Support for Facilitating Diversity in Faculty Searches

Deadline: September 30 and January 15. (In the event that a deadline falls upon a weekend or a university holiday that deadline will move to the first workday following the posted date.)

Award Amount: Up to $5,000. Requests for more than $5,000 must be approved by the WiSE Program Director prior to submission.

Directions: Submit online application.

The WiSE Program provides competitively awarded support to WiSE-eligible departments at USC that propose and implement creative ideas for “casting the net widely,” thus increasing the representation of women in science and engineering faculty searches. Activities for which funding may be requested are expected to vary from department to department, as effective approaches would depend on individual disciplines. Proposals should include a brief description of the departmental plan to increase diversity in faculty hiring and a strong justification of why and how receipt of funds will serve to cast the net widely to increase the representation of women in science and engineering faculty searches. Departments may submit no more than one application per academic year.

Goal: To foster creative ideas for “casting the net widely,” thus increasing the representation of women in science and engineering faculty searches. Activities for which funding may be requested are expected to vary from department to department, as effective approaches would depend on individual disciplines. Examples of appropriate activities might include:

  • hosting a career development workshop for senior graduate students and/or postdocs that would provide the opportunity to establish early contact with outstanding candidates for faculty positions, or;
  • holding a seminar series that would facilitate bringing to USC postdoctoral researchers for “informational visits” that also serve as advanced identification of potential candidates.

Eligibility: Any WiSE-eligible department may submit no more than one application per academic year. The application must be submitted by either a Department Chair or the Chair of a Search Committee (with an endorsement of the Department Chair). Proposals should include a brief description of the departmental plan to increase diversity in faculty hiring and a strong justification of why and how receipt of funds will serve to cast the net widely to increase the representation of women in science and engineering faculty searches. Those contemplating a proposal are encouraged to discuss the eligibility of their proposal with the Director of the WiSE Program, Leana Golubchik at leana@usc.edu or 213-740-0996.

Application Process: The following should be submitted via the WiSE online application system as part of a completed application:

  • Detailed Proposal (three pages or less) describing the proposed activity and how it would further the goals of the WiSE Program to increase the number of women in science and engineering faculty searches. Proposals should be addressed to a broad audience.
  • Budget (one page plus one explanatory page) outlining proposed expenses. Provide a budget explanation on a separate page, clarifying the role of any individuals for whom salary support is requested; explain how travel funds will be used; justify the need for any equipment.

2021-2022

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife
  • Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Viterbi School of Engineering

2020-2021

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife

2019-2020

  • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Biological Sciences, Molecular and Computational Biology, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Biological Sciences, Quantitative and Computational Biology, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Biological Sciences, Marine and Environmental Biology, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Mathematics, USC Dornsife

2018-2019

  • Department of Electrical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Biological Sciences, Molecular and Computational Biology, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife

2017-2018

  • Department of Electrical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Biological Sciences, Molecular and Computational Biology, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology
  • Department of Chemistry, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Earth Sciences, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife

2016-2017

  • Department of Electrical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Biological Sciences Molecular and Computational Biology, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Chemistry, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Earth Sciences, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Mathematics, USC Dornsife

2015-2016

  • Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Electrical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Earth Sciences, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Mathematics, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Biological Sciences, Marine and Environmental Biology, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology, USC Dornsife

2014-2015

  • Department of Electrical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Mathematics, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Earth Sciences, USC Dornsife

Spring 2013

  • Department of Earth Sciences, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Physics, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
  • Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering

Fall 2012

  • None Awarded.

Spring 2012

  • Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering

Fall 2011

  • Department of Biological Sciences, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Chemistry, USC Dornsife
  • Department of Earth Sciences, USC Dornsife

Spring 2011

  • Department of Earth Sciences, USC Dornsife