AAS Northeast Asia Council (NEAC) Distinguished Speakers Bureau Grant

Overview

_NOTE: NEAC DSB grant applications are considered on a rolling basis. When funds expire for each six-month budgetary period, no further applications will be considered until the next budget period.
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Northeast Asia Council Distinguished Speakers Bureau

The Northeast Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies (NEAC) solicits applications from American colleges and universities (for Japanese studies) and any U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities (for Korean studies), especially those without well-established programs on East Asia, to invite a distinguished scholar to give a public lecture on their campus in-person or virtually, followed by a Q&A with teachers and students.
In 2022, NEAC developed a new component of the DSB: the Speaker’s Program for Early Career Scholars (SPECS). The goal of SPECS is to promote new directions in the study of Japan and Korea and provide opportunities for early career scholars to share their research. With their innovative methodologies, dynamic presentation skills, and social media presence, select up-and-coming scholars may succeed in connecting with a new generation of students, including historically excluded demographics. Faculty at schools with well-established programs on the study of Asia are eligible to invite Early Career speakers to campus and, if relevant, provide feedback on works in progress or other kinds of mentoring. PhD candidate Kaitlyn Ugoretz of the University of California-Santa Barbara will serve as the first speaker in this pilot program.
The NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau began in 2011 and is supported by funds generously provided by the Japan-United States Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and the Korea Foundation (KF).
Colleges and universities may apply to host one of the distinguished scholars of Japan or Korea on the NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau. These visits may be hosted virtually. The invited speakers are expected to give one formal, public lecture (chosen from the list below), as well as meet with classes. For a virtual visit, NEAC grant monies fund the honorarium for the NEAC Distinguished Speaker, which is set at $500.
NEAC will also consider funding requests for in-person DSB events. In addition to the $500 honorarium, host institutions may request funding for airfare and ground transportation costs. This request should be included in the initial application for the DSB grant. NEAC will consider the request, pending fund availability.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* NEAC Distinguished Speakers may be hosted only at colleges and universities, including community colleges. Speakers on Japan will only be supported at institutions in the United States; speakers on Korea will be supported at institutions in the United States and Canada. The NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau is intended to serve institutions with small East Asian studies programs, not institutions with large and well-established centers in Japanese or Korean studies.
* Due to the popularity of this grant program and the limited grant funds available, institutions may only receive support for one NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau program every three years. In addition, a limit has been set on the amount of DSB grant budget funds available to award in each six-month calendar year period so as to ensure that funds are available throughout the duration of our AAS/NEAC grants with the JUSFC and KF.
* NEAC Distinguished Speaker grant applications may be submitted by individual faculty or staff members, but must be accompanied by a support letter from an administrator (department chair, center director, dean, etc.) confirming the institutional commitment to hosting the NEAC Distinguished Speaker and bearing all the local costs of their visit. Applications from students or student groups will not be accepted.
* All publicity for the visit of a NEAC Distinguished Speaker must acknowledge the support of the Distinguished Speakers Bureau of the Northeast Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies and the respective grant funding agency (JUSFC for Japan speakers; KF for Korea speakers).
* A NEAC Distinguished Speaker must present one virtual formal, public lecture (chosen from the list below; either synchronous or recorded) as well as meet with at least one class (undergraduate or graduate) for a virtual synchronous session. The honorarium for a NEAC Distinguished Speaker presenting one virtual public lecture and synchronous session with classes is $500.