s)Responsible partyAction
September 5EVPP Faculty AffairsApplication site opens
October 3, 5 pmApplication site closes
September 3-October 5COE Faculty AffairsConfirm eligibility of applicants and communicate to EVPP Faculty Affairs
October 6-9Department chairsReceive notification of applicants; review and rank applicants
October 10-November 9COE FDL committeeReview applications
November 9Deadline: Meet and forward recommendations to Dean
November 10-17DeanReview recommendations and applications
November 17Deadline: Forward recommendations to EVPP Faculty Affairs
December 18EVPP Faculty AffairsNotify awardees
February 20Faculty awardeesDeadline: Submit acceptance forms to COE Faculty Affairs
February 27COE Faculty AffairsDeadline: Forward acceptance forms to EVPP Faculty Affairs

Overview - Faculty Development Leave (FDL)

The Provost's Faculty Development Leave program provides tenured faculty members the opportunity of paid leave from teaching and service responsibilities to allow them to focus on research, scholarship, and creative endeavors. At other universities, this type of leave is commonly called a "Sabbatical". The FDL replaces the former Faculty Research Assignment (FRA) program.

The FDL may be taken as either:

  • Full-time leave for one semester in either the fall or spring long semesters, or
  • Half-time leave during each long semester during the nine-month long session

The number of FDLs to be awarded per year is limited, and faculty to receive FDLs will be selected through a review process outlined below.

Guidelines

UT Austin guidelines

College of Education guidelines

  • EVPP: Faculty Development Leave > "College and School FDL Guidelines" in right-hand side bar > "College of Education." 
  • Guidelines include:
    • Formation of committee
    • Application materials
    • Criteria for selection
    • Eligibility

Conditions for recipients

1) UT-FDL is given in support of the activities described in the recipient’s application. Any major changes in the proposed activity require prior approval from the Provost's Office. Requests for changes should be first approved by the UT-FDL recipient’s supervisor (department chair, where relevant, and dean), and then submitted to the EVPP’s Faculty Affairs team for EVPP approval.

2) A faculty member on faculty development leave may not accept employment from any other person, corporation, or government, unless the governing board determines that it would be in the public interest to do so and expressly approves the employment.

3) Upon completion of the FDL the faculty member must submit a report documenting FDL activities and products (where relevant) and the impact of the FDL on the faculty member’s professional development. A failure to submit the report will make the faculty member ineligible to receive another FDL.

4) The recipient of an UT-FDL during the academic year 2023-2024 is expected to return to normal fulltime professional duties at the University of Texas at Austin for at least the academic year (fall and spring long semesters) of the following Academic Year. A recipient who elects not to return to the university after holding an UT-FDL is obligated to reimburse the university for funds (gross salary plus fringe benefits) expended in support of the UT-FDL. This applies even when the recipient chooses to retire, or to resign from the university for some reason. (See Section 2-2210 of the Handbook of Operating Procedures).

5) Based on Section 51.105 (b) of Texas Education code, a faculty member on FDL “may accept a grant for study, research, or travel from any institution of higher education, from a charitable, religious, or educational corporation or foundation, from any business enterprise, or from any federal, state, or local governmental agency”. Such funding must be approved by the Dean and governing board.

Eligibility

Faculty are encouraged to confirm their eligibility by carefully reviewing (1) the "Eligibility" section of EVPP: Faculty Development Leave, (2) UT FDL Guidelines for the appropriate Academic Year, and (3) this Wiki page prior to applying. 

To be eligible to apply for an FDL, a tenured faculty member must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Must have met or exceeded expectations in at least three of the most recent full academic years preceding their FDL application.
  • At the start of the UT-FDL, the faculty member must have already completed at least six full academic years employed as a full-time faculty member by UT Austin, with the six years including at least two full academic years of consecutive full-time service at UT Austin, and have received no other FDLs (or their predecessor, FRAs) during that six-year period.
    • The two full academic years of consecutive full-time service do not have to immediately precede the application nor award of FDL.
    • Leaves related to parental and paid sick time off policies do not interrupt the count of consecutive years.
  • Faculty must be tenured at UT Austin when they apply for and have a UT-FDL.

Examples of timing for FDL

Source: 2023-24 UT FDL Guidelines FINAL.pdf

How to apply

1. Review eligibility

Before applying, please carefully review the "Eligibility" and "Conditions for recipients" tabs on this page.

2. COE application process

Responsible partyStepAction
Applicant1

a) Discuss the timing of the proposed FDL with their department chair. (Note that a 100% award during one semester includes release from both teaching and service commitments.)

b) Review all University and College eligibility requirements for the award.

2

Initiate and route COE FDL Timing and Eligibility Checklist:

a) Answer all questions in the "Applicant completes" section and sign.

b) Department chair completes and signs the appropriate section of the form.

c) Applicant forwards form to COE-FacultyAffairs@austin.utexas.edu for review and completion. 

COE Faculty Affairs3Review COE FDL Timing and Eligibility Checklist, completes, and returns to applicant. (Applicant will include completed form in their application materials.)
Applicant4

Submit application including all requested materials through the Provost's online system prior to the deadline. Note that extensions to the stated deadline will not be granted.

Applications must include all of the following documentation:

  • All materials required by the Provost’s Office as described at EVPP: Faculty Development Leave, and
  • Completed COE FDL Timing and Eligibility Checklist and
  • For evaluation by the COE committee, a list including all of the following received within the past five years: Leaves, Dean’s Fellowship and/or Dean’s Research Innovation Awards, FDLs, FRAs, or other research fellowships.
Provost's Office5Online application system closes. 
COE Faculty Affairs & Provost's Office6Review each applicant's materials and confirms their eligibility in the application system.
Department chair7Receives an email notification that applicants are awaiting their review. Only materials from eligible applicants will be made available. 
8Review applications online and makes recommendations.
COE FDL committee9Review applications based on APS and COE policies, and sends recommendations to Dean.
Dean10Reviews applications based on COE FDL committee recommendations, and forwards final recommendations to Provost's Office
Provost's Office11Reviews Dean's recommendations and makes final decisions according to CSU allotment. Notifies applicants of their decision.

Processes for awardees

To accept the FDL

1) The Provost's Office will notify awardees via email just prior to the winter break. Notification emails will include an attachment: page 1 will be the award letter, and page 2 will be an Acceptance Form.

2) Recipient should sign the Acceptance Form and return to COE-FacultyAffairs@austin.utexas.edu. Please note the deadline to return the form, stated on the form itself.

3) COE Faculty Affairs will obtain the Senior Associate Dean's signature, record relevant award info, and add the fully-signed form to the faculty member's Dean's Office personnel file on Box.  

4) COE Faculty Affairs will forward the fully-signed form to the Provost's Office, and will cc the recipient's department Chair and Administrative Manager.

Upon completion of the FDL

The faculty member must submit a report documenting the following:

  • Activities and products
  • Impact of the FDL on their professional development
  • Accounting of all grants supplemental to the FDL

Failure to submit the report by the deadline will make the faculty member ineligible to receive another future FDL.

For fall FDLs, the report prompt will come no later than the start of the following spring term. 

Information for administrative staff

A faculty member on FDL remains on the instructional budget. No Faculty Request for Leave form is required, and no costing allocation change is needed.

APS will record FDLs in the faculty member's Workday profile. Go to "Academic" > "Current Appointments." In the "Identifier" column, look for FD (Faculty Development). "Track Type" will be FDL (Faculty Development Leave).

Frequently Asked Questions - FDL

Q. Is FDL new?
A. FDL replaces the FRA (Faculty Research Award) program, and will take its first applications in fall 2022, for awards beginning in AY 2023-24. Any prior FRAs awarded will be counted as FDLs for purposes of eligibility.

Q. When should a faculty member apply for FDL?
A. Apply during the Academic Year prior to the one in which the FDL would be taken. Example: apply in fall 2022-23 for an FDL that would be taken in AY 2023-24.

Q. How much of a faculty member's regular salary is covered by FDL? 
A. All salary is covered, unless the faculty member has an external fellowship covering some portion of salary.

Q. Can an FDL be combined with an external fellowship to create a year-long research leave?
A. Yes, it can.

Q. Is a course release the same as FDL?
A. A course release is not an FDL in and of itself. Faculty with approved course releases, for instance, are still expected to be available for service and research responsibilities.


Q. If an FDL is taken as half-time leave during each long semester, what would service expectations be?
A. Service should be proportional to the remaining half-time appointment.

Q. How does FDL work for faculty with joint appointments?
A. Joint-appointed faculty will follow the rules and programming for their primary department.


Q. Can FDL be deferred if circumstances change?
A. Deferrals, with justification, are at the discretion of the Dean.

Please send suggested additions to this page and notifications about broken links to COE-FacultyAffairs@austin.utexas.edu.

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