AU Summer Scholars and Artists Fellowship Program 2016
OVERVIEW Advanced undergraduates are invited to apply for an American University Summer Scholars
& Artists Fellowship for 2016. Undergraduate Scholars will be awarded $4,000 to conduct full-time
summer scholarship that leads to a significant scholarly or creative work.
The intention of this program is to give talented students an opportunity to explore an intellectual
interest in depth and at length. The eight weeks of scholarly or artistic activity is understood to be the
beginning of process that might take six months or a year from conception to final product. Their project
might find its final form in an independent study in the following year as the student’s thinking matures.
The selection committee will need to keep such issues in mind as they decide which projects to fund.
Scholars will work closely with faculty mentors in ways that enhance faculty scholarship or creativity.
Faculty mentors will receive a $1,000 in their research fund to guide students through their scholarship
apprenticeship.
The faculty member must actively mentor the Scholar throughout the application process, scholarly
endeavor, and final presentation. They will aid students in all phases of development, design,
implementation, analysis/interpretation and presentation of the scholarly or creative work. During the
summer, they will remain in frequent contact with students and provide timely feedback. Finally, faculty
will help students find appropriate venues for sharing the results of their scholarship.
Projects may be conducted jointly with professors or with other students, but the project must show
evidence of significant original work by the Scholar. For example, if the Scholar or Artist is directly
involved in a faculty research project, they must have their own area of intellectual inquiry to investigate
and participate in all phases of design, development, execution, analysis, and conclusions. In essence,
the relationship would be one of apprenticeship rather than research assistance.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS & DEADLINES
Applicants must have a minimum 3.3 GPA in their major and a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. In
addition, applicants must have earned at least 60 credits and registered for classes in the subsequent fall
semester. Awardees are required to work full-time on their scholarly or artistic activity for a designated
period of eight weeks in the summer. Any summer session courses taken by an awardee must fall
outside the eight weeks identified as their scholarship period.
Fellows must be undergraduates. Their fall 2016 classes can be at AU or at AU Abroad. At the end of the
registration period in April, the Office for Undergraduate Studies will check to ensure that fellows are
indeed registered for fall 2016 classes.
All applications must include:
• The proposal for scholarly activity. The proposal is limited to 1500 words, no including references. It
should include:
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A cover page with the title of the project, the names and email addresses of the student
and faculty mentor, and the student’s primary major; if applicable include secondary
majors and minors.
An abstract (300 word maximum) and a short list of key words.
Describe the project (exactly what you will do), explain the project’s significance in
terms of your field, the method(s) of how you will complete the project and provide
information regarding the academic training that will enable you to undertake this
proposed activity. Also include the desired impact you hope the work to have for your
intended audience.
A proposed timeline for the 8-week period of proposed research.
A sample portfolio of previous projects if applicable.
A current transcript (unofficial is fine)
A letter of support from the intended faculty mentor.
Applications should be submitted via e-mail to Academic Program Assistant, Nicole Cusick
(ncusick@american.edu) by February 26, 2016. The subject line should read “Summer Scholars
Award.” The faculty mentor should send the letter of support to Nicole Cusick separately. Awards
will be announced in late March 2016.
CONDITIONS OF THE AWARD Awardees are required to file final report, co-signed by their faculty
sponsor, within 30 days of completing their scholarly activity. All Fellowship awardees will be expected
to publically present their completed work. For instance, they might incorporate their work into a senior
or honors capstone; they might present their work at a conference at AU or elsewhere; they might
submit might their work to the Visions Film Festival or the Public Communication awards, or they might
publish, display, or perform their work on or off campus. In cases in which events prevent students or
mentors from starting or completing the project, both the student and the faculty member must return
the funds to the School of Communication. The Vice Provost’s office may place a stop on the student’s
account while awaiting reimbursement. Scholars and artists are encouraged to participate in workshops
on scholarship sponsored by the University Honors program, CTRL, the Academic Support Center, or the
University Library— and may be asked to attend information sessions or workshops after receiving the
award.
SELECTION PROCESS
The intention of this program is to give talented students an opportunity to explore an intellectual
interest in depth and at length. The eight weeks of scholarship are understood to be the beginning of a
process that might take six months or a year from conception to final product. As the student’s thinking
matures, his/her scholarship might find its final form in an independent study the following year. The
selection committee will keep such issues in mind as a decision is made regarding which project to fund.
The selection committee will be composed of faculty and staff representatives from the School of
Communication Dean’s SOC departments and Dean’s office.
The committee will choose one award recipient. Candidates may be contacted by the selection
committee with additional questions on their proposal. There is no interview process, however,
proposals should be thorough and should get to the heart of what fellows want to do, and why and how
they are going to do it.
DISBURSAL All funds need to be disbursed to the awardee by April 30, 2016. Awards are taxable.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PUBLICITY Summer Scholars, Artists and their mentors will be
acknowledged in the spring. The American University Office for Undergraduate Studies will notify
various university and other publications about the winners, both in the spring after the awards and in
the fall after the symposium.