Los Angeles/Affiliated Faculty, Visual and Media Arts
Sharifa Simon-Roberts
Assistant Professor, Communication Studies
Kyanna Sutton
Assistant Professor, Writing, Literature and Publishing
Internationalization, diversity, equity, and inclusion are strategic priorities for Emerson. Inclusive approaches to curriculum development and equitable pedagogical practices help ensure that learning experiences at Emerson are designed to foster student success in a culturally diverse and global society.
In 2024, the Presidential Fund for Curricular Innovation will support faculty participation in a Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana. The purpose of this seminar is to provide an intensive short-term faculty development experience that builds on Emerson’s capacity for international education and the internationalization of the curriculum. Faculty selected for the Seminar will spend 10 days in Ghana in July, 2024.
The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship thanks the Faculty Development and Research Council for their contribution of time in service to review this year’s applications and develop their recommendations. Congratulations to the following recipients of this year’s Faculty Advancement Fund Grant:
Amy Beecher, Department of Visual and Media Arts: Lifestyle Pictures: An Interdisciplinary Gallery Exhibition Combining Performance and Image
Dana Edell, Department of Performing Arts: The ART (Anti-Racism Theater) Project – Performance & Research
Cara Moyer-Duncan, Marlboro Institute: Cinemas of Resistance: Documentary Filmmaking and Social Change in South Africa
Thato Mwosa, Department of Visual and Media Arts: Rewind Back: A Short Narrative Film that Explores Gender, Sexual and Cultural Identity in an African Immigrant Family
Sharifa Simon-Roberts, Department of Communication Studies: An Ethnographic Study on the Migration of Venezuelans in Trinidad and Tobago
Malic Amalya, Department of Visual and Media Arts: “New Earth:” a 16mm Experimental Documentary Film about the Mythos of Flight
Kyanna Sutton, Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing: Black Girls In Cyberspace: Conversations with Gen Z Women on Techno-Digital Life, Culture, and Identity
Hanadi Elyan, Department of Visual and Media Arts: Palestinian Refugees in Narrative Film: Research in refugee camps for the development of a screenplay
Sariva Goetz, Department of Performing Arts: A Historical Timeline of Female and Non-Binary Broadway Conductors
Yasser Munif, Marlboro Institute: Autonomous Politics in the Arab World since 2011
Tushar Mathew, Department of Performing Arts: A Good Neighbor: Developing an original storytelling experience for people’s homes that aims to strengthen bonds between neighbors
The Faculty Advancement Fund Grant (FAFG) supports the scholarly and creative activities of the full‐time tenured and tenure-track faculty members. The Fund was established to enable the professional work of Emerson’s faculty in its efforts to sustain academic excellence in teaching, research/creative activity, and service. The Faculty Advancement Fund Grant supports proposals deemed likely to substantially improve the quality of research, publication, creative activities, teaching, and service that advance the mission of the College and the careers of its faculty.
ORCS is pleased to share this new Presidential Fund for Curricular Innovation (PFCI) opportunity with you. Instructions on the application process can be found below. Questions about the program may be directed to Dr. Anthony Pinder, Vice Provost for Internationalization & Equity, or Dr. Tuesda Roberts, Director for Faculty Development and Diversity.
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President’s Fund for Curricular Innovation
2024 PFCI: Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana
Program Directors
Drs. Anthony Pinder and Tuesda Roberts
Location
Accra, Ghana
Key Dates
Application Period: March 8th through April 8th, 2024
Applicant Notification Date: April 15th, 2024
Pre-Departure Meetings: TBD
Passport Submission Date: May 15th, 2024
Travel Dates: July 18th through July 28th, 2024
Application Requirements
Eligible faculty members can access the Google application form. The application requirements are as follows:
A brief bio (200 words max), uploaded as a separate document
A short CV, uploaded as a separate document
A copy of the latest syllabus for the specific 2024-2025 course you would use as the basis of your pedagogical plan
Responses to four short essay prompts (approximately 250-500 words each)
Applications are due by April 8, 2024.
Purpose
The purpose of the President’s Fund for Curricular Innovation (PFCI): Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana is to provide an intensive short-term faculty development experience that builds on Emerson’s capacity for international education and the internationalization of the curriculum. The Ghana seminar offers five (5) Emerson faculty the opportunity to enhance their cross-cultural perspective, and open doors to collaboration with Ghanaian culture, artistic traditions, professional and creative enterprises, faculty also enhance their pedagogical frameworks. PFCI was designed an internal faculty grant program purposed to enhance professional development experiences of the faculty, departmental curricula and to increase curricular alignment with the institutional priority of internationalization and equity.
Program Objectives
Four primary objectives will guide this faculty development program in Ghana:
Creating (and sustaining) a culture of teaching excellence;
Advancing new initiatives in teaching and learning;
Supporting the individual faculty member’s goals for professional development; and
Supporting the expansion of faculty members’ understanding of diverse cultures, systems of knowledge, and business.
Eligibility & Selection Process
Five (5) full-time Emerson faculty members will be selected to participate in the 2024 PFCI: Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana.
Full-time Emerson faculty with scheduled courses to be taught during the 2024-25 academic year will be eligible to apply. Faculty from all academic departments and the Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies are invited to apply.
Faculty who have a demonstrated pedagogical, creative, or scholarly focus on African/Africana, African American or Black Diaspora studies are encouraged to apply. In addition, faculty with limited or no global education experience are also encouraged to apply. Applications will be reviewed by the PFCI Selection Committee.
Faculty must have a passport that will be valid until January 28, 2025.
Program Overview
Faculty participants will develop a curriculum project and a plan to share their broadened knowledge and pedagogical adaptivity related to African or Africana creative and communication-based studies. Based on participants’ areas of specialty, each faculty member will be paired with their Ghanaian academic or industry peer. Participants will also engage with the faculty and administration at University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UNIMAC). Additional research and pedagogical planning will be required of the faculty outside of the seminar. Results of that research and planning should be evident in the implementation of their curriculum plan and the information they disseminate.
The PFCI: Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana will be composed of a pre-arranged itinerary that includes immersive group activities exposing faculty to Ghanaian heritage, history, and culture, and opportunities for the faculty to engage with Ghanaian scholars, creatives, and professionals, facilitated workshops as well as opportunities to engage in structured reflections with PFCI directors. The itinerary will be developed for the purpose of providing faculty information and experiences that are related to their curriculum projects and teaching responsibilities.
Due to the cohort nature of the seminar and the expectation that participants attend all scheduled activities; there will not be time for faculty participants to engage in extensive individual research during the 10-day Ghana seminar.
Financial Support and Responsibilities
Selected participants will be awarded a stipend of $1,000 (subject to applicable state and federal payroll taxes). Participants are encouraged to utilize stipend funds towards items listed in the “Expenses Not Covered” section, particularly the cost of obtaining the required yellow fever vaccine, which is typically not subsidized by standard medical insurance.
Expenses Covered
Round-trip airfare between Boston, Massachusetts and Accra, Ghana on the program start and end dates (approx. $3,000)
Lodging during the ten days of travel
Single-entry, expedited visitor visa for Ghana (approx. $100)
Some provided, group meals
Included activities and excursions as part of the program itinerary
Faculty selected to participate in this program will be required to do the following:
Obtain required vaccination(s) for purposes of entry to Ghana.
Submit physical passport and corresponding documents to Internationalization & Equity for purposes of obtaining a visa for entry to Ghana.
Participate in pre-departure meetings.
Travel together on the pre-established group travel dates/flights.
Engage in dialog, prior to departure, with PFCI directors and global partners to draft on-site professional development activities with Ghanaian academic/professional counterparts.
Formulate a plan that accounts for (1) the pedagogical and learning outcomes that would be enhanced by virtue of their participation, (2) how on-site experiences would substantively enhance a course that will be taught during the 2024-2025 academic year (3) submit a report about the professional skills and knowledge gained, impact on student outcomes, and implications of participating in the bilateral exchange experience. Each participant will be expected to submit this report prior to the end of the semester that follows the teaching of the focal course.
Jointly develop a panel, with other program participants, that will be made available to the Emerson community during the 2024 International Education Week (November).
Meet twice with PFCI directors during the 2024-2025 academic year to discuss progress implementing their pedagogical plan.
Several years ago, the late Dr. Norman Stearns and Irma Mann Stearns established a distinguished faculty award in their name to honor a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member in recognition of outstanding scholarly or creative achievement. A $3,000 award is presented annually to at least one applicant. This funding may be used to enhance an ongoing project or for the development of a new scholarly or creative endeavor. In accordance with the family’s wishes, travel is strongly encouraged to be a part of the project activity.
Selection of Nominees by Provost, Deans, and Chairs: March 22, 2024
Application form sent to applicants: by March 25, 2024
Final Applications due to ORCS: April 8, 2024
FDRC Review of Applications: April 8 – April 17, 2024
Final Selections made by Provost: by May 10, 2024
Applicants Notified of Funding Decision: by May 17, 2027
Awardees must utilize their funds between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Eligibility
Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members are eligible to apply for the Mann Stearns Distinguished Faculty Award.
Criteria
In evaluating proposals, the Faculty Development and Research Council (FDRC) will consider:
The applicant’s scholarly or creative achievement(s);
The quality, merits, feasibility, of the project for which the award funds will be used;
The inclusion of travel as a necessary component of the project; and
Publications, audio/video samples, or other supporting material.
Pre-Application Notification
If you intend to apply for a Mann Stearns Award, you must first submit a Pre-Application Notification email to ORCS by March 18, 2024. The body of the email should include a summary (1-2 paragraphs) of your proposed project, and a brief description of how you would use the $3,000 award. After you have submitted your notification, you will be sent the link for the Mann Stearns application form (see “Application Instructions” below).
Review Process
All applications will be reviewed by the Faculty Development and Research Council (FDRC), and with input from department Chairs, school Deans, and Academic Affairs. The FDRC will make the final recommendations to the Provost for funding. The Provost’s selections are final.
Application Instructions
This year, we have migrated the application packet to Google Forms. The advantages to this format include:
Email recognition: The form will recognize your Emerson email and open a blank application that will be automatically saved in your name.
Elimination of portable document errors: Reviewers will log directly into Google forms to read applications, removing the need to send electronic documents back and forth and reducing the chance for error.
Auto-save: The form saves your work automatically as you proceed.
Document uploads: Budget requests are now uploaded as a separate file, and you can also upload supplementary documents to bolster your proposal.
Ability to make revisions until the deadline: Applicants can make changes to their form up until the due date (April 8).
After you have submitted your pre-approval, you will be sent the link for the Mann Stearns application form. After you submit your proposal, you will receive a copy of your responses via email, and will have until April 8, 2024, to make any changes.
Applicants may include supplemental materials (publications, PDFs, media) that support their proposals with their submissions.
In addition to the application form and supplemental materials, a two-page curriculum vita should be included with each submission.
Final Report Requirement
A final written report is not required, but the successful applicant is expected to meet with members of the Mann Stearns family and other members of Emerson College to discuss the final outcome and deliverables.
The AFDF supports the scholarly and creative activities of the affiliated faculty members of Emerson College. The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship administers the fund.
The application deadline for AFDF funding in Academic Year (AY) 2024-2025 will be on March 15, 2024. Grants awarded for AY24-25 must be conducted between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Eligibility
To be eligible for these funds, the applicant:
Must be a member of the Affiliated Faculty of Emerson College (AFEC-AAUP);
Must have taught at least one course during each of the prior three consecutive years, including the current academic year (2023-2024); and-
Must be slated to teach at least one Emerson course in the Academic Year for which the AFDF award will be granted (2024-2025).
Funding
The AFDF Grant will provide support for approved projects up to $1,500 each. The Provost makes the final decision for funding and determination of awards, based on the recommendations of the AFDF Committee.
Types of Activities Funded
Travel and expenses leading to scholarly, peer-reviewed publications
Travel and expenses leading to the production of creative and artistic works such as media productions, creative writing, performances, screenplays, exhibitions, audio and music productions, etc.
Travel and expenses related to refereed conference presentations of scholarly or creative activities
Travel and expenses related to presentations to industry-related conferences and conventions
Expenses for attending seminars and conferences related to new course development
Expenses for attending faculty development seminars and conferences to improve teaching skills
Types of Activities Not Funded
Activities that are already defined as part of affiliated faculty members’ expected duties and responsibilities.
Activities for which the affiliated faculty member is already receiving compensation, course release, or some other form of College support.
Additional salary or compensation for Emerson faculty and staff.
Retroactive expenses and activities
Criteria and Considerations
Applications must be complete, clearly written, compelling, well defined and easily understood by all of the reviewers.
Applications that are incomplete and do not follow directions may be disqualified.
While applicants may apply for consecutive year awards, the committee will evaluate proposals that are a continuation of any previously funded projects to determine if funding is appropriate.
Support for travel from the AFDF should be for activities that directly advance proposal activities.
Applicants are required to submit a report of their project after completion.
Applicants must be slated to teach at least one Emerson course in the academic year for which the AFDF award will be granted (2024–2025).
Application Instructions
Eligible applicants may begin their AFDF application by clicking on this link. After you submit your proposal, you will receive a copy of your responses via email, and will have until March 15, 2024 to make any changes.
Committee evaluation of all proposals and recommendations to the Provost regarding proposal support and level of funding
By April 26, 2024
The Provost, in consideration of the recommendations provided by the AFDF Committee, will make final selections and award determinations. The Provost will notify the committee in writing, electronically, about the final awards.
By May 10, 2024
AFDF recipients are notified that they are receiving the award.
July 2024 through June 2025
Approved projects conducted
June 15, 2025
Last day to request reimbursement for eligible expenses in Workday.
November 1, 2025
Final report due for projects conducted during FY2025.
The AFDF Committee
Applications will be reviewed by Affiliated Faculty Professional Development Fund (AFDF) Committee (“the Committee”) consisting of five (5) adjuncts, three of whom will be elected by the affiliated faculty, and two of whom will be appointed by the Provost. Members serving on the committee are not eligible to apply for awards from the Fund in the year(s) on which they are reviewing applications.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Eric Asetta at eric_asetta@emerson.edu
In partnership with the Graduate Student Association and the Office of Graduate Studies, the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (ORCS) is soliciting proposals to support Graduate Research Assistants to work with and be mentored by a faculty member for the Spring 2024 semester. In the event the full GRA funding pool is not awarded following the conclusion of the Fall application cycle, a second, smaller application cycle is held at the beginning of the Spring semester. Applicants for the second cycle cannot be Fall GRA recipients.
The intent is to extend the student’s classroom learning, expose them to current challenges in their discipline, build analytical skills, and provide a meaningful work experience that will also benefit faculty in the development of their research and scholarship agenda. Through this program, we also hope to encourage faculty to submit external grant applications that include graduate research assistants.
Funds are available to support a very limited number of GRA positions for the spring semester. If you are interested in mentoring a GRA, please submit a completed proposal, using the Round 2 GRA Application Form, by February 2, 2024.
Note: Proposals that do not use the required Google Form application will not be reviewed.
Deadlines The application deadline for the Spring 2024 GRA grant will be on February 2, 2024.
Upcoming Grant Period Grants awarded in Spring 2024 must be conducted between February 12, 2024 and June 15, 2024.
GRA Funding The maximum award will be $2,000 per student, though amounts awarded are dependent on the number of applications received and availability of funding. The funds can be used to hire a graduate student assistant at a recommended hourly rate of $15.25. Additionally, a portion of the amount requested (inclusive of the $2,000 maximum) may be allocated to the costs associated with a mentored GRA attending a relevant academic or professional conference.
Proposals need to include a clear and concise description of the project, the expected outcomes, and how the work will be evaluated and/or disseminated. Applicants should outline how this work benefits their discipline, their professional research/scholarship agenda, and the student. Applicants should include a short job description for the Graduate Research Assistant position, including responsibilities, required skills, and any other pertinent aspects that will be used when the open position gets posted on the Student Employment website. If the application includes funds for conference travel, the applicant must identify the conference, its location and dates, and explain how it will enhance the student’s learning and academic growth.
Eligibility FOR FACULTY: Full-time term and tenured/tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply. Current GRA recipients from the Fall application cycle are not eligible.
FOR STUDENTS: Students must be enrolled in Emerson graduate courses during the academic year, and not be employed by the College as a teacher or affiliated faculty member.
Eligible Projects Examples of Eligible Projects:
Support for a student to assist in research, literature review for a book or other project
Support for a student to assist in development or curating of curricular or scholarly materials
Support for a student to assist in data collection, cataloging, and analysis
Support for a student as a film or production assistant
Support for the student to attend an academic or scholarly conference related to their field of study (alongside student wages)
Ineligible Projects Examples of Ineligible Projects:
Support for a student to provide general clerical and administrative assistance for regular academic and teaching duties
Projects that do not clearly demonstrate a meaningful work and learning experience for students
Compensation or support for regular curricular, credit-bearing activities, such as coursework, theses, or directed studies
Requests for travel/conference funds that do not also include student wages
Criteria & Considerations Proposals must include:
A clear and concise description of the project
The expected outcomes of the project or research
How the work will be evaluated
Outline how this work benefits your discipline, your professional research/scholarship agenda, and the student
Include a short job description for the Graduate Research Assistant position, including responsibilities, required skills, and any other pertinent aspects that will be used when the open position gets posted in Workday
If the application includes funds for conference travel, applicants must identify
The name of the conference
The dates and location of the conference
An explanation of how the conference will enhance the student’s learning and academic growth
The maximum award will be $2,000 per student at a recommended hourly rate of $15.25/hour.
GRA Application Form Eligible faculty members can access the FY2024 GRA Application Form here. Applicants can fill out the application and make changes to the form until the deadline date of February 2, 2024.
Spring 2024 Calendar
January 16, 2024: GRA Application cycle opens
February 2, 2024: Applications are due via Google Forms
February 2 through February 10, 2024: Review and selection of applications
February 12, 2024: Applicants notified of funding decisions
February 12 through June 15, 2024: Approved projects conducted
Review and Selection of Applications ORCS will review the applications and make recommendations for selection to the Office of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Student Association.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to direct them to eric_asetta@emerson.edu.
In partnership with the Graduate Student Association and the Office of Graduate Studies, the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (ORCS) is again soliciting proposals to support Graduate Research Assistants to work with and be mentored by a faculty member for the 2023-24 academic year. The intent is to extend the student’s classroom learning, expose them to current challenges in their discipline, build analytical skills, and provide a meaningful work experience that will also benefit faculty in the development of their research and scholarship agenda. Through this program, we also hope to encourage faculty to submit external grant applications that include graduate research assistants.
Funds are available to support a limited number of GRA positions for this academic year. If you are interested in mentoring a GRA this year, please submit a completed proposal, using the GRA Application Form, by October 20, 2023.
Note: Proposals that do not use the required Google Form application will not be reviewed.
Deadlines
The application deadline for the FY2024 GRA grant will be on October 20, 2023.
Upcoming Grant Period
Grants awarded in FY2023 must be conducted between November 1, 2023 and June 15, 2023.
GRA Funding
The maximum award will be $2,000 per student, though amounts awarded are dependent on the number of applications received and availability of funding. The funds can be used to hire a graduate student assistant at a recommended hourly rate of $15.25. Additionally, a portion of the amount requested may be allocated to the costs associated with a mentored GRA attending a relevant academic or professional conference.
Proposals need to include a clear and concise description of the project, the expected outcomes, and how the work will be evaluated and/or disseminated. Applicants should outline how this work benefits their discipline, their professional research/scholarship agenda, and the student. Applicants should include a short job description for the Graduate Research Assistant position, including responsibilities, required skills, and any other pertinent aspects that will be used when the open position gets posted on the Student Employment website. If the application includes funds for conference travel, the applicant must identify the conference, its location and dates, and explain how it will enhance the student’s learning and academic growth.
Eligibility
FOR FACULTY Full-time term and tenured/tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply.
FOR STUDENTS
Students must be enrolled in Emerson graduate courses during the academic year, and not be employed by the College as a teacher or affiliated faculty member.
Eligible Projects
Examples of Eligible Projects:
Support for a student to assist in research, literature review for a book or other project
Support for a student to assist in development or curating of curricular or scholarly materials
Support for a student to assist in data collection, cataloging, and analysis
Support for a student as a film or production assistant
Support for the student to attend an academic or scholarly conference related to their field of study (alongside student wages)
Ineligible Projects Examples of Ineligible Projects:
Support for a student to provide general clerical and administrative assistance for regular academic and teaching duties
Projects that do not clearly demonstrate a meaningful work and learning experience for students
Compensation or support for regular curricular, credit-bearing activities, such as coursework, theses, or directed studies
Requests for travel/conference funds that do not also include student wages
Criteria & Considerations Proposals must include:
A clear and concise description of the project
The expected outcomes of the project or research
How the work will be evaluated
Outline how this work benefits your discipline, your professional research/scholarship agenda, and the student
Include a short job description for the Graduate Research Assistant position, including responsibilities, required skills, and any other pertinent aspects that will be used when the open position gets posted in Workday
If the application includes funds for conference travel, applicants must identify
The name of the conference
The dates and location of the conference
An explanation of how the conference will enhance the student’s learning and academic growth
The maximum award will be $2,000 per student at a recommended hourly rate of $15.25/hour.
GRA Application Form
Eligible faculty members can access the FY2023 GRA Application Formhere. Applicants can fill out the application and make changes to the form until the deadline date of October 20, 2022.
Emerson has a number of internal grant programs with deadlines in the Fall and Spring semesters. Here is a summary of what grant programs are offered this fall, and which ones to look for in the spring.
Formed from a partnership between the Graduate Student Association, the Office of Graduate Studies, and the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship, the Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) grant intends to extend students’ classroom learning, expose them to current challenges in their discipline, build analytical skills, and provide a meaningful work experience that will also benefit faculty in the development of their research and scholarship agenda. Through this program, we also hope to encourage external grant applications that include graduate research assistants.
Faculty Advancement Fund Grant (FAFG) due annually in December; Pre-Approval forms due annually in November. 2023 Pre-Approval Deadline: November 1, 2023 2023 Application Deadline: December 1, 2023
The Faculty Advancement Fund Grant (FAFG) supports the scholarly and creative activities of the full‐time tenured and tenure-track faculty members. The Fund was established to enable the professional work of Emerson’s faculty in its efforts to sustain academic excellence in teaching, research/creative activity, and service. The Faculty Advancement Fund Grant supports proposals deemed likely to substantially improve the quality of research, publication, creative activities, teaching, and service that advance the mission of the College and the careers of its faculty.
The Affiliated Faculty Professional Development Fund (AFDF) supports the scholarly and creative activities of the affiliated faculty members of Emerson College. The AFDF will provide support for approved projects up to $1,500 each. Types of activities include travel and expenses leading to the production of scholarly, creative and artistic works, conference attendance, faculty development seminars, etc.
Internationalization, diversity, equity, and inclusion are strategic priorities for Emerson. Inclusive approaches to curriculum development and equitable pedagogical practices help ensure that learning experiences at Emerson are designed to foster student success in a culturally diverse and global society. The aim is to offer curricula that assists students in developing the required critical consciousness, values, awareness, skills and knowledge of differences to thrive as culturally competent, global citizens.
In 2024, the PFCI will support faculty participation in a Faculty Development Seminar in Ghana. The purpose of this seminar is to provide an intensive short-term faculty development experience that builds on Emerson’s capacity for international education and the internationalization of the curriculum. Faculty selected for the Seminar will receive airfare, lodging and meals for 10 days in Ghana in July, 2024.
The Diversity Fellows Program (formerly known as the Inclusive Excellence Fellows Program) is an annual, cohort-based program. This program invites full-time and affiliated faculty participants to critically reflect upon the relationship between social realities, social futures, and their pedagogical practices. Each Fellow will develop goals unique to one of the courses they teach and a pedagogical action plan based on intertwining sociocultural knowledge, content and industry-based knowledge, and empowering pedagogical practices. Fellows will be compensated $1,000.
Several years ago, the late Dr. Norman Stearns and Irma Mann Stearns, class of 1967, established a distinguished faculty award to honor a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member in recognition of outstanding scholarly or creative achievement. A $3,000 award is presented annually to one applicant. This funding may be used to enhance an ongoing project or for the development of a new scholarly or creative endeavor. Travel is strongly encouraged to be a part of the project activity.
The Kasteel Well Faculty Development Fund (KFDF) supports the scholarly and creative activities of the affiliated faculty members of the Emerson College Kasteel Well Program in the Netherlands. Castle administrative staff manage the fund with assistance from the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (ORCS). Small grants of up to $500 are offered from a total available funding pool of $1,500.
Jeffrey Greenhawt ’68 and Jan Jacobs Greenhawt ’69 have generously provided a gift to Emerson College for the expressed purpose of enabling Emerson faculty to procure resources that might assist them in obtaining external project support. The aim is to assist faculty who desire to pursue external funding for their research and scholarly endeavors, but lack experience in writing successful proposals, or the mentoring connections in grantsmanship that are common at larger institutions.
Funds can be used for activities such as travel to meet with a faculty mentor at another institution for the purpose of assisting in writing a proposal; fees to attend a workshop or seminar on proposal writing and grantsmanship; or consulting services in proposal writing or proposal review. A limited number of grants between $500 and $2,000 will be awarded each year.
The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Norman and Irma Mann Stearns Distinguished Faculty Award: Writing, Literature and Publishing associate professor Adele Lee and Communication Sciences and Disorders associate professor Rihannon Luyster.
Adele Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Writing, Literature, and Publishing. Dr. Lee’s research focuses on “Global Shakespeare,” Renaissance travel writing and the “transnational turn” in literary studies. She is the author of numerous books and journal articles. One of her current research projects is a study of Shakespeare through the lens of Critical Mixed Race Studies. With the Mann Stearns funding, she plans to travel to the Folger Shakespeare Library to complete research on her chapter contribution to the “Mixed Race Shakespeares” issue of Routledge’s Shakespearean International Yearbook.
An Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Dr. Luyster is a developmental psychologist whose program of research focuses on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She has a longstanding interest in early social communication and language in ASD, and she is an author on the Toddler Module of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – 2nd edition (ADOS-2). She will use the Mann Stearns Award to meet with scholars and researchers in South Korea and Japan in order to enrich her understanding of autism cross-culturally and outside of Western traditions.
About the Mann Stearns Award: Several years ago, the late Dr. Norman Stearns and Emerson alumna Irma Mann Stearns ’67 established a distinguished faculty award to honor a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member in recognition of outstanding scholarly or creative achievement. A $3,000 award is presented annually to at least one applicant. This funding may be used to enhance an ongoing project or for the development of a new scholarly or creative endeavor. Travel is strongly encouraged to be a part of the project activity.
Norman & Irma Mann Stearns Distinguished Faculty Award
Description
Several years ago, the late Dr. Norman Stearns and Irma Mann Stearns established a distinguished faculty award in their name to honor a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member in recognition of outstanding scholarly or creative achievement. A $3,000 award is presented annually to at least one applicant. This funding may be used to enhance an ongoing project or for the development of a new scholarly or creative endeavor. In accordance with the family’s wishes, travel is strongly encouraged to be a part of the project activity.
FDRC Review of Applications: April 11 – April 20, 2023
FDRC Recommendations submitted to Provost: by April 25, 2023
Applicants Notified of Funding Decision: by May 5, 2023
Current Mann Stearns awardees must utilize their funds between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.
Eligibility
Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members are eligible to apply for the Mann Stearns Distinguished Faculty Award.
Criteria
In evaluating proposals, the Faculty Development and Research Council (FDRC) will consider:
The applicant’s scholarly or creative achievement(s);
The quality, merits, feasibility, of the project for which the award funds will be used;
The inclusion of travel as a necessary component of the project; and
Publications, audio/video samples, or other supporting material.
Pre-Application Notification
If you intend to apply for a Mann Stearns Award, you must first submit a Pre-Application Notification email to ORCS by March 17, 2023. The body of the email should include a summary (1-2 paragraphs) of your proposed project, and a brief description of how you would use the $3,000 award. After you have submitted your notification, you will be sent the link for the Mann Stearns application form (see “Application Instructions” below).
Review Process
All applications will be reviewed by the Faculty Development and Research Council (FDRC), and with input from department Chairs, school Deans, and Academic Affairs. The FDRC will make the final recommendations to the Provost for funding. The Provost’s selections are final.
AY23–24 Calendar
DATE
EVENT
March 3, 2023
Norman & Irma Mann Stearns Distinguished Faculty Award is announced.
The FDRC will evaluate all proposals and make recommendations to the Provost for funding.
By May 5, 2023
The Provost, in consideration of the recommendations provided by the FDRC, along with feedback from Department Chairs and School Deans, will make final selections
By May 12, 2023
Recipient(s) are notified that they are receiving the award.
July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024
Grant Period
June 15, 2024
Receipts for expenditures needing reimbursement must be submitted via Workday by this date.
Application Instructions
This year, we have migrated the application packet to Google Forms. The advantages to this format include:
Email recognition: The form will recognize your Emerson email and open a blank application that will be automatically saved in your name.
Elimination of portable document errors: Reviewers will log directly into Google forms to read applications, removing the need to send electronic documents back and forth and reducing the chance for error.
Auto-save: The form saves your work automatically as you proceed.
Document uploads: Budget requests are now uploaded as a separate file, and you can also upload supplementary documents to bolster your proposal.
Ability to make revisions until the deadline: Applicants can make changes to their form up until the due date (April 4).
After you have submitted your pre-approval, you will be sent the link for the Mann Stearns application form. After you submit your proposal, you will receive a copy of your responses via email, and will have until April 10, 2023, to make any changes.
Applicants may include supplemental materials (publications, PDFs, media) that support their proposals with their submissions.
In addition to the application form and supplemental materials, a two-page curriculum vita should be included with each submission.
Final Progress Report Requirement
A final written report is not required, but the successful applicant is expected to meet with members of the Mann Stearns family and other members of Emerson College to discuss the final outcome and deliverables.
