Faculty Development Leave (FDL) Guidelines
Updated August 8, 2025
Contents
Other: COLA-FDL Eligibility
OVERVIEW
As defined in the Texas Education Code, an FDL is a leave of absence for a faculty member to dedicate time and effort "for study, research, writing, field observations, or other suitable purpose."
All FDLs must follow Texas Education Code and the following UT Austin FDL requirements:
To be eligible for any kind of FDL, the faculty member must have served as a full-time faculty member of UT Austin for at least two consecutive full academic years at some point before the start of the FDL.
Not more than 6% of each CSU's faculty can have FDL each academic year (based on the previous academic year's headcount of tenured/ tenure-track faculty).
Applications for any kind of FDL must be reviewed by a committee that includes elected faculty.
Upon completion of an FDL, the faculty member has a return obligation such that they must either:
Return to work at UT Austin for the fall and spring terms following conclusion of the FDL, or
Repay UT Austin for all the costs of the FDL (the total compensation including fringe benefits)
*Note that FDLs are distinct from course releases that result in 0-teaching loads. FDLs release faculty from normal University obligations so they can focus solely on research. Course releases that result in 0-teaching loads are for teaching release only; faculty are expected to fulfill other University obligations and duties.
Award Timing
The application process for UT-FDLs opens at the start of the fall semester of one academic year for UT-FDLs starting in the following academic year (e.g. applications submitted in Fall 2025 are for UT-FDLs occurring in AY 2026-27).
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
UT-FDL application information and other requirements are provided on the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost's Faculty Development Leave website.
Core Eligibility Criteria
Faculty must be tenured at UT Austin when they apply for and have a UT-FDL.
At the start of the UT-FDL, the faculty member must have already completed at least six full academic years employed as a full-time faculty member by UT Austin, with the six years including at least two full academic years of consecutive full-time service at UT Austin and received no other FDLs during that six-year period. (See UT’s FDL Guidelines for further details and examples).
Faculty must have a demonstrated record of and trajectory for continuing excellence in their research, scholarship and creative endeavors as defined by their college/school. This includes meeting or exceeding expectations in at least three of the most recent full academic years preceding the application for the FDL.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Application Materials
Short CV (limit: four pages)
FDL Proposal that includes:
Abstract (limit: 100 words) that briefly summarizes the purpose of the proposed FDL. The Abstract should not use unnecessary acronyms and should include the following information:
The location where the faculty member will engage in the FDL activities.
Research, scholarship, and creative endeavors that will occur during the FDL.
Benefits and anticipated impact of the FDL on the
Faculty member's professional development with regard to their research/ scholarly/ creative endeavors, and on the
Faculty member's department, college/school and the university.
Leave Proposal (limit: 2,000 words) that describes and justifies the proposed research, scholarship, and creative endeavors and the need for the FDL, the location where the faculty will do the work during the FDL, which type of FDL is requested (full-time for one long semester or half-time in each of two long semesters), details about the planned leave activities and how the leave activities will contribute to the further development of the candidate's research/ scholarly/ creative endeavors.
Bibliography (optional; limit: two pages)
Letter of Invitation required only if the FDL is to be hosted elsewhere (e.g., national lab, another institution of higher education, etc.)
Where to Apply
Applications can be submitted September 2, 2025 - October 1, 2025 via the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost website.
POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS
Return Obligation Requirement
Upon completion of any FDL, the faculty member has a return obligation such that they must either:
Return to work at UT Austin for the fall and spring terms following conclusion of the FDL, or
Repay UT Austin for all the costs of the FDL (the total compensation including fringe benefits).
FDL Award Report
Upon completion of the FDL and by the conclusion of the first term (fall or spring) after the FDL has ended, the faculty member must submit a one-page summary report documenting FDL activities and products (where relevant), an accounting of all grants supplemental to the FDL (where relevant), and the impact of the FDL on the faculty member’s professional development. The Report should list any scholarly activities such as conference presentations, publications, performances, exhibitions, patents, digital resources, or other research/creative activity that resulted or will results from work done during the period of the leave. Note, a failure to submit the report will make the faculty member ineligible for another FDL.
REVIEW COMMITTEE
Committee Membership
The College of Liberal Arts Faculty Leaves and Awards Committee is comprised of six elected faculty members and three appointed faculty members plus ex officio member, the Associate Dean for Academic & Faculty Affairs.
To ensure appropriate representation, each of the nine faculty representatives must hold appointments in different departments.
Elected and appointed faculty serve two-year terms, serving no more than two consecutive terms.
Criteria for nominee eligibility:
Tenured faculty members who hold primary or joint appointments in the College of Liberal Arts
Nominees cannot intend to apply for an FDL while serving on the committee
Nomination and Election Process
Every two years, a call for nominations goes to Department Chairs in August. Chairs may submit up to one nominee each, based on eligibility criteria above.
Each candidate is entered into a college-wide election. Open elections occur in late August-early September.
Anonymous voting is conducted via Qualtrics survey under the following conditions:
All College of Liberal Arts tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible to vote.
Faculty may vote only once.
Faculty may vote for up to three candidates.
The six top-ranked candidates are invited to serve on the committee. The Dean’s Office appoints three more faculty to serve, selected from remaining nominees or other eligible faculty. Dean’s Office appointments will balance committee representation based on discipline and department size.
Committee Review Process
The UT-FDL application period occurs annually in September-October based on Provost’s Office deadlines.
The College of Liberal Arts Dean’s Office reviews all applications for eligibility and removes ineligible applicants. The offices of Academic & Faculty Affairs and Human Resources are responsible for communication, verifying eligibility and tracking.
Department chairs rank applicants from their departments and submit a brief narrative statement that includes the acceptable number of faculty leaves that will allow the department to meet instructional needs, as well as other relevant information on strategic and/or research priorities that informed ranking decisions.
The College’s Faculty Leaves and Awards Committee reviews UT-FDL applications, along with the chair rankings and narrative statements, in October-November based on Provost’s Office deadlines.
The College’s Faculty Leaves and Awards Committee also reviews external fellowship applications that qualify as an FDL with the University. These reviews are conducted throughout the year as applications are received.
When evaluating applications, committee members consider FDL eligibility criteria, the quality of the leave proposal, and recent course releases and/or other leaves.
The committee’s review and recommendation should reflect the professional, evidence-based judgment of each member involved and must not be positively or negatively influenced by a candidate’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Other
COLA-FDL ELIGIBILITY. When an external grant, fellowship, residency, contract, or other external opportunity buys out a faculty member’s teaching or service, or when there is a faculty professional leave without pay, the dean decides on a case-by-case basis as to whether this qualifies as an FDL based on the specifics of the individual’s circumstances in relation to the Texas Education Code. If it is determined that the circumstances fit the definition of an FDL, the faculty member will be invited to apply for a COLA-FDL using an ad hoc process that includes review by the elected committee.
COLA Co-Sponsored External Fellowships (CSEF) COLA faculty who are awarded prestigious external fellowships may apply for supplemental funding from the College of Liberal Arts to support their fellowship award. If the College funds 50% or more of the faculty member's salary across an academic year, the award may qualify as an FDL. In such cases, eligibility and processes must follow FDL guidelines. COLA-CSEF application information and other requirements are provided on the College’s Co-Sponsored External Fellowship website.
For questions, contact: la-academic@austin.utexas.edu