COMPETITION NOW CLOSED FOR 2010-2011: Information included below for reference

Deadline: Monday, September 21, 2009

The Advisory Board of the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science invites Berkeley faculty by way of their Department Chair to make departmental nominations for Visiting Miller Research Professorships. The purpose of the Visiting Miller Professorship is to bring promising or eminent scientists to the Berkeley campus on a short-term basis for collaborative research interactions. It is required that awardees be in residence at Berkeley during their appointment term. It is stipulated that the appointee do no formal teaching, however public talks and department colloquia are encouraged.

The Advisory Board of the Institute, which will make the awards, recognizes the problem of ascertaining whether a distinguished scholar would be interested in coming to Berkeley as a Visiting Miller Research Professor. The Board hopes that by indirect inquiry the prospective sponsoring department can determine the likelihood of availability. The Miller Institute will extend an invitation after advising the department of its selection. Any questions regarding this program may be directed to the Institute's office.

ELIGIBILITY: Faculty members or research scientists from any place in the world are eligible to be considered for sponsorship. Non-US citizens must be eligible for J-1 Scholar visa status. Visitors cannot be supported on H1B or B visa status. (Faculty members at other UC campuses see Addendum.)

TERM OF APPOINTMENT: Terms of appointment may range from a minimum of two weeks to a maximum of one semester (120 days). Full semester appointments are encouraged; however, such nominations should include justification of the need for this long-term collaboration. Each appointment starting date will be negotiated separately, with the restriction that appointments must take place during the regular academic year 2010-2011 (Fall 2010 or Spring 2011). It is not appropriate to request a starting date between semesters or during the summer, and the visit must run in consecutive weeks. When stating a desired starting date, please keep in mind that a minimum lead-time of four months is needed to make visa and other arrangements for foreign visitors.

STIPEND: The stipend is $6,000 per month plus $131 daily for living expenses while in residence. The Institute will pay for one round trip to and from Berkeley for the appointee, normally up to a maximum of $600 within the U.S. and up to $1,800 for foreign travel, based on advance purchase economy rates. There is no provision for travel for family members. Federal regulations require medical and repatriation insurances which are provided for our foreign visitors on a J-1 Visa. No provisions are provided for family members. (Faculty at other UC campuses, see Addendum.)

REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROFESSORSHIP: Appointees have no regular teaching duties, although they are encouraged to confer informally with graduate students and faculty, and to speak before seminars on a limited number of occasions. It is expected that full time and effort will be devoted to research and collaboration on the Berkeley Campus. The Miller bequest requires that visitors be hosted by UC Berkeley departments and that their research is conducted on the campus. Appointees are expected to be in residence during their entire tenure in the Institute; travel during appointment is not allowed and will result in adjusted stipend and living expense payments.

NOMINATION DEADLINE: Nominations must be made by Berkeley faculty by way of their Academic Department Chair. Direct applications are not accepted. Departmental nomination materials must be complete and reach the Institute's office no later than 4 p.m. on Monday, September 21, 2009. Each nomination packet should be submitted separately by email or personally delivered to the Institute. Questions about the Visiting Miller Professorship program may be directed to the Miller Institute’s office at (510) 642-4088 or by email at . Information is also available on the web at http://millerinstitute.berkeley.edu

ANNOUNCEMENT OF AWARDS: Announcement of the awards will be made in December.

DEPARTMENTAL INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDE FOR VISITING MILLER PROFESSORSHIP NOMINATIONS:

Nominations must be made by Berkeley faculty by way of their Academic Department Chair. *Each Departmental Nominee’s nomination packet should be submitted separately by email to millerinstitute@berkley.edu by 4pm of the deadline date (Subject line: VMP Nomination <candidate’s name>). The Miller Institute office will make copies of each nominee’s materials for review by the Selection Committee. The nomination packet(s) can also be delivered in person to the Miller Institute office until 4pm on the deadline date (address below). Do not make submissions by campus mail. Incomplete nominations cannot be processed and will be returned to departments for completion. Please email nomination packet(s) before deadline whenever possible to allow for adequate administrative review. You will receive an email receipt within 24 hours of submission. All materials should be submitted in English on 8-½ x 11-inch paper.

The nomination MUST contain each of the following elements to be complete for consideration. Note that if there are 2 or more nominations from a department, the Chair’s letter must include an evaluation and ranking of all nominees and the letter must be included in each nominee’s packet. *Each Departmental Nominee’s nomination packet should be submitted separately by email to millerinstitute@berkley.edu by 4pm of the deadline date (Subject line: VMP Nomination <candidate’s name>).

1) Departmental Nomination Form (PDF) – REQUIRED*

Please complete all sections of the nomination form (do not leave blanks). Incomplete nomination forms cannot be processed. Only current year forms will be accepted.

2) Departmental Research Proposal (PDF) – REQUIRED *(Mac Users: Please see special note at the bottom of the page) Use Departmental Research Proposal Form on website

The Miller Institute is “dedicated to the encouragement of creative thought and the conduct of research and investigation in the field of pure science . . . and investigation in the field of applied science in so far as such research and investigation are deemed by the Advisory Board to offer a promising approach to fundamental problems.” The research proposal is the department’s opportunity to persuade the Institute’s Advisory Board of the value the candidate will bring to the department and campus. These nominations should not be perfunctory; the Institute has to be convinced that the nominee is strong and the proposal to bring the individual here is well considered. Candidates supported across departments are strongly encouraged. Research proposals meeting these guidelines should not exceed one single-spaced 8-½ x 11-inch page. Nominations for a full semester appointment must show adequate justification for such a term. Direct applications by visiting scholars are not accepted.

3) Letter from Department Chair(s) - REQUIRED

The proposal should be supported by a separate letter from the Department Chair(s) that provides judgment of the proposal. Ranking of nominees by the Chair(s) is required if two or more nominations are submitted.

In this letter, the chair should:

• designate a departmental sponsor with whom the appointee will be associated
• assure the Institute that departmental space, facilities and research support for the appointee will be available
• rank the nominations if two or more departmental nominations are submitted and explain the basis for the rankings. Nominations from multiple departments are encouraged and welcomed, and should include letters and rankings, where appropriate, from each department chair.

4/5) CV and Publications - REQUIRED

Please submit a curriculum vitae (do not include comprehensive publications list in CV) and a separate list of 10 most representative publications. Do not include candidate’s comprehensive publications list or reprints.

*Support letters – Optional

Additional letters of support, while not required, are encouraged and can assist in assessing candidates.

ADDENDUM: Faculty members at other UC campuses are eligible to be nominated for this program. All appointments must be approved by the visitor’s home campus. University policy does not permit the Visiting Miller Professorship to be counted toward a sabbatical leave. (See Academic Personnel Manual 740-11-h, Regents’ Standing Order 103.4.) Payment to a faculty member from another UC campus must conform to University and individual campus policies governing additional compensation. The granting of an award is subject to home campus and Berkeley approval of funding arrangements.

*Submit each departmental nomination separately by email to:

(Subject line: VMP Nomination <candidate’s name>)

*You will receive an email reply of receipt of nomination within 24 hours of submission. If you do not receive the receipt email, please contact us to ensure the nomination was received for processing. The Miller Institute will make the copies from your submitted original materials.

You can also submit departmental nomination(s) by personal delivery to the Miller Institute office:

Attention: Selection Committee

The Miller Institute office is located on the ground floor of a brown-shingled cottage (Bldg E) on Channing Way between Telegraph and Bowditch, in the middle of the Anna Head West parking lot.

DEPARTMENTAL CHECKLIST FOR VISITING MILLER PROFESSOR NOMINATIONS:
*Departments submit original materials and the Miller Institute will make the copies
Please review your nomination packet BEFORE submission for accuracy and completeness.

• Email each departmental nomination separately by email to: millerinstitute@berkeley.edu
  (Subject line: VMP Nomination <candidate’s name>)
• Visiting Miller Professor Departmental Nomination Form* - use current year form on website
• Departmental Research Proposal*(Mac Users: Please see special note at the bottom of the page) - form on website, one 8-½ x 11-inch page
• Letter from Department Chair(s) - ranking required if 2+ nominations
• Curriculum Vitae - do not include comprehensive publications list
• Publications - 10 most representative publications - list only - no reprints
• *Additional letters of support are optional, but encouraged and can assist in assessing candidates. Submit with the department's nomination packet.

VMP 2009 Nomination Form (PDF*)
VMP 2009 Research Proposal Form (PDF*)
PDF* version of text above

*PDF requires Adobe Reader

Any questions regarding the program may be directed to the Institute's office.
Materials may be submitted to: Kathy Day
Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science
2536 Channing Way #5190
Berkeley, CA 94720-5190
tel (510) 642-4088
fax (510) 643-7393