Regents’ Research Excellence Program: Call for Clustered and Connected proposals

Editor's Note: This message was sent to all faculty on Feb. 1 from Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Heather Shipley and Interim Vice President of Research JoAnn Browning.

Dear Colleagues,

We write to follow up on the recent announcement that UT System has earmarked $55 million for the Emerging Research Universities, including UTSA, to support the recruitment of research-active faculty. We anticipate this allocation to translate to approximately 40 new faculty positions at UTSA, with an intentional effort to recruit mid- to senior-level faculty, over the next several years. UTSA will use the Clustered and Connected Hiring Program (CCP) within our Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative to support this process, and we are pleased to inform you that the call for proposals is now open.

In alignment with the strategic goals outlined by UT System and the Texas Legislature, the CCP is designed to recruit and hire some of the best and brightest minds of varying scholarly backgrounds and expertise in select fields to join in efforts to address some of today’s most significant challenges. It also aims to encourage collaboration among existing faculty members working within or across cross-cutting areas that enhance research visibility and competitiveness.

We invite you and your colleagues to submit proposals for transdisciplinary cluster hires to augment existing expertise and conceptualize innovative approaches to research. We believe that this program will not only contribute to the growth of our R1 culture at UTSA but will also enhance existing emerging research specialties. It also is a unique opportunity for our faculty to align their capabilities with federal and state priorities and foster the collaboration that is central to our strategic vision.

Full details on this call for proposals, which are due April 1, 2024, can be found on the Strategic Hiring Initiative website.

We encourage you to explore this exciting opportunity and look forward to receiving your proposals. If you need further information, please feel free to email your questions to provost@utsa.edu.

Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing UTSA's thriving research enterprise.