Kelly-Douglas Humanities Research and Teaching Grants
About the Kelly Douglas Fund Research and Teaching Grants
The Kelly-Douglas Fund allocates a part of its annual budget to support teaching and research by members of MIT’s School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
These funds are distributed on a rolling basis each semester. Since the Fund is a small one and seeks to assist as many deserving projects as possible, grants are typically modest: no individual may receive more than $500 in a given academic year, and a majority of grants awarded are for smaller amounts.
Applying for the Fund
How to apply
Proposal
You’ll apply online via this application. Your request should include:
- A brief description of the project.
- A concise budget. This should outline specific expenses (travel, lodging, and so on), and specify what part of the sum would be paid by the Kelly-Douglas Fund, assuming the application is successful.
- A summary of other sources to which you are also applying for support (such as the department or section, the Dean’s Office, NEH etc). If you have already been awarded support, indicate the amount you have received or will receive. Remember that the Fund is a modest one, and do not pad your application. Failure to disclose other sources of funding may result in the Fund’s grant being revoked.
- Finally, all graduate students applying for research or conference-related support must indicate the name and email address of a recommender.
Write a letter of request
Requests for funding should be outlined in a brief letter that clearly describes the proposed project. The letter should not exceed one single-spaced typed page.
Collect recommendations
In general, recommendations are not required for teaching-related grants.
For research-related travel, students are required to arrange for one letter of recommendation from a person who is able to speak knowledgeably about the student’s research and merit. Normally, the endorsement would come from a thesis advisor, a member of the dissertation committee, or departmental or sectional head. Lecturers are not required to submit a letter of endorsement. However, a brief statement of support from the departmental or sectional head will strengthen the application.
Submit your application
Submit your application online and if you’re applying for research-related travel, ask your recommender to email their supporting letter concurrent with your application submission.
Eligibility criteria
The Fund accepts applications from current lecturers, visiting faculty and graduate students in SHASS. Research grants are restricted to applicants whose access to other sources of funding is limited. Consequently, regular tenured and tenure-track faculty are not eligible for research grants.
Although members of the SHASS are given first preference, applications from outside SHASS receive full consideration, as long as they engage intellectual concerns central to the disciplines comprising the school.
Important dates
The Kelly-Douglas Fund offers research and teaching support awards twice a year on a rolling basis. In the case that the funding limit for a particular semester has been reached, the Fund will cease to accept applications for that semester and an announcement will be posted on the Fund’s home page.
For all travel and research to be completed by January 31st, applicants may turn in requests starting on August 1 of that calendar year.
For all travel and research to be completed by July 31st, applicants may turn in requests starting January 1st of that calendar year.
Additional guidelines and resources
What should I include in my letter of request?
What the letter says will depend on the project itself. For instance, a letter applying for an honorarium for a guest lecturer should provide the tentative title or topic of the lecture and briefly summarize the speaker’s expertise and accomplishments in so far as they are relevant to the invitation. It should also tell us about the proposed audience — MIT subject number(s), size of class(es), whether open to the public or limited to students in a class, and so on — and convey the applicant’s sense of how the planned event will contribute to the education of the listeners.
An application for a research grant would, by contrast, cogently describe the applicant’s field of study and specify the particular purpose served by this grant (should the application be successful). For conference travel, please provide details about the conference, including the title and subject of your paper.
When do I hear back and how do I receive the funds?
Once your application is complete, your request will reviewed and you will receive a response as swiftly as possible.
Please note that most research and teaching grants are paid out only upon completion of the proposed project, and recipients need to provide receipts and evidence of completion before funds can be released. Always keep copies of any receipts you submit.
Certain types of activities may be paid for in advance. For instance, honoraria and support to take students to a performance can be received before the event. In such cases, the recipient should arrange with the Fund Administrator to have the money transferred internally to the departmental or sectional account responsible for the actual disbursement of funds. A brief confirmation that the funds have been expended for the purpose for which they were awarded should subsequently be sent to the Director or the Fund Administrator.
How do I get more information?
If you have questions about the fund, please email the fund administrator.
How does reimbursement work?
All travel and research grants are paid out upon completion of the proposed project. Recipients are asked to fill out the Reimbursement Form, provide receipts, and offer evidence of completion before funds are released. Always keep copies of any receipts you submit.
