VFP Application Review, Selection, and Notification

This section explains how your Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) application will be reviewed, how participants are selected, and what to expect regarding notifications.

  • Application Eligibility and Compliance

Before any merit assessment, every application undergoes an initial review:

  • Check for Completeness: We verify that you meet all eligibility criteria and have submitted all required materials by the application deadline.
  • Basis for Evaluation: Only applications that fully meet all requirements will move forward to the merit review stage. The information you provide in the online system is the sole basis for this evaluation.
  • Application Merit Review

Eligible applications then undergo a thorough and objective merit review:

  • Fair Assessment: Independent evaluators, who are not connected to the applicants, will assess applications based on pre-defined criteria. They follow all applicable DOE rules for evaluation.
  • Faculty Assessment Factors: Faculty applications are evaluated based on:
    • Your Curriculum Vitae (CV)
    • Your research proposal
    • Your research, experience, and training in STEM fields
    • The strength of your recommendation letters
    • Your expressed scientific interests
    • How your background, experience, and accomplishments align with the research programs at your chosen DOE laboratory.
  • Student Assessment Factors: Student applications are evaluated based on:
    • Academic performance, particularly in STEM coursework.
    • Strength of recommendation letters.
    • Expressed scientific interests.
    • Applicant's background, experience, accomplishments, and interests as they relate to research programs at host laboratories.
  • Selection and Placement

The number of available VFP positions for faculty and students depends on funding, program needs, and staff availability.

  • Laboratory Review: After the merit review, highly rated applications are reviewed by laboratory scientific and technical research advisors, in coordination with the DOE Laboratory Education Directors.
  • Faculty Selection: Research advisors select faculty applicants whose skills, knowledge, and research interests best match the research projects they want to collaborate on.
  • Student Selection: Research advisors also make decisions about student participation, considering student qualifications and available funds.
  • Final Decision: The host laboratory's Education Director makes the final selection and appointment. The Associate Director for the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Students, Office of Science, has the ultimate authority.
  • Ethical Conduct: All DOE employees, including those involved in VFP, must comply with strict regulations regarding employee conduct codified in 10 CFR Part 1010 and Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch at 5 CFR Part 2635.
  • Non-Discrimination: Participants are recruited and selected fairly, without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, mental or physical disability, or veteran status.
  • Notification
  • Offer Notification Method: If you are selected, you will receive an appointment offer via a congratulatory email from the host laboratory Education Director through the online application system. This will be followed by an official offer package.
  • Offer Package Details: The offer package will provide crucial details, including:
    • Stipend information
    • Housing and travel arrangements
    • Program orientation details
    • Identification of your research advisor and specific research project
    • The institutional setting
    • Any special requirements
    • Expected deliverables
  • Communication with Co-PI: After accepting an offer, faculty members are encouraged to continue detailed discussions about the planned research with their laboratory co-Principal Investigator.
  • Final Appointment Contingencies: Your final appointment at the host laboratory depends on:
    • Submission and acceptance of all required application materials.
    • Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status.
    • Successful completion of a formal background check (if required).