Taft supports public lectures on a competitive basis, in addition to the Taft Departmental Lectures, Conferences, and Commemorative event funds. The maximum award is $10,000. Applicants should coordinate with their department, taking account of planned events. Priority will be given to highly distinguished speakers who further interdisciplinary and/ or inter-departmental research productivity (e.g., publications and grant writing by faculty and students), and speakers that engage a broad community. Each grant automatically includes up to $180 in lecture support, for the purposes of a dinner or reception in honor of the guest.

Applications

Competitive lecture applications must be prospective, submitted at least ten weeks prior to the intended speaking date. Generally, the fall deadline should include applications for lectures occurring in the spring semester and the spring deadline should include applications for lectures occurring in the fall semester of the following year.

Each lecture application must be approved by the department, coordinated with other departmental events, and account for the balance and use of Taft Departmental Lectures funds.

Applicants seeking more than $2,000 must first discuss the application with the Taft Faculty Chair, for the purposes of arranging a TAFTtalk.

Applications must include the following:

• Name of speaker(s), lecture title(s), and date of lecture(s); and
• A short (500 word) biographical description of the proposed speaker, including their work, accomplishments, and status or profile in the field; and
• An outline of the intended activities, e.g. single lecture, seminar presentation(s), roundtable, conference keynote, etc.; and
• Expected audience (size, composition); and
• An account of how the proposed event will contribute to either the humanities, social sciences, and/or inter-disciplinary knowledge and research that benefits Taft faculty and/or students; and
• An itemized budget including honorarium, travel costs, and lodging costs. In the case of honoraria funding, explain the amount requested based on such variables as disciplinary norms, the speaker's level of experience or other factors. Honoraria in excess of $1,000 requires significant justification and generally are not funded. Requests for hosting costs should explicitly address the need for anything beyond standard support.
• Applications must justify why their current Taft Departmental Lecture balance is or is not being used for the proposed event. A department which has not yet otherwise committed its Taft Departmental Lecture funds is expected to commit at least $1,500 towards the speaker. Requests for strong interdisciplinary events do not require departmental commitment, though an account of the interdisciplinary speaker and cross-department collaboration must be provided.
• Competitive lecture grants may be combined with Taft Departmental Lectures and Taft Conference monies. Applications must include an account of such combined uses and the status of departmental lecture monies.

Terms of the grant

• For each award, up to $180 will be made available to the organizing faculty member to support hosting the visiting speaker.
• Competitive lectures that are not part of a conference program typically should be held in the Taft Center. Receiving an award does not automatically reserve lecture space; grantees must contact Taft to reserve the space.
• Grantee is responsible for working with departmental administrators and understanding the visa status for foreign or non-U.S. citizen speaker, and how this impacts payment, the rules and regulations regarding speaker travel, payments, and events cost reimbursement.
• Taft offers advertising support, provided the timely distribution of needed materials. Departments should publicize lectures in classes, and to faculty, alumni, and the general public.
• All grant funds must be expended exclusively in furtherance of the grant and all expenditures of grant funds must comply with university policies relating to financial transactions, including the Code of Conduct and, as discussed in the Code of Conduct, the ethics laws of the state of Ohio which prohibit certain private financial interests in university matters. University Rule 3361:10-17-03 (D).
• Full disclosure of non-Taft funds received for the proposed project, both inside and outside the university, is required. A Taft grant may not duplicate other funds granted for the same purpose, except when a deficit in the project budget is anticipated even with such non-Taft funds.
• Where significant deviations from the approved application occur, the grantee must notify the Taft Faculty Chair in writing and receive written approval for the changes. Failure to comply with this rule will nullify the grant and require return of the award.
• Grantee should recognize support provided by the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center.
• Publications and creative works generated by faculty organizers, as a result of the funded event(s), should acknowledge the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center.

 

Conference grants provide up to $10,000, on a competitive basis, toward the cost of hosting an academic conference that is timely, interesting, and of scholarly importance to a discipline or a set of disciplines. Grants are not guaranteed for annual conferences.

Applications
Applications must include the following:

• Title and short overview including focus, content, format, and expected audience (including the estimated numbers of local, regional, and national attendees; graduate students; general public; academic specialists); and
• Tentative conference schedule, including locations; and
• List of Taft departments involved in organizing, executing, and participating in the conference; and
• List of conference participants, including name, brief description, and role; and
• Detailed budget including:
• Honoraria, travel, and lodging expenses for each participant
• Promotion costs (printing, brochure, ads, postage)
• Other expenses
• Total cost
• Tangible and in-kind (Taft and non-Taft) departmental support
• Other funding sources
• Amount requested of Taft
• List of evaluation committee members (members independent of conference planners)

Applications should address non-specialists, faculty from other disciplines, and provide insight into the significance and timeliness of the event.

Terms of the grant

• All grant funds must be expended exclusively in furtherance of the grant and all expenditures of grant funds must comply with university policies relating to financial transactions, including the Code of Conduct and, as discussed in the Code of Conduct, the ethics laws of the state of Ohio which prohibit certain private financial interests in university matters. University Rule 3361:10-17-03 (D).
• Full disclosure of non-Taft funds received for the proposed project, both inside and outside the university, is required. The grant may not duplicate other funds granted for the same purpose, except when a deficit in the project budget is anticipated even with such non-Taft funds.
• Honoraria may be provided for keynote speakers and other participants but not UC faculty members.
• The conference should recognize support provided by the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center.
• Publications and creative works generated by faculty organizers, as a result the grant, should acknowledge the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center.
• In the case of significant changes to the approved proposal, the Grantee must notify the Chair of the Taft Executive Board in writing and receive written approval for the changes. Failure to comply with this rule will nullify the grant and require return of the award.
• Where significant deviations from the approved application occur, the grantee must notify the Taft Faculty Chair in writing and receive written approval for the changes. Failure to comply with this rule will nullify the grant and require return of the award.
• Within 60 days of the conclusion of the conference, a final conference evaluation should be sent to the Taft Faculty Chair. The report should include:
• Approximate attendee demographics; and
• A description of activities and procedures, strengths and weaknesses; suggestions for improvement; and
• Notes of evaluation compiled from audience, speakers, or a dedicated elevator.

 

Departmental Lectures Form (doc)

Purpose

The Charles Phelps Taft Research Center sponsors a program of public lectures each year. The intention is that Taft departments invite renowned speakers to give lectures that are not only of interest to specialists, but also are accessible to non-specialists. Each Taft department has a budget allocation of $3,000 for the purpose of inviting as many esteemed speakers as it desires.

For each speaker, there may be $180 available to help defray meals for the speaker, Taft faculty, and guests. The purchase of alcohol must be preauthorized by the appropriate authority (typically the Dean) and a copy of the signed preapproval form must accompany original receipts. Contact the Taft Financial Administrator concerning available funds.

Procedures

Each department may allocate its funds at its own discretion. However, to ensure that lectures sponsored by the Taft Research Center reach the widest possible audience, the following policies should be observed:

• No more than one Taft lecture will occur on the same day, except if part of the same conference.
• No grant will be provided for events scheduled during the humanitiesNOW graduate conference (Feb. 17 - 19) or the Annual Research Symposium (Feb. 29 - Mar. 4).
• Taft lectures are to be held at the Taft Research Center in Edwards I, unless 
  Taft is otherwise booked.
• Advertising will be done by the Taft Research Center. However, departments should publicize lectures in classes, and to faculty, alumni, and the general public.
• Checks for speakers and departmental expense claims should be handled through the Taft secretary.
• Departments must submit their annual department lecture proposals in their annual head's report due August 31st.  Lecture dates are set on a first come, first serve basis.
• You must contact the Taft Research Center to arrange the date and time of the lecture, apart from the application process. Receptions at the Taft Research Center are permissible.

Terms of Grant

• All grant funds must be expended exclusively in furtherance of the grant and all expenditures of grant funds must comply with university policies relating to financial transactions, including the Code of Conduct and, as discussed in the Code of Conduct, the ethics laws of the state of Ohio which prohibit certain private financial interests in university matters. (University Rule 3361:10-17-03(D);  http://www.uc.edu/content/dam/uc/trustees/docs/rules_10/10-17-03.pdf).
• Full disclosure of non-Taft funds received, both inside and outside the university, is required. The Taft grant may not duplicate other funds granted for the same purpose, except when a deficit in the project budget is anticipated even with such non-Taft funds. For example, Taft Travel Grants may supplement funds from non-Taft sources in cases where the necessary and reasonable costs exceed the established Taft limits.
• If there are any changes in plans from the originally approved application, the Taft grant recipient must notify the Chair of the Taft Executive Board in writing and receive written approval for the changes. Failure to comply with this rule will nullify the grant and require return of the award.
• Any event supported by a Taft Competitive Lecture Grant must acknowledge Taft support at event and on all published materials. Material production that invokes the Taft name or makes use of the Taft emblem must be approved by Taft prior to production and dissemination.
• Publications and creative work generated with the help of Taft grants must acknowledge the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center at the University of Cincinnati. Copies of such publications should be sent to the Chair of the Taft Executive Board.
• A travel authorization form (TA)must be signed by the traveler and their department head, prior to travel. Authorization for a department head's travel is provided by the Dean.