Butler Awards Committee

The BAC provides internal grants within the fine arts, humanities, and social sciences (qualitative research methods). The committee promotes faculty research in all disciplines within these areas, and while it recognizes that scholarly activity can take different forms across disciplines, it assumes that scholarship is work that advances knowledge. The committee considers basic or applied research within a discipline, reflective analysis of another’s research, and other approaches and scholarly products.

Eligible scholarly activities can include, but not limited to: music composition and performance; dance choreography; theater production and performance; literature criticism and creative writing; educational research on curriculum and pedagogy; human subjects research; basic or applied research in business, economics, or communication; and all artistic media.

Methods may involve the collection of original data (through interviews, surveys, or other methods); the analysis of data; reviewing, analyzing, and/or translating/interpreting original texts or objects of art or antiquity; or the creation of an original work.

Proposals must be clear to reviewers both within and outside the discipline, and are expected to include a statement of need, artistic opportunity, gap in the literature, or research question; a description of the scholar’s approach and project rationale; and outcomes of the activity.

Faculty may apply for a HAC and a BAC research grant at the same time for two separate research projects. However, the total amount requested for both projects combined cannot exceed the maximum limit of $15,000. In addition, personnel allocations cannot exceed $4,000 for faculty stipends and $4,000 for other personnel/student researchers.

Faculty may apply for Faculty Research and Instructional Development grants within the same academic/fiscal year. Faculty are eligible to apply for Travel to Present funding regardless of whether they have submitted for other internal funding mechanisms through BAC and HAC.

In extreme or unusual circumstances, an extension or deferral of the grant period may be possible. Deferral requests will be considered by the BAC chair, the Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs, and the Finance Office, who may choose to further consult with the committee before a decision is finalized.