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.
Emerson has a number of internal grant programs with deadlines in the Spring and Fall semesters. Here is a summary of what grant programs are coming up this spring, and which ones to look for in the fall.
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.
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 2022, the PFCI will support faculty participation in a Curriculum Internationalization and Inclusion Studio. Faculty selected for the Studio will receive a stipend of $1,200 for creating new curriculum, or developing or refining existing courses. Faculty will also have the opportunity to apply for further funding for project-related expenses.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Analyzing the efficacy of positive communication practices: Data gathering and analysis
Rhiannon Luyster
Communication Sciences
Transcription of parent-child play sessions
About the GRA: Made possible with support from the Graduate Student Association and the Office of Graduate Studies, the Graduate Research Assistantship Program intends 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. Each year, funds contributed by the GSA, OGS, and ORCS are awarded as a small number of competitive grants to full-time faculty, for the purpose of hiring a graduate student during the academic year. Through this program, we also hope to encourage external grant applications that include graduate research assistants.
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. 2022 Pre-Approval Deadline: November 10, 2022 2022 Application Deadline: December 5, 2022
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.
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 2022, the PFCI will support faculty participation in a Curriculum Internationalization and Inclusion Studio. Faculty selected for the Studio will receive a stipend of $1,200 for creating new curriculum, or developing or refining existing courses. Faculty will also have the opportunity to apply for further funding for project-related expenses.
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.
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 Faculty Advancement Fund Grant, Emerson College’s flagship program for support tenure-line faculty research and creative scholarship, is now accepting applications for funding in Academic Year 2022-23. Pre-approvals are due by November 10 and are required to obtain the application form. The proposal itself is due by Monday, December 5.
The FAFG 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.
Awards are administered according to the guidelines of the Faculty Development and Research Council (FDRC) in the Faculty Assembly By-Laws. Support for approved projects ranges between $1,000 and $10,000. Applicants may request monetary support or (in rare instances) support in the form of a single course release (see “Eligible Projects” for more information). The exact type and amount of award will be determined by the project budget request, availability of funds, and recommendations made by the FDRC and the school deans to the Provost.
Current FAFG awardees can find guidance on spending and managing their awards at the Utilizing Your FAFG Funding page.
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 2022-23 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, 2022 to orcs@emerson.edu.
Note: Proposals that do not use the required Google Form application will not be reviewed.
Deadlines
The application deadline for the FY2023 GRA grant will be on October 20, 2022.
Upcoming Grant Period
Grants awarded in FY2023 must be conducted between November 1, 2022 and May 7, 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.
The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship congratulates recipients of the 2022 Presidential Fund for Curricular Innovation (PFCI):Curriculum Internationalization and Inclusive Excellence Studio award. The following faculty and their projects have been accepted into the Studio:
Brenda Foley (Performing Arts): TH215: Stages of Drama
Valerie Johnson(Communication Sciences Disorders): Developing a Culturally Responsive Framework in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Gina Gayle(Journalism): Jamaica Global Pathway Program: Imagining Jamaican Culture through Visual & Multimedia Storytelling
Richard Chetwynd& Chester Lee(Kasteel Well): Faculty Development Workshops in DEI and Internationalizing the Curriculum at Kasteel Well
Rosario Swanson (Writing, Literature & Publishing): LI211: Topics in Global Literature: Latin American Poetry and Fiction
As a member of the studio, each faculty member will receive a stipend of $1,200 for creating new curriculum. Faculty members selected for the Studio will have the opportunity to apply for further funding for project-related expenses.
About the PFCI: Internationalization, diversity, and Inclusion are major priorities for Emerson. Emerson’s Strategic Plan defines Internationalization as the commitment to “mutually beneficial engagement with the global society in which we participate, and to ensuring that all members of our community are prepared to thrive in that society.” Similarly, Emerson’s dedication to Diversity and Inclusion is rooted in the belief that “institutional and academic excellence are not possible without full engagement with diversity across all areas of the College.” The President’s Fund for Curricular Innovation supports Emerson’s commitment to internationalizing and diversifying the curriculum of the College, as well as the implementation of inclusive pedagogical approaches in the classroom Each year, faculty are invited to submit proposal projects for acceptance to the Curriculum Internationalization and Inclusion Studio. The goals of the Studio are to:
Encourage collaboration among faculty;
Build our collective capacity to internationalize curriculum;
Develop specific courses, course modules, pedagogical and/or advising methods that contribute to these aims.
The PFCI and Curriculum and Internationalization and Inclusion Studio are jointly overseen by Dr. Anthony Pinder, Vice Provost Internationalization & Equity, and Dr. Tuesda Roberts, Director of Faculty Development and Diversity. The PFCI is sponsored by The Office of the President.
The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship is pleased to announce the grant recipients of this year’s Affiliated Faculty Professional Development Fund (AFDF) application cycle:
Faculty Member
Department
Title of Project
Barry Marshall
Visual and Media Arts
Dany Silva “The Long Road” aka “Caminho Longi”
Caitlin McGill
Writing, Literature, and Publishing
YOU REALLY DON’T BELIEVE ME?
Cindy Vincent
Visual and Media Arts
NCA Presentation
Claire Barliant
Writing, Literature, and Publishing
AWP Conference 2023
Daniel DiPaolo
Writing, Literature, and Publishing
Boston Street Art and Artists: Curating the Heart
Erin Trahan
Visual and Media Arts
Bread Loaf Environmental Writers Conference
Livia Meneghin
Writing, Literature, and Publishing
Dodge Poetry Festival: Conference Travel, Registration, & Accommodation for Writing and Teaching WLP Professional Development
Marie-Emmanuelle Thomas Hartness
Visual and Media Arts
Attending Story Expo 2023
Mark Brodie
Communication Studies
Southern of Our Border: Civic Diplomacy in Action
Michael Lueger
Performing Arts
The Theatre History Podcast
Mina Cho
Performing Arts
Pan’tata Project II <Samulnori Fantasy: Seasons>
Nerissa Williams Scott
Marketing Communication
Women of Color should go to Film Festivals to Network
Patrick Marshall
Visual and Media Arts
A Letter to Eric Anthamatten from the Rothko Chapel
Paul Haney
Writing, Literature, and Publishing
A View from the Rails: Mass Transportation, Masculinity, and the American Dream
Paulina MacNeil
Visual and Media Arts
Autofictional Short Film on Cape Breton Island
Rani Neutill
Writing, Literature, and Publishing
BTS : The Third Global Interdisciplinary Conference in Seoul
Sarah Ploskina
Performing Arts
SXSW.EDU Annual Conference
About the AFDF: The Affiliated Faculty Professional Development Fund supports the scholarly and creative activities of the affiliated faculty members of Emerson College. The Office of Academic Affairs administers the fund.
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: Communication Sciences and Disorders professor Ruth Grossman and Visual and Media Arts assistant professor Julia Halperin.
A professor and former Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Dr. Ruth Grossman‘s research is focused on various aspects of face-to-face communication in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She is specifically interested in how children with ASD integrate and produce verbal and nonverbal information, such as facial expressions and prosody. She will use the Mann Stearns Award to establish an international network of autism research labs to lay the foundation for multi lingual/multi-cultural research, which will include the University of Aarhus in Denmark and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Julia Halperin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual and Media Arts, and a filmmaker who works in multiple formats. Her cinematic interests include twisting and elevating genre, using landscape to externalize character, and disrupting narrative expectations. Her feature films have been premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and the Film Festival Rotterdman, have been nominated for several awards, and included in several critics’ best-of lists. With the Mann Stearns Award, she will submit her newest feature, Crookedfinger, for screening at a premier-class film festival and work to secure broader distribution.
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.
