Purpose
The purpose of the Kenan fellowship is to further Bowdoin College faculty development by supporting distinguished, substantive, multi-year projects. Outstanding research programs or projects aimed at improvement in teaching are strongly encouraged.
In addition, projects which fall outside of the standard research or instructional categories will be seriously considered if they substantially contribute to a faculty member’s intellectual development or to the educational mission of the College. Proposals built on well-defined departures from previous teaching or research will be viewed as favorably as those proposals that promise substantial enrichment of ongoing projects. In all cases the project should represent a faculty member’s primary commitment over a specified period of time. If appropriate, proposals may incorporate up to one semester of paid leave.
All tenured and tenure track faculty members are eligible to apply for the Kenan Fellowship. Applications must be made in the academic year preceding the project’s starting date. Awards will be made by the President of the College upon the recommendation of the Faculty Resources Committee. Awards are for amounts up to two-thirds of one semester’s salary and up to $10,000 for research expenses. Applicants do not need to state their salaries in their applications, as the final calculations will be made in the Dean’s Office. The Committee will not have access to confidential salary information. Availability of funds is limited to the period of a faculty member’s Bowdoin appointment. Individual awards will be disbursed in installments directly linked to the attainment of project-specific milestones.
In order to avoid unnecessary duplication of applications, an applicant to this fund who has requested a semester’s paid leave may elect to have an unsuccessful proposal considered for the Faculty Leave Fellowship. To exercise this option, applicants should explain what self-contained portions of the multi-year Kenan project can be successfully accomplished within the period of the proposed leave.
If a successful applicant has received a Faculty Research Award for a portion of the Kenan project, the former grant should normally be returned to the College.
All Kenan Fellowship proposals should clearly state specific goals, milestones to be attained (with anticipated dates), and results to be achieved by the end of the project.
A complete Kenan Fellowship application must include:
All these materials should be submitted electronically on or before the deadline date to frc_proposals@list.bowdoin.edu. Applications must be submitted (in a single document when possible) in Microsoft Word or PDF format; any other electronic format will not be accepted. For assistance in creating PDF documents, please contact the IT Help Desk. Electronic applications will be received automatically by all members of the Faculty Resources Committee. An incomplete or late application will not be considered.