Graduate Students
Visiting Speakers, Workshops and Conferences Grant Program

Deadline: Wednesday, March 20, 2024

The Humanities Research Center offers competitive funding for in-person or remote visiting speakers, workshops or conferences during Spring 2024 and Academic Year 2024–25 that pursue intra- or interdisciplinary inquiry and exchange.

Eligibility:

  • PhD students in the humanities are eligible to apply. Collaborations across departments are encouraged.
  • If more than one graduate applicant is applying, please designate a single person as the primary contact person for administrative purposes.
  • Graduate student applicants should include the names and contact information of faculty members who are advising your proposed event or workshop.
  • Graduate students are encouraged to consider the professional development dimensions of the proposed activity. How might this activity advance the professionalization of its organizers?

Proposal guidelines:

  1. Name and contact information of faculty member who is advising on the project
  2. Project title
  3. Project type
  4. Project description and budget as a single PDF (no more than 3 pages or 10MB):
  • Project description of no more than 500 words, including the following information:
    • project overview
    • whether you are planning for an in-person or remote event
    • projected event date(s)
    • the envisioned audience for the project (faculty, grads, undergrads, the wider public, etc.)
    • names and contact information of confirmed or potential participants/collaborators
  • Budget that indicates:
    • anticipated use of the requested funds
    • all funds sought or secured from other sources
    • to learn more about our recommended budget best practices, please consult the HRC budget guidelines document at https://rice.box.com/s/yz00vaak56nkfbuq93c5qf5tbrxla7sb (Rice login required).
  1. Endorsement from a faculty member describing the value of the proposed event for the scholarly and professional advancement of the graduate student(s), and indicating their willingness to advise the project (brief statement). This endorsement should be emailed directly to Gabriela Garcia (gabriela.garcia@rice.edu) by the application deadline.

Please note that the HRC does not administer grants, and we currently cannot offer staff support. We now ask that applicants submit a staffing plan outlining which staff member(s) will provide administrative support for the grant and the event (via the proposal submission form). We also ask that you secure approval from the head of the staff member's unit (e.g., department chair) to use the staff member's time toward the proposed project.

The HRC generally makes awards of up to $5,000. Under exceptional circumstances, the HRC will consider a higher award amount. Budgets should consider that HRC funds support numerous events each academic year and are in high demand. Sums approved for visiting lectures, workshops, and conferences will depend on the scope and size of the event proposed. Award amounts will also depend on the applicant pool and the availability of funds. Applicants are encouraged to seek funding from units across campus in addition to any requests made to the HRC. Applicants for larger projects that envision budgets over $10,000 should consider funding from Creative Ventures. Click here for a list of funding resources for graduate students in the School of Humanities (Rice login required).

For events in the Spring and Summer semesters, please apply by the previous Fall deadline. For events in the Fall, please apply by the previous Spring deadline.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

For more information, please contact Dr. Gabriela Garcia at gabriela.garcia@rice.edu.