Taft

Distinguished Professorship

The Taft Distinguished Professorship is one of the highest honors available to faculty at the University of Cincinnati. The program is designed to reward our most outstanding faculty with a title and dedicated research line, affording monies to conduct and share research.

Taft Distinguished Professorships are awarded based on scholarly distinction to Taft-eligible tenured (associate or full) faculty. The award provides a title for a five-year period and $5,000 annually in research funds, for a total of $25,000 over the five-year period of the professorship. Distinguished Professors are expected to deliver an inaugural lecture/presentation and participate in other relevant Taft activities during their term.

Applications for Distinguished Professorships are currently closed.

Learn More About Distinguished Professorships

Eligibility

The Distinguished Professorships are awarded based on scholarly distinction. Faculty with a strong reputation for outstanding scholarly and/or creative work, particularly scholarly work done in the recent past expected to continue into the future, will be most competitive. This honor is open to all Taft-eligible tenured (associate or full) faculty.

Awardees remain eligible for other awards.

Application Procedures

Applications are due by 5pm EST on the day of the specified deadline. Applicants should email their application materials as one PDF file to taft@uc.edu with "Taft Distinguished Professor" in the subject line.

A complete application must include the following:

  1. Three-page outline of past accomplishments, as well as current and future research and/or creative plans
  2. Complete CV
  3. Names of two recommenders with well-established profiles in your field external to UC that will submit letters on your behalf. Recommenders will email their letters to taft@uc.edu with “Letter of recommendation for [applicant’s name]” in the subject line.

 Please contact Stephanie Sadre-Orafai (sadreose@ucmail.uc.edu) or Sean Keating-Crawford (keatins@ucmail.uc.edu) with questions.

Award Terms

The award provides a title for a five-year period and $5,000 annually in research funds, for a total of $25,000 over the five-year period of the professorship. Each annual $5,000 allotment must be spent during the same fiscal year as the award granted unless prior approval from the Taft Director.

Taft Distinguished Professors are expected to deliver an inaugural lecture/presentation to the UC community, serve on review committees during the five-year professorship, and participate in other relevant Taft activities.