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Apply to the Burges Endowed Visiting Professorship program

Faculty from around the world who have demonstrated leadership and expertise in the field of civil and environmental engineering participate in the Burges Endowed Visiting Professorship program at the University of Washington (UW) Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department. The unique program allows visiting faculty to share their expertise with the UW CEE community and participate in research collaborations with faculty and students.

Each year, visiting professors participate in the program for different durations. Typically, at least one professor will spend three or more months in residence at UW while several other professors participate for three or more days.

How to apply

To be considered for appointment as a Burges Visiting Professor, an individual must be nominated by a UW CEE faculty member. The nominee will then work with the nominating faculty member to develop a plan detailing how the visiting professorship will enable the nominee to advance research collaborations as well as provide educational opportunities for UW students.

Nomination package

A successful nomination package will include the following items:

  • Detailed plan for the visit: The nominee should describe proposed activities that they plan to accomplish during the visit. It is expected that while in residence, a visiting professor will engage in activities to develop and/or strengthen research collaborations with one or more CEE faculty members and their research groups, present a lecture to the broader CEE community, and give one or more lectures to smaller groups within CEE. Nominees requesting larger awards to support a longer period of residency at UW are strongly encouraged to contribute to the teaching mission of the department by offering a course in their area of specialization.
  • Funding request: The level of funding awarded depends on the duration of the visit and associated costs. Please provide detailed estimated costs associated with travel to the Seattle area, accommodations while in residence at UW, and salary or honorarium associated with proposed activities. Funding requests for supplies and TAs to support research and teaching activities will also be considered. For short visits, funding will typically be provided to reimburse all travel expenses; for longer visits, funding will typically be provided to reimburse only a portion of the travel expenses.
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Letter of nomination: Written by the UW CEE faculty member who will host the visit, the nomination letter should discuss why the individual meets the requirements for appointment as a Burges Visiting Professor as well as how the visit will enhance the education and research missions of the department. 

Application deadlines

Nominations will be reviewed by the Burges Visiting Professorship Committee following each application deadline. The Chair will approve successful nominations, as funding allows.

Individuals may be nominated for smaller awards for shorter visits (three or more days). These short visit nominations have a 2-month lead time. Nominations for individuals seeking larger awards for longer visits (typically 3 or more months) will typically be reviewed in December for visits commencing the following academic year. International applicants who plan to teach a class will need work authorization and must submit their application 6 months in advance of their visit.

Deadlines

Earliest start date is 3 months after deadline – 6 months for international applicants

  • December 1 (earliest start date March 1 / June 1)
  • March 1 (earliest start date June 1 / September 1)
  • June 1 (earliest start date September 1 / December 1)
  • September 1 (earliest start date December 1 / March 1)

Nomination packages should be sent to Karen Heath, CEE Assistant to the Chair. Awardees will be notified approximately a month following each submission deadline.

Questions?

Please contact department chair Bart Nijssen at nijssen@uw.edu or a potential UW CEE faculty collaborator.