Development of new faculty: Summary of the NSF-CMS WEE Workshop

The National Science Foundation-Civil and Mechanical Systems (NSF-CMS) Workshop on the Advancement and Retention of Underrepresented and Minority Engineering Educators (WEE) 2003 brought together approximately 75 future, new, and seasoned professors from universities all over the United States. The NSF workshop is intended to provide valuable information to new or prospective underrepresented and minority faculty to assist them with the start of their academic careers. However, the information provided in the workshop is universally applicable to all new engineering professors, who aspire to develop comprehensive research, teaching, and service programs. This paper provides a highlight of the workshop and summarizes some of the key information presented. Topics such as funding strategies, proposal writing, and advice for the new tenure track faculty member are given. Where appropriate, we have included supplemental information from the literature that supports or expands on topics discussed at the workshop.