Designed for full-time faculty members from institutions historically marginalized in STEM research, the Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) is your opportunity to enhance your research competitiveness and the innovative STEM learning you bring to students through a funded collaborative experience with a Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory. 

For a list of Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) participants, please click here.

VFP Focuses and Tracks

Customize your experience in VFP by choosing one of two tracks: (1) VFP Research Collaboration or (2) the VFP Teaching Initiative Track (available for returning VFP participants).

The VFP Research Collaboration track is specifically designed to help you increase your research competitiveness and elevate your students’ learning and research. You are not required to have previously collaborated with the DOE national laboratories to be considered for the research collaboration track.

The VFP Teaching Initiative track invigorates your STEM teaching through research collaboration with DOE national laboratories. This track enables you to develop innovative ideas for course content, certificate programs, seminars, modules, and learning resources to foster the connection between your STEM curriculum and career opportunities in key DOE science and technology mission areas for your students. To be considered for the Teaching Initiative track, you must have previously participated in VFP (formerly called Faculty and Student Teams).

In both tracks, you’ll team with DOE scientists and engineers at one of the 15 participating DOE national laboratories to advance scientific impact and discovery through a research project of mutual interest.

Program Details and Dates

VFP is offered over the summer term in a 10-week experience. To further strengthen your research collaboration, returning VFP participants can apply to participate in a 10-week experience in spring or fall terms and receive financial support for a teaching buyout. Faculty who participate in VFP over the summer also have the option of inviting up to two of your students (one of these may be a graduate student) to join the project.

To apply, you must submit a research project proposal that is co-developed with the collaborating research staff located at the host DOE laboratory at the time of submitting your application.
We’ve developed a series of resources to help you be successful in this process and understand how to create your proposal and complete your application.

  1. Confirm your institution’s eligibility.
  2. Learn all about VFP: Visit our resources to understand the participant obligations, as well as the benefitsof VFP.
  3. Verify dates and processes: As you prepare to apply, be sure to review the key dates related to the VFP term you’re hoping to participate in.
  4. Review the VFP application requirements and proposal guidance: We have a comprehensive set of resources to help you prepare for your application, including details on selecting a host DOE laboratory, resources to develop a research proposal, information on your recommender information, details about including student participants, step-by-step information to submit your proposal, and what you can expect from the process.
  5. VFP webinars and FAQ: Sign up for our next workshop to answer your questions and help empower you during the application process. We also have an on-demand FAQ section to share some of the most common questions we get from faculty who are interested in VFP.
  6. Apply: You’re ready to apply! You have all the details you need, and the resources required to create a competitive and compelling VFP application.