SNF Agora Faculty Affiliates Program

SNF Agora Institute Background

The SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, founded in 2017, is a multi-disciplinary academic and public forum dedicated to strengthening global democracy by improving and expanding civic engagement and inclusive dialogue, and by supporting inquiry that leads to real-world change. By building integrated partnerships with scholars, practitioners, students, and the public, we use research to identify and sharpen strategic choices that members of the public and civic and political stakeholders around the world can make to realize the promise of democracy. 

For more information about the institute, please read SNF Agora’s strategic plan here. 

About the Faculty Affiliates Program

The purpose of the SNF Agora Faculty Affiliates program is to encourage partnership between SNF Agora faculty and scholars within the broader academic community domestically and internationally based in addition to colleagues at Johns Hopkins University. The affiliates program supports work at Johns Hopkins and at other universities that is complementary to SNF Agora’s mission. Through this program, interested faculty will be able to participate in the scholarly life of SNF Agora and, in turn, will benefit from collaborating with a wider community of colleagues who share a passion for reinvigorating global democracies and the civic spaces that fuel them.  

SNF Agora Faculty Affiliates function similarly to courtesy appointments typically offered by large universities. Faculty who are appointed as affiliates at the SNF Agora Institute will not have voting rights in any capacity, but will otherwise be invited to participate fully in the life of the institute. 

All affiliate appointments are made for a two-year period and are reviewed every odd year. 

Benefits

SNF Agora Faculty Affiliates will join a community of faculty members across the academic world aligned with the mission of the SNF Agora Institute. Being part of this community will allow for things like the sharing of ideas and scholarship under development, collaboration on research related to democracy and civic engagement, and professional networking and mentorship where relevant.  This includes a dedicated SNF Agora Faculty Affiliates listserv and inclusion in institute-wide convenings of faculty and visiting fellows. In addition: 

  • SNF Agora Faculty Affiliates will have priority consideration when applying to the SNF Agora Faculty Grants Program 
  • Interested SNF Agora Faculty Affiliates can be involved in the recruitment and mentoring of our student fellows. They can also participate in the identification and recruitment of SNF Agora Visiting Fellows.
  • SNF Agora Affiliates will also have priority consideration in suggesting topics for SNF Agora Institute programming, including thematic priorities for the annual cohort of Visiting Fellows.
  • SNF Agora will connect affiliates with graduate student fellows interested in research and teaching assistance opportunities. 
  • SNF Agora Faculty Affiliates’ work may be amplified on the SNF Agora’s website, social media (see our Twitter page for example) and throughout our connection with the broader Johns Hopkins collective.
  • Affiliates, faculty and visiting fellows who share experiences will collaborate on research related to democracy and civic engagement, and can act as mentors when relevant. 

Expectations

In return, SNF Faculty Affiliates will be called upon periodically to:  

  • Participate as guest speakers and panelists at events such as conferences, webinars, and trainings; 
  • Assist in the review of proposals for SNF Agora Faculty Grants (when not personally applying) and SNF Agora Visiting Fellows; 
  • Continually act as ambassadors of the institute and our mission. 
  • Participate in the SNF Agora community by attending SNF Agora events such as the SNF Agora Seminar Series. 

Eligibility

The SNF Agora Faculty Affiliates program is for full-time faculty not currently affiliated with SNF Agora from across Johns Hopkins University and the greater academic community (a current position with an accredited university is required for admittance). This includes faculty who are tenured/tenure-track, non-tenured faculty, and lecturers. Faculty Affiliates will represent a broad range of schools, departments, programs, and centers. At JHU this will include the Berman Institute of Bioethics, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Carey Business School, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Peabody Institute of Music, School of Education, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, Whiting School of Engineering. We welcome interest from departments, schools, and centers of similar caliber from external universities as well.