Faculty Support Top-notch faculty are the cornerstone of a great university. Private support allows the university to provide the additional salary and research support needed to attract, develop, retain, and recognize its most deserving faculty, which in turn, benefits Northern's students and programs. Support for faculty can come in several forms, including funds for research, travel, and especially endowed chairs and professorships, which help the university attract outstanding scholars and provide the funding necessary to support that scholar's teaching, research, and professional development activities. Faculty Awards for Outstanding Grant Acquisitions Many faculty and staff of Northern Illinois University have brought significant funding to the university through grants and contracts obtained from federal, state, corporate, and foundation sources. This funding, which last fiscal year totaled over $32 million, has increased every year for at least the last 15 years, and it is of vital importance in supporting research, public service and instructional activities within the university.   Recently, the Graduate School initiated a program to acknowledge faculty and staff who are particularly successful in attracting external grant funding to the university. This acknowledgment, in the form of a financial award, was granted to those whose grant records over time have been unusually strong for their discipline, whose external funding has materially benefited others, and whose funding successes are expected to continue to serve as models for their colleagues. Named Endowments to Support Faculty Scholars Endowed or other financially supported faculty positions are a mark of a mature university, especially one with a mission that includes research and public service. Aside from enhancing the image of the institution, the availability of these positions assists greatly in the recruitment of excellent faculty, and they can play an important part in retaining top faculty who will, of course, be sought after by other institutions or by industry. For more information on supporting NIU's faculty, contact John Bass at (815) 753-1859 or e-mail jbass@niu.edu.