Humanities
Released Time Program
In addition to
its regular program of support for various kinds of research
expenses, the Research Board offers support for released
time to humanities faculty to conduct specific research
projects for which their own concentrated effort is the
resource most urgently needed. With this support the recipient
is released from a portion of his or her teaching duties
for an appropriate period, usually one semester, and is
replaced by a teaching assistant or other qualified instructor
to be arranged with the departmental executive officer.
Focus
of Program
Recognizing that
productivity in scholarship is an expected part of a faculty
member's regular workload, the Research Board will normally
apply the following criteria in their review of the requests
for released time:
Requests for
released time should reflect a response to some special
opportunity that would be significantly enhanced by uninterrupted
effort.
Preference will
be given untenured faculty, requests should not be made
in the faculty member's first year at the University unless
truly exceptional circumstances exist. The Research Board
will not normally award Humanities Release Time to an applicant
who receives similar release time from another campus unit
for the same academic year.
Humanities Released
Time should be used for efforts which have reached a level
of maturity and there exists a "crucial moment in the
life of the project" such that released time will make
a significant difference. Early stage projects are not good
candidates for the Humanities Released Time Program.
Requests may
be particularly appropriate for faculty in their final year
before tenure decision when they are completing scholarly
work on which their tenure decision will be based.
Humanities Released
Time should not be used in conjunction with a sabbatical
leave or other leaves or release time opportunities which
would lengthen time released from University teaching responsibilities
unless truly exceptional circumstances exist.
[TOP]
Eligibilty
Eligibility is
restricted to regular tenured and tenure-track faculty in
the departments/units of:
- African Studies
- African American Studies
- American Indian Studies
- Anthropology
- Asian-American
Studies
- Art History
- Architectural
History
- Unit for Cinema
Studies
- Classics
- Program in Comparative
Literature
- Unit for Criticism
and Interpretive Theory
- Division of
English as an International Language
- English
- East Asian Languages and Cultures
- French
- Gender and Womens'
Studies
- Germanic Languages
and Literatures
- History
- Language Learning
Laboratory
- Linguistics
- Latin American
Studies
- Latina/o Studies
- Medieval Studies
- Musicology
- Philosophy
- Program for
the Study of Religion
- Russian and
East European Studies
- Slavic Languages
and Literatures
- South Asian
and Middle Eastern Studies
- Spanish, Italian,
and Portuguese
- Speech Communication
- Theatre History
[TOP]
Limited
Time
This opportunity
is intended only to meet the need for limited amounts of
released time. Normally requests should be for one semester
and only in rare incidences will an academic year period
be considered. Continuing support is not available under
the Humanities Released Time Program. A minimum of
five years must elapse between periods during which Humanities
Released Time is taken.
[TOP]
Amount
and Form of Support
The Research Board will provide a standard rate of $9000
for one semester of release time. The faculty member's department
may use these funds for either a teacher assistantship or
wages to hire a qualified instructor to cover the faculty
member's teaching responsibilities during the release-time
semester.
[TOP]
Application
The applicant
must make satisfactory arrangements with his/her department
for replacement teaching. A letter from the department head
endorsing the request for release time should accompany
the application.
The regular Research
Board application form (Revised Sept. 2007) and process is
used. The budget should indicate the standard amount of
$9000 for one semester of release time, irrespective of
the number of sections or units to be taught.
Under the heading
"Current Support Information" on Page 2, include
a listing of all release time, sabbatical or other leave
granted during the last five years as well as all requests
pending.
Applications
for released time may include requests for other forms of
support as well on the same application form. Faculty are
encouraged to combine Humanities Release Time requests and
other support items into a single application if they involve
the same research project. Individual requests require extra
time for the Board and Peer Reviewers.
In addition to the usual information requested by the Research
Board, the applicant should clearly explain how the proposed
project fits the program focus of the Humanities Released
Time Program.
[TOP]
Criteria
The regular Research Board criteria and the need for released
time will be used to judge the proposal. The Research Board
will not review the arrangements for the teaching replacement
since that is the department's responsibility.
[TOP]
Deadline
There is a single deadline for Humanities Released Time applications:
December 8, 2008
Requests for: Fall Semester '09 or Spring Semester '10
Results E-Mailed: Jan 30, 2009
[TOP]
Questions concerning
this program may be directed to the Executive Secretary
of the Research Board at 333-0030 or by e-mail at reschbd@uiuc.edu.
|
