Janet M. Fitchen Paper Award

Janet M. Fitchen was a professor of Anthropology at Ithaca College from 1977 until her untimely passing in 1995. She gained national recognition for her research on rural poverty in the U.S. She was the author of numerous articles and two books; Poverty in Rural America (1981) and Endangered Spaces, Enduring Places: Change, Identity, and Survival in Rural America (1991). In addition to her extensive research she was a distinguished teacher, recognized with a Dana Teaching Award in 1988. In her memory family, friends and colleagues established the endowment titled “The Janet Fitchen Student Development Fund” to support anthropology students at Ithaca College.

Please review the below application form, procedures, eligibility requirements, and deadlines for these funding opportunities.

The Janet M. Fitchen Paper Award

This award is designed to honor an anthropology major or minor who has written an outstanding paper on some aspect of anthropology in their last academic year. While the competition is not restricted to papers written for Anthropology courses, all papers will be judged on anthropological content and quality. The paper must be a minimum of 20 double-spaced pages, include a bibliography, and human subjects approval, where necessary.

The awardees will receive $100.00 with a certificate noting their achievement at our annual Anthropology Program gathering, and their name inscribed on the Fitchen Awards plaque displayed in the Anthropology Program hallway in Gannett. The awardee will also have the opportunity to meet with the committee to mutually decide upon a new book in the field of anthropology for the IC library. The book will be purchased by the Anthropology Program and donated to the Gannett Library in recognition of the recipient of the paper award and in honor of Janet M. Fitchen.

Deadline: October 30 (Fall) and March 30 (Spring) [deadline subject to change)

Procedures for Submitting a Paper: Students are responsible for filling out the attached application form and submitting a copy of the paper to the Anthropology Program Coordinator by the deadline. If the submitted paper is a revision, a copy of the original paper should be appended to the application. The Coordinator will distribute the paper to the review committee.

Composition of Review Committee: A panel made up of faculty members will review the papers. The review committee will assess the paper on the basis of its originality, sophistication, quality, organization, clarity and anthropological content. Applicants will be notified via mail of the outcome of their application.

Fitchen Fund Application Checklist

*Attach this checklist to the front of your application.

Name: Date:

Type of Funding/Award Request:

Professional Development or Research Grant

Fitchen Paper Award

Fitchen Service Award

Completed two-page application form

One page (double-spaced, typed) description and justification for funding request/award and budget

Signature of your Anthropology faculty sponsor or advisor

Letter of recommendation from the organization where the service was carried out, if applying for the Service Award

Proof of Human Subjects Approval, if applicable for research funding

Attach this checklist to the front of your application

Submit your completed application materials to the Anthropology Program Coordinator via email by the proposed deadline

If you are awarded the Fitchen Fund Award for conference or research travel, please contact the Anthropology Program Coordinator to ensure all approporiate paperwork is completed.

*Keep all your receipts from your trip, and work with your faculty sponsor to reconcile your expenses on your return.

The Janet M. Fitchen Fund Application Form

Name of Applicant:
Address for notification
Email & Phone number
Major(s) and Minor(s)
Semester and Year of Graduation
Amount Requested (Please include detailed budget on the proposal)
Please check which type of funding you are applying for and fill in the requested information:

The Janet M. Fitchen Paper Award

Name of Course and Faculty that you originally prepared the paper for:

Semester and Year enrolled in the course listed above:
Note: Attach a copy of the original paper to your request

The Janet M. Fitchen Service Award

Name of Course that you originally conducted the service for, if applicable:

Name and address of the organization where you carried out the service:

Dates of Service:

The Janet M. Fitchen Professional Development and Research Grant

(check type)

Conference Presentation

Dates of Travel

Name of Conference and Location

Title of Presentation

Conference Attendance

Dates of Travel

Name of Conference and Location

Independent Field Research

Project Title

Proposed Dates of Implementation

Location of Study

Have you received Anthropology Program funding in the past year?

Yes If yes, what kind & when?:

Have you applied for other sources of funding?

Yes If yes, what kind & when?:

Is Human Subjects approval needed for your funding request?

Yes (indicate status below) No

To be submitted
Currently under consideration
Approved on (date)

Printed Name of Anthropology Faculty Sponsor:

Faculty Sponsor Signature Date:

*Have you completed all the items listed in the checklist? Yes No