2019 Mellon Foundation Sawyer Seminar Application

Application Instructions

The University of Minnesota has received an invitation from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to apply for a John E. Sawyer Seminar in spring 2019. The University of Minnesota may submit only one proposal. The Institute for Advanced Study, working with the Office of the Vice President for Research, will coordinate the University’s internal review and selection process to determine the University's nomination. Proposals for this internal review are due to the IAS at noon on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.

Applicants will complete this form (the form will automatically download when you click the link) and submit it, with attachments (see below), to [email protected].
 
Proposals should describe: (1) the originality and significance of the central questions to be addressed; (2) the cases to be compared (e.g., nations, regions, social aggregates, time periods) and the rationale for the comparisons that are selected; (3) the thematic "threads" that will run through the seminar; (4) the institution's resources and suitability for the proposed seminar; and (5) the procedures to be used in selecting graduate and postdoctoral fellows. Additionally, proposals should include a budget and a well-developed preliminary plan for the seminar that outlines the specific topics to be addressed in each session and provides the names and qualifications of the scholars who would ideally participate.

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

  • Title of Project
  • Principal Investigator Name and Email Address
  • List of Co-Organizers (Up to 5)
  • Grant Start and End Dates
  • Amount Requested

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

Please note there is no word limit per individual question in this section, though TOTAL WORD COUNT for these three proposal narrative questions may not exceed 8,000 words.

  • Executive summary of your proposed work
  • Describe the rationale for raising the central questions asked by your project, as well as the potential significance of the inquiry to be pursued
  • Long project description, including descriptions of cases to be studied and the perspectives brought to bear on them, thematic “threads” running through the proposed seminar, and your institution’s resources and suitability for your proposal

PROPOSAL LOGISTICS

  • Describe the procedures to be used in selecting graduate and postdoctoral fellows for this seminar:
  • Give a well-considered preliminary plan for the seminar, including outlining specific topics to be addressed, and including names and qualifications of scholars who would ideally participate:
  • Does the proposal involve collaborating institutions and individuals?
  • Do proposed grant activities include the digitization of works or the creation of digital technology and/or digital products, such as software, databases, audio or video recordings, podcasts, and websites?

BUDGET

Funding requests should not exceed $225,000. The seminar’s budget must provide for a postdoctoral fellowship to be awarded for the year the seminar meets, and two graduate student dissertation fellowships to be awarded for the seminar year or the year that follows. The amounts for postdoctoral fellowship awards and dissertation fellowship stipends should follow institutional practices. To acknowledge the sustained intellectual involvement of these graduate students in the seminar, institutions may include tuition support or, for those funded by existing fellowships, supplementary support such as research and travel funds. Travel and living expenses for short stays by visiting scholars and the costs of coordinating the seminar, including those incurred for speakers and their travel, may also be included. Funds may not cover released time for regular faculty participants, or indirect costs.

You must provide both amounts and category-specific budget notes as applicable in these categories:

  • Salaries and Wages – Fellowships and Residencies: Total salaries, excluding benefits, for all fellowships, residencies, and scholarships. The budget narrative should list the base salary or stipend amount for each fellow or resident, the number of individuals in each position, and, if applicable, the FTE percentage allocation
  • Salaries and Wages – Program: Total salaries, excluding benefits, for all programmatic employees, which may include salaries, stipends, and/or course releases for the principal investigator, project director, artistic staff, and/or faculty. The budget narrative should list the base salary, stipend, and/or course release amount for each position, the number of individuals in each position, and, if applicable, the FTE percentage allocation.
  • Salaries and Wages – Administration: Total salaries, excluding benefits, for all administrative employees involved in the grant-funded project or activities, which may include salaries for executive, finance, communications, and/or clerical staff. The budget narrative should list the base salary for each position, the number of individuals in each position, and, if applicable, the FTE percentage allocation.
  • Salaries and Wages – Other: Total salary, excluding benefits, for any other staff not included in the above salary categories. The budget narrative should list the base salary for each position, the number of individuals in each position, and, if applicable, the FTE percentage allocation.
  • Benefits: Total benefit costs related to personnel involved with the proposed grant activities, including pension contributions, health insurance, and other benefits. The budget narrative should describe how benefit costs are calculated.
  • Travel: Total travel costs directly related to the major activities of the proposed grant, including any expenses for transportation, meals, lodging, mileage reimbursements, and per diem payments. The budget narrative should provide a breakdown of the costs by activity and include the number of individuals participating and travel days. Please include the sources for the travel cost estimates.
  • Conferences and Meetings – Non-travel: Total non-travel costs associated with conferences, meetings, and workshops, including any registration fees. The budget narrative should provide a breakdown of the costs by activity. Please note: some program areas do not support catering and facilities charges. Please refer to specific program guidelines on the Foundation's website for any further conference and meeting requirements.
  • Equipment and Supplies: Total equipment and supplies costs, including any anticipated shipping, licensing, maintenance, and insurance costs. The budget narrative should include an itemized list of any equipment and supplies to be purchased or leased along with the cost assumptions.
  • Consultants and Professional Services (including Artist Fees): Total consultant and professional services costs (including artist fees) not included in other budget categories. The budget narrative should describe any existing and/or anticipated agreements with third parties, including consultants, artists, and/or other vendors. The narrative should include a description of the work to be performed, whether the amount is based on a fixed price, hourly rate, or per diem rate, and whether it includes any anticipated travel or other additional expenses.
  • Subgrants/Regrants: If applicable, the total funds allocated for use for subgrants/regrants. For subgrants, the budget narrative should include the names of subgrantees, a description of the work to be performed by each subgrantee, and the amount of allocated funds. For regrants, the budget narrative should include the total funds to be regranted and describe the amounts expected to be awarded to each organization and/or individual.
  • Promotion, Marketing, and Advertising: If applicable, the total funds allocated for all promoting, marketing, and advertising costs associated with the proposed grant activities
  • Evaluation: If applicable, the total funds allocated for evaluating or documenting the proposed grant activities.
  • Artist Occupancy Costs: If applicable, the total funds allocated for utilities and space rental associated with the development of the artistic work. The budget narrative should also designate the Foundation’s percentage contribution to these occupancy costs. Please note: other program areas do not generally support occupancy costs. Please refer to program guidelines on the Foundation's website.
  • Additional Budget Categories: If applicable, the total funds allocated for use in any additional budget categories. Please describe the allocated amount and purpose for each category.

ATTACHED DOCUMENTS

Please provide short CVs (1-2 pages) for the principal seminar organizers as a single PDF document. If other participants are identified, the organizers are asked to limit information about them to a few lines of text, either within the proposal narrative (see above: Proposal Logistics, Question 2) or as part of the PDF attachment.
You may also include a spreadsheet version of your budget as an additional Excel or PDF attachment. Please organize the spreadsheet budget in the precise categories listed on the application form.

If you have any questions about the John E. Sawyer Seminar, please contact Jennifer Gunn ([email protected]). For questions about the application process or the application itself, please contact Susannah Smith ([email protected]).