Marilyn Williamson Faculty Fellowship

Thanks to a generous endowment provided by former Provost Marilyn L. Williamson, the Humanities Center offers an annual Distinguished Faculty Fellowship to tenured faculty (associate and full professors) in the humanities as defined by the NEH. This residential program will supply recipients with two to four course releases (two for Fall and two for Winter), dedicated office space, scholarly community, and research funds that may support travel, research assistance, and other research-related expenses.

Marilyn Williamson Judging Criteria

Applications have closed.

The award of this fellowship is based on the following criteria:

• the merit of the individual research project
• the feasibility of its completion during the fellowship term
• the exceptional contribution the proposed project will make to the humanities
• its potential for scholarly recognition and publication, exhibition or performance
• two external recommendations* in support of the project.

*Letters of recommendation must be from scholars who are external to Wayne State. Emeritus and emerita WSU faculty members do not qualify as external reviewers.

One of the defining characteristics of this program is its residential nature.  Fellowship recipients will meet monthly with other resident scholars to share their works-in-progress in a research seminar that will be open to the broader university community.  The Center will also provide recipients with office space, in the expectation that they will hold regular office hours to facilitate collaboration and conversation.  In doing so, the Humanities Center aims to create a community of humanities and arts faculty from different disciplines working in the same physical space at roughly the same time. This arrangement will facilitate the formation of valuable research networks, promote interdisciplinary collaborations and joint grant applications, and support the development of collegiality across humanities departments and units on campus. Furthermore, as a senior scholar the Williamson recipient will help mentor junior scholars and graduate students who hold residential fellowships.

Please note: If your project involves human subjects or animals, you must secure IRB approval before applying for this fellowship opportunity.

Eligibility

As per the donor’s stipulations, this opportunity is open to all WSU tenured faculty in the humanities (associate and full professors), as defined by the NEH:

“The term ‘humanities’ includes, but is not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.”

Please note: previously funded projects are not eligible for additional support.

Funding

The Center will fund one proposal, based on the recipient’s choice from the following options:

1. Four course buyouts and $9,000 in research expenses. The Center will make a grant of $13,000 directly to the recipient’s department, college, or school. This funding may only be used toward buying out two courses per semester. Applicants should limit their research budgets to $9,000, and should prepare a budget statement which includes expenses related to a specific research project.
2. Three course buyouts and $12,250 in research expenses. The Center will make a grant of $9,750 directly to the recipient’s department, college, or school. This funding may only be used toward buying out three courses total. Applicants should limit their research budgets to $12,250, and should prepare a budget statement which includes expenses related to a specific research project.
3. Two course buyouts and $15,500 in research expenses. The Center will make a grant of $6,500 directly to the recipient’s department, college, or school. This funding may only be used toward buying out one course per semester. Applicants should limit their research budgets to $15,500, and should prepare a budget statement which includes expenses related to a specific research project.

Conditions

The Marilyn Williamson Distinguished Faculty Fellowship recipient must agree to:

1. Establish office hours at least twice a week for a minimum of three hours per session; or three times per week for two hours per session.
   This is a central requirement of the program since it provides the opportunity for the recipient to interact frequently with other resident scholars, and thus, to influence each other's work and develop collaborative projects.
2. Spend their office hours working on their research project, or interacting with other resident scholars having office hours.
3. Participate in monthly research seminars with other resident scholars.
4. Discuss their projects in a lecture sponsored by the Center before the end of the fellowship period.
5. Submit an end-of-year report on their project to the Humanities Center.
6. Submit a complimentary copy of the final product (book, article, exhibition catalog, video, etc.).
7. Acknowledge the Humanities Center’s support within the publication itself.

Guidelines

Each proposal must consist of a narrative of no more than 2500 words (excluding the application cover page, bibliography, professional record, and evidence of IRB approval, if required), and a detailed budget explaining the budget information requested on the application cover page.

1. A completed application cover page with all required signatures. Note: in the case that a department head is applying for a fellowship, he or she should obtain the signature of his or her dean.
2. A project narrative of no more than 2500 words, which includes:
   • Statement of purpose
   • Significance and contribution to field and career
   • Theoretical framework and/or methodology
   • Project overview (for monographs, a chapter breakdown)
   • Project timeline for grant period
   • Final product and dissemination
   • Summary of the applicant’s successful mentorship of graduate students and/or junior faculty
3. A bibliography or list of relevant sources, not to exceed one page.
4. A detailed budget and justification by category (in addition to the budget summary on the application cover page). Summer salary, if requested, and fringe benefits costs for all relevant employees must also be included in the total budget request.
5. A list of awards and fellowships received over the last five years.
6. The professional record and contact information of the applicant.
7. Two external letters of recommendation in support of the project proposed for the fellowship. Referees should submit their letters directly to Jaime Goodrich, Director of the Humanities Center, at dz2649@wayne.edu
8. Evidence of IRB approval, if your project involves human subjects or animals.