{"id":5450,"date":"2024-05-13T10:29:51","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T14:29:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/communityengagement\/?page_id=5450"},"modified":"2026-01-21T08:43:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:43:14","slug":"rda","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/communityengagement\/rda\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Development Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"952\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5451\" src=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/communityengagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/05\/IMG_0561.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/communityengagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/05\/IMG_0561.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/communityengagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/05\/IMG_0561-300x139.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/communityengagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/05\/IMG_0561-1024x476.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/communityengagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/05\/IMG_0561-768x357.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/communityengagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/05\/IMG_0561-1536x714.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/>Research Development Academy (RDA) is designed to support pre-tenure faculty who contribute to advancing the University of Tennessee\u2019s land-grant mission. The initiative focuses on empowering early career faculty to advance their own scholarly agenda in research, scholarship, and\/or creative activities in a collegial environment with supportive guidance. The Academy provides a positive environment for faculty to network and secure resources they need to move their research agenda forward in a focused way.<\/p>\n<p>RDA is a collaboration between the <a href=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Division of Access and Engagement<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/research.utk.edu\/oried\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development<\/a>.\u00a0RDA Fellows come from across university disciplines and represent a wide range of interests and goals.<\/p>\n<p>Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 cohort. Faculty who meet the eligibility requirements and are interested in applying to the program should complete an <a href=\"https:\/\/utk.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_7TzLKgiFUlNIruS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online application<\/a> by <strong>February 20, 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/liveutk.sharepoint.com\/sites\/DAE\/SitePages\/RDA.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to learn more<\/a> about the program components, edibility requirements, and to apply online.<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel-group\" id=\"custom-collapse-0\" role=\"tablist\" aria-multiselectable=\"true\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"panel  panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h3 class=\"panel-title\"><a class=\"collapsed\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#custom-collapse-0\"\" href=\"#custom-collapse-0-0\"  aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"#custom-collapse-0-0\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-collapse\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M0 7.33l2.829-2.83 9.175 9.339 9.167-9.339 2.829 2.83-11.996 12.17z\"\/><\/svg> <strong>2025-2026 Cohort<\/strong><\/a><\/h3><\/div><div id=\"custom-collapse-0-0\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse panel-collapse collapse\"><div class=\"panel-body\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-99 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/ofc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/07\/OCEO_RDA2025Cohort_V2-03-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"101\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ag-automation.tennessee.edu\/our-team\/\"><strong>Chetah Badguar<\/strong><\/a> | Assistant Professor, Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-100 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/ofc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/07\/OCEO_RDA2025Cohort_V2-04-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/archdesign.utk.edu\/directory\/faye-nixon\/\"><strong>Farre \u201cFaye\u201d Nixon <\/strong><\/a>| Assistant Professor, School of Landscape Architecture<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-101 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/ofc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/07\/OCEO_RDA2025Cohort_V2-05-300x295.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"98\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/elps\/people\/fatima-t-zahra\/\"><strong>Fatima T. Zahra <\/strong><\/a>| Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-102 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/ofc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/07\/OCEO_RDA2025Cohort_V2-06-297x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"101\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sis.utk.edu\/about\/directory\/hope-chidziwisano\"><strong>Hope Chidziwisano <\/strong><\/a>| Assistant Professor, Information Services<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-103 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/ofc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/07\/OCEO_RDA2025Cohort_V2-07-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.utk.edu\/Jun.Ai\"><strong>Jun Ai <\/strong><\/a>| Assistant Professor, Theory and Practice in Teacher Education<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-104 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/ofc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/07\/OCEO_RDA2025Cohort_V2-08-300x295.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"98\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/english.utk.edu\/people\/jamal-jared-alexander\/\"><strong>Jamal-Jared Alexander <\/strong><\/a>| Assistant Professor, English<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-105 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/ofc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/07\/OCEO_RDA2025Cohort_V2-09-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/elps\/people\/lauren-n-irwin\/\"><strong>Lauren Irwin <\/strong><\/a>| Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership &amp; Policy Studies<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-106 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/ofc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/07\/OCEO_RDA2025Cohort_V2-10-300x295.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"98\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wlc.utk.edu\/?people=moussa-seck\"><strong>Moussa Seck<\/strong><\/a> | Assistant Professor, French and Francophone Studies, World Languages and Cultures<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Research Development Academy (RDA) is designed to support pre-tenure faculty who contribute to advancing the University of Tennessee\u2019s land-grant mission. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5450","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Research Development Academy - Office of Community Engagement and Outreach<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dae.utk.edu\/communityengagement\/rda\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Research Development Academy - Office of Community Engagement and Outreach\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Research Development Academy (RDA) is designed to support pre-tenure faculty who contribute to advancing the University of Tennessee\u2019s land-grant mission. 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