CHASS Mid-Career Research Initiative
The CHASS Mid-Career Research Initiative (CMCRI) focuses on fostering research productivity, leadership skills, and professional balance for associate-level faculty in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. A multi-unit collaboration hosted by the Center for Ideas and Society, CMCRI hosts working groups, online support forums, and annual retreats—often geared towards women faculty, who are underrepresented in the full professor ranks—that are designed to support productivity in research, teaching, and service for mid-career faculty.
CMCRI is sponsored by the CHASS Dean’s Office, Center for Ideas & Society, the Departments of English, Ethnic Studies, History, Media & Cultural Studies, and Religious Studies, and the California Center for Native Nations.
Working Groups
CMCRI organizes faculty to attend bi-weekly working group meetings, which are designed to provide support and accountability for research and writing. These two-hour meetings may focus on idea-sharing and problem-solving or on writing accountability and professional development. Working together, scholars create an invigorating and motivating community of intellectual discourse. Members are encouraged to exchange work as desired. Faculty participate in a CMCRI online accountability group to encourage progress toward research and writing goals.
During the summer months, the Center welcomes scholars from all fields of the humanities, arts and social sciences to use its meeting spaces or offices for an on-going writing retreat. Our in-residence scholars report that the quiet, non-institutional feel of the building and the distance from departmental responsibilities enhances creativity, productive writing time and intellectual engagement. Some choose to come by once a week, while others use a private office daily to research and write. If this sounds appealing, contact Center director Georgia Warnke. georgia.warke@ucr.edu
Annual Retreats
Each spring, CMCRI hosts a day-long retreat at the Center for Ideas and Society. The retreat focuses on short-term and long-term planning, advancing from associate professor to full professor, and practical writing strategies. In the fall, CMCRI hosts an off-campus writing retreat to encourage collaboration, foster support and accountability, and practice writing strategies.
