Fred L. Emerson Humanities Collaboration Award

Proposal Deadline

The deadline for proposals for spring 2010 projects is November 3, 2009.

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Fred L. Emerson Humanities Collaboration Award

GUIDELINES

The Fred L. Emerson Humanities Collaboration Award is granted to meritorious H&S students who are eligible for financial aid to work directly with a member of the Humanities faculty in H&S on a collaborative scholarly project.

While this type of collaborative work is a routine part of experiential learning in the natural sciences, as faculty and students work side-by-side in the laboratory on a faculty member’s research project, it has been less routine for scholarly work in the Humanities at IC. This award makes such opportunities available to H&S faculty and students. Such collaborations require a commitment from both parties. Faculty members must be prepared to mentor the students as they take on major responsibility for an independent component of the scholarly project; students must be prepared both to devote significant time and intellectual effort to these projects, and to meet the high expectations of their faculty mentors.

The potential rewards are high on both sides. Faculty members can make significant progress on their own scholarly endeavors with the support of a first-rate student assistant, and help to prepare the next generation of scholars. At the same time, students are able to make a significant contribution to scholarship, to learn and apply the knowledge and skills they have been developing in their coursework, and in the process deepen their own understanding of what it really means to do scholarly work in the humanities.

The Award offers a stipend of up to $3,000 for summer projects and $1,500 for semester projects, to enable student recipients to devote time and attention to the work required to succeed in such scholarly projects. In addition, funds may be available to support travel and/or equipment costs, when those are an integral part of the project. Students may sign up for a credit-bearing independent study or internship (1-3 credits) in order to complete the project; in the summer, the award money would then be allocated first for tuition. Several such Awards are made each year. Upon completion of the project, the student is required to submit a report detailing the outcomes of the project to the Office of the Dean.

We invite proposals twice during the academic year. The fall semester cycle is for spring semester projects; the spring semester cycle is for summer and fall semester projects.  Please consult Stacia Zabusky, Assistant Dean in H&S, with any questions you may have (607-274-3102).  Proposals should be submitted to the H&S Dean’s Office, 201 Muller.

Please note that late or out of cycle proposals will not be considered.

Eligibility

1. Student applicants must be eligible for financial aid.
2. Student applicants must be H&S students who are majoring or minoring in a humanities discipline.
3. Student applicants must be junior or senior students at the time they are undertaking the project. 
4. To be competitive, student applicants should have demonstrated meritorious academic performance, and have a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
5. Faculty mentors must have an appointment in an H&S Humanities department: Art History, English, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy/Religion, Speech Communications, or Writing.

How to apply

1. Faculty members must submit the Faculty Mentor application form and a letter of support for the student.
2. Students must submit the Student application form.
3. Students must submit a detailed proposal that describes: a) the overall scope of the project; b) the role the student will play in that project and how much time it will involve; c) the nature of the collaboration between student and faculty member; d) the student’s expectations for how working on this project will enhance his/her education at IC; and e) why the funds are necessary and how they will be used. Effective proposals will be as concrete and specific as possible.
4. Proposals should be submitted to Stacia Zabusky, Assistant Dean, H&S Dean’s Office, 201 Muller.
5. Students who plan to pursue projects as credit-bearing coursework (from 1 to 3 credits) must follow the standard H&S application process for an internship or independent study.

Selection Process

1. Complete applications (consisting of all the materials indicated above) are reviewed by the Selection Committee, which makes the final determination of awards.
2. The Dean’s office notifies both student applicants and the faculty mentor of the outcome of the student’s application.
3. The Dean’s office works with the Office of Financial Aid, the Bursar, and other administrative offices to determine the most effective manner to disburse the funds to students who receive awards.
4. Students who receive awards and who intend to earn credit for an internship or independent study must submit the completed proposal to the H&S Dean’s office.

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