Deadline: December 5, 2025
A University of Massachusetts Amherst Samuel F. Conti Faculty Fellowship provides tenured professors with a unique opportunity to focus on their research or creative activities. Fellowships are managed by the office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement (VCRE) and provide a one-year release from teaching and service duties in addition to a $3,500 cash award.
Conti Fellows are chosen based on their record of outstanding accomplishments in research and creative activity and on their potential for continued excellence, particularly regarding the project that would be undertaken during the Fellowship period and as proposed in their nomination materials. Accomplishments in research and creative activity as a UMass Amherst faculty member are paramount. Distinguished teaching or meritorious service will not enhance a nomination unless it is an integral part of the work to be undertaken. Conti Fellows are expected to continue as members of the faculty for at least one year post-Fellowship.
Deadlines
- Nominees due to corresponding Academic Dean's Office by December 5, 2025.
- Dean's Nominations due to the Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement by January 2, 2026.
Please note italicized additions as of October 2024.
During the fall semester, Heads and Chairs will consult with their Departmental Personnel Committees to identify prospective nominees and assemble the required materials. Nomination packets include: a statement of up to 1,000 words from the candidate describing how the Fellowship time would be spent; a complete curriculum vitae; a supporting letter from the nominee's department head/chair, including comments on the impact of the proposed project; and a list of no more than five external referees and their contact information (including email addresses), from whom recommendation letters will be requested if the nomination packet is forwarded by the dean to the VCRE. Candidates who have been nominated in the previous three years may choose to rely on reference letters from the previous nomination. Self-nominations are also permitted, in which case the supporting letter may be written by a colleague or by the department head/chair.
Because candidates come from a wide variety of disciplines, nominations should be prepared for a broad audience, most of whom have little disciplinary context. Because finalists all have excellent records of research and creative activity, awards depend strongly on a compelling project proposal that can be accomplished during the fellowship period. Nomination materials and referee letters that address the significance of the project and the potential for success and impact, are most useful for the review. Furthermore, the timing of a proposed project has often been compelling to reviewers, such as an opportunity that is available for a limited time or addresses an urgent societal issue.
Nomination packets, including self-nominations, must be submitted to the Dean of the candidate’s academic unit no later than Friday, December 5, 2025. Individual colleges may specify additional internal deadlines or review procedures.
Deans may forward two nominations to the VCRE on or before Friday, January 2, 2026. Colleges with more than 200 tenure-stream faculty members may submit additional nominations up to a maximum of 1% (rounded) of their respective faculties. Nominators are expected to work closely with the office of the VCRE to secure recommendation letters if necessary.
Conti Fellowship nominations are reviewed by a committee appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement, after consultation with the Provost and the Chair of the Research Council. The committee members will be full time faculty at UMass Amherst who are recognized for excellence in research and creative activities, including but not limited to former Conti Fellows. The Committee membership and their recommendations will reflect the campus goals for a diverse and inclusive community.
Fellowship recipients for the 2026-2027 academic year will be announced in spring semester 2026.
Recipients of the Samuel F. Conti Faculty Fellowship Awards
2024
Kathleen Arcaro, Veterinary & Animal Sciences
Todd Emrick, Polymer Science & Engineering
Elizabeth Krause, Anthropology
2023
Lynn Adler, Biology
Maria José Botelho, Teacher Education & Curriculum Studies
Gretchen Gerzina, English
2022
Paul Collins, Jr., Political Science
Shelly Peyton, Chemical Engineering
Banu Subramaniam, Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies
2021
Professor Nilanjana Buju Dasgupta, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Professor Janice Irvine, Sociology
Professor Jane Kent, Kinesiology
2020
Professor D. Julian McClements, Food Science
Professor Andrea Nahmod, Mathematics and Statistics
Professor Prashant Shenoy, Computer Science
2019
Professor Joya Misra, Sociology
Professor Sabina Murray, English
Professor Baoshan Xing, Stockbridge School of Agriculture
2018
Professor Alice Y. Cheung, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Professor Susan E. Hankinson, Biostatistics & Epidemiology
Professor Max Page, Architecture
2017
Professor Richard van Emmerik, Kinesiology
Professor Lisa Green, Linguistics
Professor Panos Kevrekidis, Mathematics and Statistics
2016
Professor Melinda Novak, Psychological & Brain Sciences
Professor David Reckhow, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Professor Donald Tomaskovic-Devey, Sociology
2015
Professor Daniela Calzetti, Astronomy
Professor Alfred J. Crosby, Polymer Science and Engineering
Professor Gerald A. Epstein, Economics
2014
Robert M. DeConto, Geosciences
Andrew McCallum, Computer Science
Marla Miller, History
2013
Lee Badgett, Economics
Jeffrey D. Blaustein, Psychology
Fred Feldman, Philosophy
2012
Dan Clawson, Sociology
Walter Denny, Art, Architecture & Art History
Stephen Sireci, Educational Policy, Research and Administration
2011
Julie Brigham-Grette, Geosciences
James Kurose, Computer Science
Daphne Patai, Languages, Literature, and Culture
2010
Donal A. Carbaugh, Communication
Nancy G. Forger, Psychology
Lynnette Leidy Sievert, Anthropology
2009
Laurie Rohde Godfrey, Anthropology
James J. Watkins, Polymer Science & Engineering
Sankaran Thayumanavan, Chemistry
2008
Professor Daniel Anderson, Psychology
Professor Nancy Folbre, Economics
Professor Donald Towsley, Computer Science
2007
Professor W. Bruce Croft, Computer Science
Professor Naomi Gerstel, SADRI/Sociology
Professor Nikolay V. Prokofiev, Physics
2006
Professor Salvatore Macchia, Music & Dance
Professor Peter A. Monson, Chemical Engineering
Professor Margaret Speas, Linguistics
2005
Professor James K. Boyce, Economics
Professor Michael J. Maroney, Chemistry
Professor Maria A. Tymoczko, Comparative Literature
2004
Professor Stephen Clingman, English
Professor H. Henning Winter, Chemical Engineering
Professor R. Thomas Zoeller, Biology
2003
Professor Joseph Donahue, English
Professor Vincent M. Rotello, Chemistry
Professor Daniel H. Schaubert, Electrical & Computer Engineering
2002
Professor Rachel Keen Clifton, Psychology
Professor Lila M. Gierasch, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Professor Michael F. Malone, Chemical Engineering
Professor Stephen Nissenbaum, History
2001
Professor Thomas P. Russell, Polymer Science & Engineering
Professor Christopher L. Woodcock, Biology
Professor George N. Wade, Psychology
2000
Professor William E. Bemis, Biology
Professor Todd K. Fuller, Natural Resources Conservation
Professor Thomas J. McCarthy, Polymer Science & Engineering
Professor Richard Yarde, Art
1999
Professor Charles E. Clifton, Jr., Psychology
Professor Angelika Kratzer, Linguistics
Professor Edward M. Riseman, Computer Science
Professor Lawrence M. Schwartz, Biology
1998
Professor Paul R. Cohen, Computer Sciences
Professor Michael F. Doherty, Chemical Engineering
Professor Barbara A. Osborne, Veterinary & Animal Sciences
Changed to the Samuel F. Conti Faculty Fellowship Award after 1997
1997
Professor John J. McCarthy, Linguistics
Professor Muragappan Muthukumar, Polymer Science & Engineering
Professor Calvin T. Swift, Electrical & Computer Engineering
1996
Professor Lynne Rudder Baker, Philosophy
Professor Eduardo H. C. Cattani, Mathematics & Statistics
Professor Rodney K. Murphey, Molecular & Cellular Biology
1995
Professor Leila Ahmed, Women’s Studies Program
Professor Robert E. McIntosh, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Professor David A. Tirrell, Polymer Science & Engineering
1994
Professor Eric M. Beekman, Germanic Languages & Literatures
Professor Maurille J. Fournier, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Professor Shaw Ling Hsu, Polymer Science & Engineering
Professor Donald E. Kroodsma, Biology
Professor Sally I. Powers, Psychology
1993
Professor Lori A. Clarke, Computer Science
Professor Peter Elbow, English
Professor Lyn Frazier, Linguistics
Professor Robert B. Hallock, Physics & Astronomy
Professor Allen E. Ivey, Education
1992
Professor Susan Tufts Fiske, Psychology
Professor Robert Mallary, Art
Professor Gerald W. McFarland, History
Professor Lynn Margulis, Botany
Professor Robert A. Zimmermann, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
1991
Professor Raymond S. Bradley, Geology & Geography
Professor Richard J. Farris, Polymer Science & Engineering
Professor Keith Rayner, Psychology
Professor Elisabeth O. Selkirk, Linguistics
Professor Robert Stern, Music & Dance
1990
Professor Yvonne Y. Haddad, History
Professor William M. Irvine, Physics & Astronomy
Professor Arnold L. Rosenberg, Computer & Information Science
1989
Professor Louis Carpino, Chemistry
Professor James C. W. Chien, Polymer Science & Engineering
Professor Anna Nagurney, General Business & Finance
Professor Thomas Roeper, Linguistics
1988
Professor David A. Hoffman, Mathematics & Statistics
Professor Stephen E. Haggerty, Geology
Professor Sheldon Goldman, Political Science
Professor Katherine V. Fite, Psychology
Professor Julio M. Ottino, Chemical Engineering
1987
Professor Margaret Barr Bigelow, Botany
Professor John F. Donoghue, Physics & Astronomy
Professor Kathy Swaim, English
1986
Professor David Porter, English
Professor Edwin S. Williams, Linguistics
Professor Robert R. Holmes, Chemistry
Professor James M. Douglas, Chemical Engineering
1985
Professor Paul Mariani, English
Professor Julius Lester, Afro-American Studies
Professor Peter K. Hepler, Botany
Professor Samuel Bowles, Economics
1984
Professor Edward R. Harrison, Physics & Astronomy
Professor William J. MacKnight, Polymer Science & Engineering
Professor Robert J. Ackermann, Philosophy
Professor Peter Rossi, Sociology
1983
Professor Seymour Epstein, Psychology
Professor Frank Karasz, Polymer Science & Engineering
Professor Arthur F. Kinney, English
Professor Robert W. Lenz, Chemical Engineering
Professor Alice Rossi, Sociology
Professor George M. Wardlaw, Art
1982
Professor Emmon Bach, Linguistics
Professor John Brandts, Chemistry
Professor Vincent Dethier, Zoology
Professor Archibald Lewis, History
Professor Roger Porter, Polymer Science & Engineering
Professor Jack Keil Wolf, Electrical & Computer Engineering
1981
Professor Michael A. Arbib, Computer & Information Science
Professor Bronislaw M. Honigberg, Zoology
Professor Stephen B. Oates, History
Professor Barbara H. Partee, Linguistics
Professor Richard S. Stein, Chemistry
Professor James Tate, English
For more information, please contact Christine Burnett in the Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement Office at 545-5270 or by email.