Taft Professorships are designed to reward Taft Research Center’s most outstanding faculty in the 15 Taft units with a dedicated funding line that they can draw on to conduct and share their research and creative projects.

The Charles Phelps 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. 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.

The award provides a title for a five-year period and $4,000 annually in research funds, for a total of $20,000 over the five-year period of the professorship. Each annual $4,000 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 Taft activities, as relevant.

To apply, please send the following items to taft@uc.edu, including “Taft Distinguished Professor” in the subject line: (1) a three-page outline of past accomplishments, as well as current and future research and/or creative plans, (2) a complete C.V., and (3) the names of two recommenders with well-established profiles in your field external to UC that will submit letters on your behalf.

Applications are due by 5:00pm ET on Monday, October 14, 2024. Applicants should sendtheir application materials as one pdf file to taft@uc.edu and ask their recommenders to send their letters of recommendation to the same email address by October 28, 2024 with the subject line: “Letter of recommendation for [applicant’s name].” Please contact Stephanie Sadre-Orafai (sadreose@ucmail.uc.edu) or Sean Keating-Crawford (keatins@ucmail.uc.edu) with questions.

To apply, please send the following items to taft@uc.edu, and include “Taft Professor of Social Justice” in the message title: (1) a 2–3 page outline of past accomplishments and current and future research and/or creative plans as they relate to interdisciplinary and public engagements with social justice, (2) a copy of your CV, and (3) the names and contact information for three individuals, at least two of whom are external to UC, who can contextualize the impact of your public-facing social justice scholarship and/or community partnerships. This list can include both recognized scholars in your field(s) and community partners. The selection committee will contact your referees directly. No letters are required. 

Applications are due by 5:00pm ET on Monday, October 14, 2024. Applicants should send their application materials as one pdf file to taft@uc.edu. Please contact Stephanie Sadre-Orafai (sadreose@ucmail.uc.edu) or Sean Keating-Crawford (keatins@ucmail.uc.edu) if you have questions.