Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Program
Application Process
Purpose: The grant brings visiting scholars or artists to the campus for periods ranging from a
few days to a few weeks in order to expand and enrich SVSU’s curricular offerings for students
and cultural offerings for people of the surrounding community.
Eligibility: The awards are reserved for visiting scholars or artists nominated by tenured or
tenure-track faculty, deans or academic departments.
Deadline: Proposals should be submitted to the Chair of the Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists
Selection Committee (presently, the Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Behavioral
Sciences) and are accepted twice yearly, with deadlines of 4:30 p.m. on October 31 and 4:30
p.m. on March 15. When these due dates fall on a holiday or on a Saturday or Sunday, the
submission date will be the next business day.
Evaluation: Proposals will be evaluated by the Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Selection
Committee, which is interdisciplinary and representative of SVSU’s five colleges. Although
members of the committee are academic professionals, they may not be familiar with specific
technical aspects of a proposed scholar’s research area; proposals should be written in a clear,
concise manner for the educated non-specialist and should avoid jargon. Proposals
recommended for funding will then be forwarded to the Provost for final approval.
Selection Criteria: Proposals will be selected for funding based on the qualifications of the
scholar or artist, the potential impact on the campus and larger community, the anticipated
schedule of activities, and the demonstrated involvement of faculty and departments for
successfully hosting the visitor. All applications will require a letter of support from the dean of
the relevant college.
Funding: The Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Program will provide selected scholars or artists
with round-trip domestic economy airfare or mileage reimbursement as defined below,
accommodations at the Executive Guest Apartment on campus or comparable accommodations
at a local hotel for the period of the visit, meals while in residence, and an honorarium.
Travel by private automobile will be reimbursed at the established University rate of $.50 per
official map mile and may not exceed the cost of round-trip domestic economy airfare and
airport limousine.
Honoraria for visiting scholars or artists will be commensurate with the visitor’s qualifications
and activities while on campus or in the community. An anticipated rate would be up to $1,000
per day for each full day of activities for a maximum honorarium of $5,000 for one full week of
activities. Longer periods of residency and other rates of compensation will also be considered.
The estimated number of awards is three per fall and winter semesters, for a total of six annually.
Proposal Guidelines
Applicants should prepare a proposal that includes the following sections:
1.
Qualifications of the Scholar or Artist: The proposal should indicate the accomplishments
of the nominee, areas of expertise, and reasons why the field of expertise would connect
with the curriculum at SVSU. This section should also indicate whether any preliminary
inquiries have been made as well as the proposed visitor’s availability and interest in
participating in a “mini-residency.”
2.
Impact: This section will describe a specific program of activities the Dow Visiting
Scholar or Artist will engage in and indicate how these activities will relate to student
academic activities and to the curriculum.
3.
Timeline: This section will indicate proposed dates for the mini-residency and list a
comprehensive schedule of suggested activities including, but not limited to, a public
lecture, guest lectures in classes, faculty development workshops, and collaborative
research.
4.
Coordination: Although the Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Program can provide some
assistance with publicity or booking flights, the major responsibility for ensuring the
success of the visit rests with the faculty or departmental hosts. This section of the
proposal should therefore include some discussion of practical aspects of the visit such as
transportation to and from the airport, hosting of meals and escorting the guest to classes,
and audience development for the public lecture (e.g., student and faculty attendance).
5.
Collaboration: Proposals which are multi-disciplinary are encouraged. This section
should explain whether the nominee will be involved with multiple departments and, if
so, how the responsibilities for hosting the visitor will be met across departments and
colleges.
6.
Budget: This section should list the suggested honorarium and other anticipated costs and
should also indicate whether other funding sources are being used to support the
proposed mini-residency.
7.
Attachments: The application will include both the curriculum vitae of the proposed
visiting scholar or artist and a letter of support from the dean of the hosting college.
Note:
A.
The Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Program will give preference to established
scholars and artists with university affiliations and a record of enhancing student learning
and faculty development. In addition to offering a public lecture on some area of interest
to a broadly educated audience, Dow Visiting Scholars and Artists generally meet with
classes, engage faculty in a faculty development workshop or roundtable discussion and
have an impact on the campus beyond a single public event. The Program does not fund
single appearances such as a keynote speech at a conference, one-time celebrity lectures,
or events that are exclusively for entertainment purposes.
B.
While it is important to determine the feasibility of bringing a particular scholar or artist
to campus by contacting that individual, initial correspondence with the nominee should
clearly indicate that the discussion is preliminary. As a result, no offer or commitment
should be made during the initial stages since all nominations are subject to a review by
the Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Selection Committee and final approval by the
Provost.
For Further Information: Please contact the chair of the selection committee/coordinator of the
Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Program, Dr. Carlos Ramet, to discuss the preparation of
proposals or for other relevant information: 989-964-4062; ramet@svsu.edu.