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COR Research Leader Fellowship Program

APLU’s Council on Research (COR) Research Leader Fellowship Program is designed to provide training and skill development for individuals who work closely in various capacities as or with the University’s Chief Research Officer (Vice Presidents/Vice Provosts/Vice Chancellors for Research), including those who aspire to transition into Chief Research Officer positions in the future. The Research Leader Fellowship Program harnesses COR’s network of research leaders, providing fellows with opportunities to deepen their expertise, broaden their professional connections, and strengthen collaborations among institutions, APLU, and other professional organizations. Designed to complement existing leadership development initiatives at various institutions, regional programs, and organizations, this fellowship aims to further enrich and expand leadership training opportunities

Many research leaders focus their responsibilities and the application of their knowledge in specific research support areas such as research administration, research development, research compliance, research communication, economic development, and sponsored programs. Very few have the opportunity within their institutions to develop expertise in areas outside of their immediate responsibilities, including those activities delegated to direct reports. APLU COR meetings provide an excellent opportunity to be exposed to the breadth of areas relevant to the academic research enterprise, and the CoR Research Leader Fellowship Program will enable research leaders to increase the depth of their knowledge in one or more areas of interest by allowing the Fellow to:

  • Develop expertise and skill in multiple areas relevant to leading a research agenda within an academic institution;
  • Experience broad leadership training, peer mentoring, and networking across public and land-grant institutions; and
  • Contribute new knowledge and new elective practices to benefit all CoR members, APLU institutions, and stakeholders of the academic research enterprise.
Cohort 1 Cohort 2 Cohort 3 Cohort 4 Cohort 5 Cohort 6 Cohort 7 Cohort 8

APLU’s Council on Research Solicits Applications for Next Cohort of COR Research Leader Fellows

Applications for the ninth cohort of COR Research Leader Fellows are now being accepted through March 30, 2026.

The COR Research Leader Fellowship Program is open to individuals in positions with focused responsibilities related to building and supporting research capacity and competitiveness at APLU institutions. Typical titles associated with these positions include:

  • Associate/Assistant VPRs/VCRs;
  • Associate/Assistant Deans for Research;
  • New VPRs/VCRs; 
  • Directors of major centers and/or institutes; and
  • Senior research leaders from underrepresented minority institutions, such as HBCUs, MSIs, and HSIs.
     

Within some institutions, a senior administrator may have responsibilities related to leading the research enterprise that is not explicitly part of the position title. These individuals are also eligible for the COR Research Leader Fellowship Program.

The primary purpose of the COR Research Leader Fellowship Program is to enable research leaders to develop knowledge and skills in new research-support areas of interest. The program provides fellows with a number of important opportunities; perhaps most important being the networking that comes from being part of a highly collaborative group. Secondly, the program enables Fellows to arrange short-term visits to other research institutions with strong programs and activities in the skill area to be developed. Fellows are also expected to attend the New/Future VPR\VCR Workshop at the 2025 COR Summer Meeting; to participate in regular video conference meetings with other Fellows; to participate in professional meetings and additional training opportunities related to new areas of interest; and to develop content (publications, concept papers, presentations) related to challenges within COR working group areas, new areas of interest with the intent of contributing to broader knowledge and providing unique perspectives on these topics. 

Fellows will meet regularly via videoconference to discuss topics of interest and the possibility of collaborating on a project to contribute to future training and literature related to research capacity and competitiveness. It is not a requirement of the program to collaborate on these projects, but Fellows are strongly encouraged to document the new knowledge they are acquiring and to identify ways in which they can demonstrate their increased capacity and developing expertise.

 The COR Research Leader Fellowship Program will be 12 months in duration, with appointments of a cohort of 8 fellows to be made at the APLU COR Summer Meeting each year. The term will enable Fellows to visit several campuses (in person or virtually), participate in the identified meetings and conferences, and contribute to projects within COR working groups that contribute to future training and literature related to research capacity and competitiveness. 

The COR Research Leader Fellowship is not a monetary award; rather, it is a structured program that provides coordination, networking, training materials, and guidance. Fellows and APLU member institutions will benefit from participation in the COR Research Leader Fellowship Program through increased skills and knowledge in new areas that will not only benefit the individual but will contribute new, elective practices and perspectives to the research leader’s home institution. Fellows will gain essential knowledge through visiting institutions with different cultures and adaptive practices; developing a broad professional network along with leadership and collaborative problem-solving skills; and contributing to a growing professional literature based on practices and approaches to competitive research support, infrastructure, and capacity.

March 30, 2026 – Applications are accepted through Monday, March 30, 2026, by 5:00 PM PT. Please submit your 2026 application here.

April 7, 2026 – Applications available to the review committee for evaluation

April 20-24, 2026 – Review week (date to be determined)

May 5, 2026 – Review committee decisions finalized

May 8, 2025 – Program contacts notify applicants of the fellowship outcome

June 21-24, 2026 – APLU COR Summer Meeting and Research Leader Fellowship Program Orientation

Applications for the COR Research Leader Fellowship Program will be accepted electronically (a
single PDF document is required) by 5:00 PM PT on Monday, March 30, 2026. The 2026 application portal is now available.

All proposals submitted to the COR Research Leader Fellowship Program must include the following, clearly delineated in separate sections, within the allocated page limits indicated below for each proposal component. Line spacing must not be smaller than 1.5 lines, font size must be at least 11 points, and 1” margins should be used.


All five sections should be included within one combined PDF for submission.

1. Application Cover Sheet 

Provide an application cover page that includes your name, position title, institution, and relevant contact information. 
 

2. Fellowship Training Plan (maximum of 5 pages) 

The Fellowship Training Plan should describe the overall plan for this Fellowship. Not all reviewers will be experts in the chosen area of skill development; therefore, applicants should provide enough context with respect to current skills, the current scope of responsibilities, and the skills to be developed such that reviewers are able to evaluate the feasibility and impact of this training program. Applicants may need to define concepts and give a bit more context as to the proposed approach than one would when writing to an expert audience in the chosen area of skill development. 

It is recommended that applicants address the following in the proposed training plan. These items will be evaluated as part of the review criteria: 

  • Describe your readiness for this Fellowship, your career goals, and the timing of the Fellowship relative to those career goals.
  • Describe how your primary and/or secondary areas of expertise and responsibility associated with your current and past research leadership and administration roles will benefit the cohort.
  • Identify 2-3 areas of expertise and responsibility to be developed as part of the Fellowship. Contrast these with your current responsibilities and explain how expanding insight/competencies in these areas will contribute to you professionally and to your institution.
  • Describe proposed questions of interest to be explored during the Fellowship (within the topical areas identified in the bullet above). Provide any knowledge, background, and/or context such as current challenges, recent reports, and/or publications.
  • Describe the expected outcome resulting from participation in the COR Research Leader Fellowship Program (e.g., how will you expand your impact in research administration nationally, regionally, and/or within your institution; how will your participation positively impact your own institution as well as institutions you visit).
  • Describe the characteristics of the ideal host site (institutions, organizations, labs, offices, etc.) to be visited during the Fellowship for benchmarking and training purposes. If the prospective Fellow has relevant insight about APLU institutions, this information can be shared as well. However, if the prospective Fellow is unclear regarding institutions they would visit, include enough information to help program organizers identify possible hosts. Visits to host institutions are typically 1-2 days in length, with the availability to have follow-up conversations to enhance area competencies. A total of 2-3 visits will likely occur across multiple institutions (one visit per institution) during the 12-month Fellowship. Visits may be virtual.
  • Describe ways in which the proposed Fellowship training will contribute to your career development as well as to the broader research enterprise, in particular, related to the chosen skills for development.
  • Summarize your expertise and perspective and how that will benefit others in the fellowship
  • Provide a timeline for the proposed training plan and budget, including sources of funding that are available to support proposed travel.

3. Letter(s) of Support and Recommendation 

You may provide UP TO 3 letters of support and/or recommendation, with at least one required letter provided by your direct supervisor detailing the support (financial, time) that will be provided to you as part of your participation in the Fellowship. 

4. Current CV 

Please limit to 5 pages. Reviewers will focus primarily on your administrative accomplishments (i.e., you need not list all publications, lectures given, or funding received).

 5. Half-page bio and headshot suitable for posting online if you are selected as a fellow. 

Applications received by 5:00 PM PT on Monday, March 30, 2026, will be evaluated by a review committee consisting of 8 CoR members (a mix of VPRs/VCRs and past fellows) and Research Leader Fellowship Program coordinators Jane Strasser and Jim Reecy. The review and discussion of applicants will be completed by May 5, 2026, with the goal of notifying applicants of the review outcome by May 8, 2026.

The following criteria will be taken into consideration:

  • Eligibility for the Fellowship – institutional membership in APLU;
  • Preparation and readiness for the Fellowship, applicants who are not currently VPRs/VCRs should have at least 1 year of college/institutional leadership experience;
  • Viability of the Fellowship Training Plan;
  • Intellectual merit of the proposed questions of interest to be explored relative to the applicant’s current expertise and knowledge;
  • Credibility AND clarity of the elements proposed in the Fellowship Training Plan;
  • Preparedness of the applicant to execute the proposed Fellowship Training Plan and contribute to the cohort; and
  • Potential for impact on the applicant’s career and his/her future contributions to the broader research enterprise
  • Potential to contribute to the Fellows knowledge base. What insights and expertise do you have to share that will enrich the program?

Participants in the COR Research Leader Fellowship Program are required to submit a final report with required documentation to the APLU CoR Executive Committee at the end of the fellowship or by the date outlined in the award letter. This report should describe the outcomes and impacts of the training plan on the research enterprise, the Fellow’s career, and the areas and questions of interest. The report also should describe any deviations from the originally proposed plan and include activities in progress that relate directly to the training plan. By participating in this program, Fellows are asked to serve as reviewers for future applicants to the CoR Research Leader Fellowship Program for a two-year period following the initial program year.

Fellows will be invited to participate in a graduation ceremony at the CoR Summer Meeting following the end of their fellowship term.

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