Appalachian Studies Association Wilma Dykeman Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship
The Appalachian Studies Association is pleased to announce the creation of its Wilma Dykeman Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Research on Diversity in Appalachia. Founded in 2008 with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Appalachian Studies Association, this fellowship is designed to provide funding in the amount of $4000 to one person annually to support research related to the goals of the endowment – promoting scholarship on gender (which is defined here to include gender identities and sexualities), race, and/or ethnicity in Appalachia.
Applicants must provide a c.v., highlighting research activities related to gender, race, and/or ethnicity in Appalachia that are particularly relevant to the topic to be pursued. This c.v. must include contact information for the period June 1-August 10, as well as academic year contact information, if different than summer contact information. Applicants must also submit a proposal of no more than 1500 words, outlining the topic they will pursue with the fellowship money, how this topic relates to previous work OR starts a new direction for the applicant, and the resources to be used to pursue this topic (i.e., travel money, salary support, book purchases). Applicants must also provide names and contact information for two people who can serve as references, if the selection committee chooses to contact them. These individuals should be people familiar with the applicant’s qualifications to do the proposed project.
Fellowship recipients may use the funding for salary support, travel expenses for travel to research collections, to conduct other activities related to research (e.g., collect oral histories), or for current expenses such as purchasing relevant books or copying costs. Because this fellowship is designed to promote research activity, expenses such as subventions to publishers or costs of illustrations for a publication are specifically excluded. The Marshall University Foundation will issue the recipient one check for $4000. The Foundation will also issue the recipient a 1099 form, as this amount is fully taxable in accord with IRS regulations. At the end of the fellowship period, the recipient must submit a statement to the Appalachian Studies Association that confirms how the funds were used. Funds must be expended within one year of the date of receipt. Any member of the Appalachian Studies Association who has recently earned a doctorate degree from an accredited institution (up to six years prior to the announcement of the fellowship competition) is eligible to apply for this fellowship.
All publications or other products supported in full or in part by this fellowship must acknowledge that the publication or other product was supported by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Appalachian Studies Association, with the understanding that neither the NEH nor ASA is responsible for the views or content of such publications or other products.
The recipient of this fellowship will be expected to present his/her work at the annual ASA meeting immediately following the granting of the award, even if the work funded by the fellowship is not yet complete. So, the person receiving the award in 2008 will present his/her work at the March 2009 meeting. The person will also be expected to provide an article summarizing his/her work for the spring ASA newsletter that coincides with the conference presentation. The award recipient will be expected to follow word limit and other guidelines provided by the newsletter editor.
No person may hold the fellowship more than one time. Fellowship applicants must have been members of ASA for one year prior to applying and must maintain membership in ASA through the course of the fellowship period.
Fellowship proposals will be reviewed by a committee of 3 members of the Appalachian Studies Association, chosen annually by the ASA steering committee and consisting of ASA members who have earned doctorates from accredited institutions. Steering committee members are excluded from applying for the award, as members of governing bodies of 501-c-(3) organizations may not receive compensation in any form, other than for reimbursement of expenses, from the association during their service on the governing body. Award selection committee members will serve 3-year terms, with initial staggered terms and 1 member chosen each year thereafter. The steering committee shall ask the membership for volunteers to be on the selection committee. Committee members may not apply for the fellowship until at least 1 calendar year after they have served on the committee. As the list of fellowship recipients grows, the steering committee is encouraged to select future committee members from prior recipients.
