Institute for the Humanities
Guidelines for Faculty Fellowship Proposals
2012 - 2013
Proposal: The proposal narrative should be approximately 1,500 words in length. It should be accompanied by a bibliography, not to exceed one page. Proposals should describe the project concisely and clearly for a multi-disciplinary evaluation panel and address its relevance to current directions of research in the field. Please< double-space proposals and use 12-point type.
Audience: Proposals will be evaluated by the Institute for the Humanities Executive Committee made up of faculty from a variety of Humanities disciplines. Keep in mind, therefore, that your proposal should be addressed to academic readers who may not be specialists in your field.
Scholarly Context: Proposals should provide a conceptual, historical, and/or methodological framework that explains the relationship of the project to existing scholarship in the field.
Previous Work: The proposal should clarify the relationship of the project to the applicant’s training and scholarly career. If a project suggests a new scholarly direction, applicants should discuss the extent to which their work has prepared them to undertake this new project.
Work Plan: The Executive Committee has approved projects at both their beginning and middle stages, although its predisposition has been toward projects in which investigators have already made significant intellectual investments and on which substantial work has been accomplished. The research plan should be detailed and feasible. Please keep in mind that Institute Fellows are required to be in residence during the fellowship year.
Letters of Reference: Applicants must submit three letters of reference from scholars outside of UIC in support of their projects. The most effective letters of reference show a detailed knowledge of the candidate’s past work and address directly both the importance of the project and the candidate’s qualifications to purse it.
Assistance: Be sure to have colleagues both within and outside your field comment on your proposal. Former Institute Fellows are a good resource. Previous successful proposals are available and may be read in the Institute.
Completed applications for 2012-2013 Fellowships are due Monday, November 7, 2011
