Mentoring Programs have been among the most popular and successful of all LFP initiatives. Mentoring Programs provide funds to nurture faculty at all stages of their careers at Network institutions and strengthen the commitment of faculty to institutional mission. Well-constructed mentoring programs encourage faculty ranging from new hires to junior, mid-career, and veteran faculty to understand and share the ethos of the school, to grow to love the questions that the institution holds dear, and to consider the importance of fundamental matters concerning the relationship between higher learning and the Christian faith. Such programs also seek to renew and deepen the commitment of the whole institution and its leaders to those central intellectual and spiritual matters.
The experience of numerous previous LFP Mentoring Programs, along with a great deal of practical advice and theological reflection on the academic vocation from a variety of Christian traditions, has been collected in Mentoring for Mission: Nurturing New Faculty at Church-Related Colleges, Caroline Simon, ed., (Eerdmans, 2003). Applicants for Mentoring Programs are strongly encouraged to consult this valuable resource.
A Mentoring Program may be funded at $12,000. Institutions that have already received a grant in this category will not be eligible in the same category again for two years after the original grant was awarded.
Each proposed LFP Mentoring Program should be designed to serve the character and structure of that particular institution and the needs of its faculty. Each school will determine the number of faculty mentors and new or junior faculty to be involved in the Mentoring Program, the format and character of the program, and the appropriate compensation for various participants. Institutions are encouraged to enrich or extend the LFP Program by providing additional funds from their own resources. At the conclusion of the Mentoring Program, the Director must submit a brief report on the character and outcomes of the Program, including a list of faculty involved.
Before applying, please consult the "Guide to writing Lilly National Network Grant Proposals."
For Mentoring programs, specifically, each proposal must include the following:
- Description of the Program (5 pages), including Executive Summary, Rationale, Connection to the Lilly National Network Mission, Goals of the Project, Project Description, and Evaluation Plan
- Preliminary schedule of events for participants
- Projected budget
- Abbreviated CV of the Director of the Grant
- Application Cover Sheet (available here)
If applying for a second LFP Mentoring grant, please specify how this additional grant funding is necessary for building on the previous LFP Mentoring grant or specify how this additional funding will initiate a new program unrelated to the previous grant.
For further information regarding Mentoring Programs in their various forms, applicants may contact institutions that have previously sponsored Mentoring Programs.
Applicants must consult with the Lilly Fellows Program Associate Director prior to submitting the application.
Application Deadline is September 15 of each year.
