Faculty play a crucial role in all aspects of the School of Public Health. The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) is dedicated to supporting faculty throughout their careers, offering a variety of development and engagement activities to foster the professional growth and academic success of SPH faculty. Our programs assist with grant writing, manuscript preparation, leadership development, and more, providing comprehensive support at every career stage. Below is an overview of opportunities supported by our office. Please contact OFA at sph-ofa@umn.edu if you have suggestions for additional opportunities.
Junior Faculty Luncheons
Junior Faculty Luncheons provide informal opportunities for SPH tenure-track assistant and associate professors, as well as contract (term) faculty, to engage with colleagues across divisions.
Faculty explore topics relevant to their roles (e.g., current public health trends) and share their expertise with peers. Sessions also feature guest lecturers in areas identified by faculty, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Luncheons are held on the first Thursday of October, December, February, April, and May, and are offered both in person and via Zoom.
Writing Hunkers
The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) organizes Writing Hunkers each academic year aimed at supporting SPH faculty and postdoctoral students working on grant proposals or manuscripts. The program offers a group writing environment with personal coaching to help writers make progress. Daily Writing Hunker activities include setting and sharing writing goals, quiet writing sessions, group lunches, and creating momentum for the following day’s tasks.
Writing Hunker hosts are available to assist with impromptu one-on-one meetings to discuss challenges and review drafts. The setting provides distraction-free space for attendees and is open to a maximum of 10 in-person participants.
2025-2026 Sessions
All sessions are held from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm in A301 Mayo.
- August 18 – 21, 2025
- November 12 – 14, 2025
- January 5 – 9, 2026
- March 10 – 12, 2026
- June 1 – 5, 2026
- August 2026: TBD
Faculty Awards Nominations
The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs (ADFA) conducts meetings twice per academic year with school leadership to recommend faculty members eligible for university and external/national awards. SPH regularly nominates its faculty members for diverse awards for three key purposes. These include recognizing individuals for exceptional work and contributions, enhancing their academic reputation and status, and boosting SPH’s prominence and its position both at the university and across the country.
The Office of Faculty Affairs manages the overall submission process and works with division heads on these UMN and external/national awards:
SPH faculty are invited to express interest in being nominated for major University and external/national faculty awards. Faculty may self-nominate for any awards for which they are eligible, and multiple submissions are welcome. Review eligibility requirements for each award before submitting.
View the list of awards with Spring 2026 deadlines.
Submit your interest by October 1, 2025: Nomination Form.
Award offerings are subject to change.
National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) Faculty Success Program
The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) provides partial funding to cover the program cost for up to four SPH faculty each year to participate in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) Faculty Success Program, a highly acclaimed, intensive virtual boot camp that combines empirically tested methods, coaching, peer discussions, and accountability tools to help academics thrive in their careers and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
This virtual boot camp is intended for tenure track and tenured faculty or individuals in tenure track type positions. Sessions run in the spring, summer and fall.
SPH OFA will cover 25% of the application cost for faculty, who may also apply for 50% funding from the UMN Faculty & Academic Affairs. Faculty seeking financial support should follow the process detailed below.
Questions: Contact SPH Office of Faculty Affairs at sph-ofa@umn.edu
- Review the application directions for UMN Faculty & Academic Affairs financial support of the NCFDD Faculty Success Program.
- Contact SPH OFA to request financial support. Requests will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis, separately for each division.
- Complete the application process for UMN Faculty & Academic Affairs financial support.
- Notify SPH OFA after registration for the NCFDD Faculty Success Program so funds can be transferred. If also approved for UMN Faculty & Academic Affairs financial support, notify that office so funds can be transferred.
- Register directly with the NCFDD Faculty Success Program before the deadline.
Spring 2026
-
September 26: Notify SPH OFA of your request for financial support
-
October 1: UMN Faculty & Academic Affairs funding application deadline.
Summer 2026
-
February 13: Notify SPH OFA of your request for financial support
-
February 18: UMN Faculty & Academic Affairs funding application deadline.
Fall 2026
-
June 19: Notify SPH OFA of your request for financial support
-
June 24: UMN Faculty & Academic Affairs funding application deadline.
Great Plains Leadership Institute (2025-2026)
The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) provides financial support to cover the participant fee for two School of Public Health (SPH) faculty to participate in the Great Plains Leadership Institute (GPLI) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health.
GPLI is a year-long competency-based training program designed for emerging, mid-level and senior leaders in organizations whose primary mission is to improve the health and well-being of populations and communities. Learn more about the institute.
Participation Fee. The fee for Year 20 attendance is $2,999. This covers meals and housing while onsite. Travel to and from onsite locations is the responsibility of the faculty member and/or the faculty member’s division.
Questions: Contact SPH Office of Faculty Affairs at sph-ofa@umn.edu
SPH faculty interested in applying for GPLI 2025-2026 (Year 20 cohort) should follow this process:
- Review the application instructions for GPLI Year 20.
- On or before Friday, May 30, 2025, notify SPH OFA of your intent to apply for GPLI Year 20.
- On or before Friday, June 6, 2025, apply to the GPLI program. Then share the submitted application materials with SPH OFA.
- Notify SPH OFA if you are accepted into GPLI Year 20. (GPLI intends to notify applicants of acceptance status starting the week of July 21, 2025.) Should more than two SPH faculty be accepted into the cohort, their application essays will be used to determine which two receive the SPH OFA financial support.
Recipients of the funding will be required to:
- to submit a brief written reflection (~1 page) to SPH OFA on their experience and the benefits of their participation in the GPLI Year 20 cohort; and
- to participate in a debrief with the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs about the potential impact of their participation on research/scholarship, teaching/mentoring, service/engagement, and organizational/team culture.
- May 30, 2025: Notification of intent to apply to the GPLI; e-mail SPH OFA at sph-ofa@umn.edu
- June 6, 2025: GPLI Application deadline. After applying directly to GPLI, e-mail a copy of your application materials to sph-ofa@umn.edu
