Investing in Academic Clusters

Cluster hiring is a process by which faculty are recruited in groups built around common research and academic themes. Over the years, Florida State University has utilized this strategy to build a number of areas of strength including materials research, structural biology and computational science. Clusters create an immediate critical mass of expertise that leverages existing strengths.

Through Pathways of Excellence initiative, the hiring of a large number of additional tenured and tenure-track faculty at the University has been authorized. This investment in faculty scholars is being accomplished via cluster hiring in which 5 to 8 faculty are recruited for each cluster. The clusters are primarily of an interdisciplinary nature involving the participation of two or more academic units. Proposals for interdisciplinary programs were developed by groups of FSU faculty and evaluated by a faculty committee before being submitted to Provost Lawrence G. Abele for final approval.

Thus far, seven cluster hiring efforts have been approved and active searches are on-going. A significant number of new scholars at all levels from Assistant to Full Professor have joined the ranks of the faculty at the Florida State University.