The URI Center for the Humanities offers funding support for scholarly humanities speakers to visit our campus. The Center limits funding to free and public events. Preference for funding is given to those events involving students in one or more classes. Funding for each event is limited to amounts up to $500. Applicants who have previously received funding from the Center who have not yet submitted a funding report are not eligible to apply.

The primary criteria upon which the decision to fund a particular scholar visit is based include

• The value of the event for enhancing the humanities at URI and its surrounding community;
• The number of students/courses involved with the event;
• The importance of the visiting scholar to course content (if applicable);
• The availability of funding;
• The clarity of the proposal.

Not sure if your event is a humanities event? Please see our homepage for a definition of the humanities.

Additionally, the Center looks for evidence that the applicant sought funding from the Dean of Arts and Sciences’ Event Fund and any other appropriate sources.

To Apply

Please submit an electronic copy of your application to the Center’s Director in the form of a single PDF file.

Applications should consist of the following

• The name, email, phone number and department of the person submitting the proposal;
• Title for the presentation;
• A brief description of the content of the presentation and how it connects to the Humanities (one-page maximum);
• The name and credentials of the proposed speaker (including a brief curriculum vitae no longer than three pages);
• The targeted audience, including the number of students involved (students required to attend, and students encouraged to attend) as well as the course names and numbers;
• A statement about the value of the programming to the course content and to the larger humanities community;
• A budget, including the amount requested from the Center for the Humanities, the amount requested from other sources (please list them), and the total amount budgeted for the event. (You must identify the specific purpose to which Center funds will be dedicated, i.e., transportation, lodging, reception, honorarium.) (one-page maximum);
• A brief description of how you will publicize the event.

Please keep in mind that applications are read by faculty across several disciplines who may not be familiar with jargon specific to your particular field of research. For additional questions, email the Director at urihumanities@uri.edu.

Important Dates

Visiting scholar applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the academic year. Please submit all visiting scholar applications a minimum of six weeks prior to the event. The Director will notify award recipients in as timely a manner as possible.

Other Requirements

Award recipients will be expected to acknowledge the Center’s assistance in publicity. They will also be required to provide a final report to the Director. Recipients will be expected to adhere to applicable URI travel and purchase policies.