Overview for AY 25-26
Sometimes research faculty find themselves disappointed with their scholarly productivity whether they encounter challenges in writing and editing, confidence and time management, or uncertainty with a new research thread or writing in a new genre. For some faculty, imposter syndrome or responsibilities at work and at home can squeeze out sufficient attention to research. The Research Jumpstart Program (RJP) aims to help scholars who have experienced success in the past get back on track.
RJP will provide participants with 25 hours of support from a professional editor-coach for scholarly research as well as accountability support from the OFE and fellow cohort members. Professional editor-coaches, who do not work at Montclair, have been selected for their editorial, writing, and coaching skills.
The OFE will match scholars with our professional editors. These professional editors can help with:
- Planning, time management, and motivation
- Concept development, venue selection, and other aspects of research development
- Writing and editing, including focus, organization, mastering generic conventions, and clarity
- Revision, including revise & resubmit, recasting for a new venue
Professional editors are not subject matter experts able to provide disciplinary feedback, nor are they primarily copy-editors. Instead, professional editor-coaches are experienced in working with talented writers, and able to offer a fresh perspective, feedback, and support. Our professional editors are familiar with academic research and publishing, peer review processes, and the like. Writing coaches help writers by asking questions that enable the writer and coach to work together to make plans that include incremental steps toward achieving a goal. Regular check-ins also provide accountability, helping writers be more successful.
The program will run between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
Participants commit to working on a research or scholarly project(s) that will have concrete deliverables during the term of the program and their work with their assigned coach. Scholars will participate in regular check-in sessions with their coaches (typically every two weeks, or 26 sessions over the program); these check-ins aim to keep scholars on track and to help them get advice in a timely fashion. These will typically be 15 minutes long and can be on Zoom. Scholars will be able to miss two check-ins with advance notice.
Scholars will work directly with their editors to determine how the editors’ remaining time will be spent; some of this time may be spent in longer meetings or on asynchronous work looking at materials. Scholars will also provide regular progress reports to the OFE and submit a final report detailing their work in the program, including achieved outcomes (submission of a manuscript, submission of a revision, proposal, grant application, etc.), as well as an update in December 2026.
Participants are expected to communicate with their coach at least 48 hours in advance if they need to cancel their check-in or other meeting; if not, they will have those hours deducted from their balance. Three missed check-ins or meetings without advance notice will lead to removal from the program.
Participants will be asked to attend a kickoff event and an end-of-program convening. The kickoff event will be a working session to revise and finalize individuals’ work plans. At the final convening, participants will share their accomplishments and their plans for the future.
Participants will be invited to OFE writing groups as well as occasional gatherings with their RJP cohort. Writing groups are an effective means for individuals to improve their productivity and decrease the stress and anxiety that many scholars experience when they seek to increase their engagement with achieving a scholarly goal.
Eligibility
Open to assistant and associate tenure-stream professors in their third year and beyond who are promising scholars with unrealized goals. The RJP is limited to 10 faculty in the 2025-2026 academic year. Priority will be given to applicants who have not participated in the RJP before.
Application process
To apply, submit:
- CV
- current Faculty Scholarship Program document
- a 300-word proposal that explains the nature of your challenges, and how you anticipate the professional editor and the RJP will help you further your FSP goals. Include 2-3 attainable outcomes that you will be asked to report on in your final report.
- A proposed breakdown of how you would use the 25 hours of coaching (for example, “budget” time for meetings with your coach, for having your coach look at materials asynchronously across the program timeframe of July 1-June 30.
Send applications to faculty@montclair.edu.
Finalists may be invited to a short interview to discuss their proposal.
Announcement of Program: By April 1, 2025
Application Deadline: May 12, 2025
Notification to Applicants: By June 1, 2025
Program Duration: July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026
Summary Report: June 30, 2026
Updated Report: December 31, 2026.
