Group photo from the Annual Learning Outcomes Reception at Pace University.
Helene and Grant Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship

Faculty Fellowship Application Process 2025–2026

Background

The Helene & Grant Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship was established in 2005 to serve the nonprofit community and Pace University. Devoted to honing the risk-taking spirit and managerial skills of nonprofit organizations and social enterprises, the Center was launched with a pledge from Helene and Grant Wilson, whose philanthropic endeavors convinced them that entrepreneurial management can help social ventures increase their impact.

Position Summary

The Wilson Center aims to build a diverse portfolio of research projects with a focus on the identification and analysis of immediate issues facing nonprofits, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and social enterprises. To that end, the Center invites Pace University faculty members to apply for appointments as 2025–2026 Wilson Center Fellows. Fellows will serve a 1-year term (October through October). During that time, Wilson Fellows will work on their specific project (case studies and academic research are strongly preferred, interdisciplinary work is encouraged) that support the Center’s mission and goals. In return, fellows will receive $5,000 of research funding to pursue the project described in the application. The award will be paid as a stipend, processed in two increments of $2,500/each. Fellows will receive the first payment upon award and the second payment will be made when the final deliverable paper has been accepted by the committee (no later than October 2026) and fellows have presented their research at an on-campus presentation. Fellows may reapply after a 4-year hiatus including the award year.

Requirements

  • Pace Faculty, tenure-track or tenured candidates preferred. New/incoming faculty are eligible to apply.
  • Submit a 1-2 page interim report in April 2026.
  • Participate in a Faculty Steering Committee for a 3-year term including the award year.
  • Give permission to display work on the University’s DigitalCommons Repository.
  • Participate in an on-campus research presentation in the academic year following the award year.
  • Submit a final deliverable (working paper) acknowledging the Wilson Center, by October 2026.

Applications will be evaluated based on three criteria

  • Project advances the identification and analysis of immediate issues facing nonprofits and/or social enterprises.
  • Project includes a specific, publishable, research project (case studies and academic research preferred) with a one-year deliverable deadline.
  • Project engages current undergraduate or graduate Pace students in the research.

Application Process

The deadline for proposal submission is Sunday, August 17, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. via the fellowship application form. The submission requires an anonymous 800 word abstract (references are separate), a brief explanation of student engagement and the project’s connection to the funding objective as well as a curriculum vitae. Fellows will be selected based on the strength of their applications in a blind review by the Wilson Center Faculty Steering Committee, which is made up of past Fellows. It is anticipated that four Fellows will be appointed, with an expected announcement date in early October 2025. Please direct any questions to the Wilson Center Faculty Steering Committee, wilsoncenter@pace.edu.