Call for Proposals 2008-2009 Middle East Studies Committee Grants For students, Faculty, and Staff

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2009

Middle East Studies Night
On Tuesday, February 3rd @ 6:00 p.m. in the Fowler Center

Background & Purpose
The role of the ASU Middle East Studies Committee (MESC) is to encourage an awareness and understanding of issues and people of the Middle East. Each year, the committee awards parts of its budget, the income from an endowment given to to ASU by the Saudi government, to ASU students, faculty and staff for study and/or research in the Middle East. The Committee welcomes grant applicants from all disciplines and from all ASU-Jonesboro colleges.

Qualifying and Applying
The committee seeks proposals identifying specific areas of academic interest and a detailed plan by which the applicant will conduct the study or research. In addition, student/staff proposals must include a description of how the study will benefit the applicant and faculty proposals must include a well-defined plan of how the faculty member will disseminate the research findings. Preference will be given to applicants who have not received a grant in the past three competitions.

In order to qualify for the grant competition:

1. The applicant must be a student or full-time faculty or staff member at ASU-Jonesboro.

The proposals must include on-site research in one of the designated countries of the Middle East (Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Ku wait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.)*

2. The applicant must submit to the Committee a one page abstract of the proposal and a four-to-five page detailed narrative explaining the purpose of the study or research. The proposal should include a schedule of activities and statement of benefits of the study (student/staff) or dissemination plan (faculty).

3. The applicant should attach a budget not to exceed $5,000 (students and staff) or $7,500 (faculty). The Committee will consider proposals for a group trip (faculty member and

students) with budget requests up to $12,000. The budget should include international travel, lodging, meal allowance, local transportation, cost of necessary supplies, visas and any other related costs. The grant must comply with the University and State of Ar- kansas travel guidelines. For assistance consult with the ASU Travel Office.

4. Student proposals must include a letter of support from the applicant’s advisor and from another faculty member. Staff members need a letter from the applicant’s supervisor and from a second reference. Faculty members need a letter of support from their chair, di- rector or dean and from a faculty member, whether teaching at ASU or elsewhere, who is familiar with the applicant’s research abilities.

5. If there is an international collaborator as part of the effort, that person or institution should send written confirmation of the level of involvement and an agreement to assist in the study or research defined in the proposal. Email correspondence is acceptable.

6. All study or research must be completed by December 31, 2009.

7. Applicants must submit two copies of the complete proposal to the Dean’s Office College of Humanities and Social Sciences by 5:00 pm, Monday, January 19, 2009.

The mailing address is:
Gloria J. Gibson
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
P.O. Box 1150
State University, AR 72467

The physical address is:
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Wilson Hall
Room 202

Email for additional information: ggibson@astate.edu
Phone (870) 972-3973

*ASU does not support travel to any country considered dangerous by the United States Department of State (DOS). Therefore, awards for travel to countries on the DOS alert list will not be considered. Consult the DOS website www.state.gov for up-to-date information.

Award announcements will be made by February 9, 2009.