We are now accepting proposals for the Distinguished Speaker Series in Academic Year 2020-21.
In a normal academic year, the University of Alabama in Huntsville Distinguished Speaker Series provides academic departments or units with an opportunity to bring speakers of national and international reputation to the UAH campus. Due to the circumstances of the COVID pandemic and the associated safety protocols in-place on our campus, the Distinguished Speakers Series will award proposals for virtual events in Academic Year 2020-2021. These events should be open to the entire university community as well as the general public. The objectives of the Series remain to enrich the academic environment at UAH, enhance the national and international reputation of UAH, and to establish new contacts with distinguished scholars in disciplines of importance to the mission of UAH.
- ELIGIBILITY AND AMOUNTS
All academic departments or units of UAH are eligible to apply. The committee anticipates funding a maximum of ten awards ($500 per award) to proposals whose speakers best meet the objectives of the Series. Proposing departments or academic units are responsible for any costs in excess of the awarded amounts. Additional support is often sought and received from one or more colleges, programs, and/or research centers. Alternatively, university colleges, programs, and research centers may offer additional support. Faculty should contact their department chair, dean, or the appropriate program director for more information regarding additional support. Distinguished speakers may be proposed as part of larger symposia, conferences, and other virtual academic events administered by UAH faculty.
- PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
The proposal must be no more than five pages, including a title page and a two-page CV of the proposed speaker. The document should be single-spaced in 12pt font with 1-inch margins. The proposal must include the following categories and content in the order given:
1) Title Page
- Proposed title for presentation
- Proposed date
- Names of proposing faculty member(s)
- Supporting department(s) or academic unit(s)
2) Speaker Information
- Name of the speaker
- A brief description of the speaker, including his/her noteworthy credentials and accomplishments
- A short (no more than two-page) CV of the speaker is to be attached as an appendix to the proposal.
- An informal but written acknowledgment by the proposed speaker of his/her commitment to give the presentation at the date proposed (this can be in the form of an email from the speaker)
3) Presentation Information
- Proposed title for presentation
- An abstract for the presentation. Since the Committee consists of faculty members from various fields of study, and since the speaker is to appeal to a broad audience, the language used should be clear and free from technical jargon.
4) Proposed Benefits
- In one or more paragraphs, clearly explain how the proposed presentation will meet the objectives of the Distinguished Speaker series. How will it enrich our academic environment, enhance our reputation, and/or establish new contacts with distinguished scholars? Please be as specific as you can.
5) Event Promotion
The proposing academic unit must commit to advertise and promote the lecture through a variety of avenues both on campus and in the community. Please explain, briefly, how the event will be promoted. Promotion by the unit might include but is not limited to:
- A one-page flyer mailed to all faculty and staff and posted in appropriate buildings on campus.
- Notice/announcement on the UAH website.
- Notice/announcement in department and/or college newsletters, calendars, or websites.
- Personal invitations to donors, advisory boards, business/industry contacts or groups, etc.
- Email reminder(s) sent to all faculty and staff.
- PSA announcements on public radio, including WLRH (if possible).
6) Proposed Budget
- Given that events will be virtual this year, the award might be used solely for honoraria or it might include both honoraria and other costs relative to hosting the event on a virtual platform. It is at the discretion of the proposing faculty to decide how to expend the funds for the event.
III. APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
Proposals must be signed and submitted by the chair or administrative lead of the academic department or unit that will oversee the speaker’s visit. Departments and academic units are welcomed to submit more than one proposal supported by the chair or unit lead. In such cases, submit a separate proposal for each speaker.
The deadline for proposals is Friday, October 30, 2020. Proposals must be submitted electronically as a single PDF file to Joseph Taylor, wjt0003@uah.edu (reference Distinguished Speaker Series in the subject line). Please feel free to contact Dr. Taylor by email for any questions regarding the submission process.
The review of the proposals and award decisions are made by the Faculty Senate’s Finance and Resources Committee. The Committee determines which proposals will be funded. Evaluation criteria are listed below:
- Preference will be given foremost to speakers that clearly support the objectives of the series.
- Consideration will be given to fund departments or units that do not have their own funded seminar series.
- In order to provide for a diverse Series, the selection committee will favor a distribution of awards across academic departments and units.
Awards will be distributed to the account of the primary department or academic unit, not to individual faculty.
