Hoskins Frame Summer Science Writing Scholars

The Hoskins Frame Summer Science Writing Scholars program provides opportunities for students to work in close collaboration with faculty, staff and other students in creative writing, the sciences and the Office of Communications. Science Writing Scholars will develop work driven by their own creative and scientific interests, as well as their interactions with Kenyon student and faculty researchers and communications professionals. Students will gain skills and experience that will translate not only to writing and the sciences, but also to fields of study across the college.

This interdisciplinary program welcomes applications from students with interests in science and creative expression, regardless of major. Selections for these competitive awards are made by a committee of faculty and staff affiliated with the Science and Nature Writing Program with input from the Office of Communications.

Program Requirements

Hoskins Frame Summer Science Writing Scholars work as part of the Summer Science Writing Workshop mentored by a faculty member from the Science and Nature Writing Program. With guidance from the writing mentor, students will visit two Kenyon research groups to learn about their work, draft pieces based on those visits and their other scientific interests, and receive constructive feedback in a welcoming creative writing workshop setting. Assignments of scholars to research groups will be made at the beginning of the summer; applicants do not need to contact the writing mentor or research groups prior to submitting an application.

Scholars will write a short document (~250 words) for each research group they visit. The form of writing in these pieces may vary depending on the research group and the scholar; for example, they could be an abstract for the general public, a poem or two, a short narrative, or the transcript for a podcast introduction. Based on these experiences and their own interests, the scholar will develop a longer writing project in the genre and medium of their choice. This project could range from a cycle of poems, to journalistic articles, to a short graphic novel.

Scholars will also have opportunities to work with the Office of Communications to pitch and write at least one piece for a specified College communication channel. Student works will be archived on Digital Kenyon and presented as part of the Summer Research Presentation Session during Family Weekend in October or at another suitable event.

Student Eligibility

The Hoskins Frame Summer Science Writing Scholars Program supports students from any major, but they must display clear interest in both science and writing. Students are eligible to apply for the summer after their sophomore, or junior year. Prior involvement in Kenyon’s Science and Nature Writing Program is not required, but it may help produce a more compelling application. Students may only be supported for one summer.

Proposals

A complete proposal consists of the application form, statement of interest and writing sample. Applicants should compose a clear, concise description of their interest in science writing supported by descriptions of their experience in both science and writing — limited to 500 words. The statement of interest should answer two questions:

Why are you interested in participating in the Hoskins-Frame Summer Writing Scholars program?
What experiences both inside and outside the classroom prepare you to participate in the program?

In the same document, the student should append a writing sample limited to 750 words. Excerpts of larger works are acceptable. The statement of interest and writing sample should be uploaded as a single pdf as part of the application.

Awards will be announced in late February. Notification will be by email, copying the faculty mentor. Students may not accept this award if they are participating in another summer research program or if they have on-campus summer employment, and if they accept the award, they are expected to commit to the program and remove themselves from consideration in other programs.

Selection Criteria

Hoskins Frame Summer Science Writing Scholars proposals will be selected based on the following criteria:

The potential for the scholar to generate writing that communicates artfully and with precision about science, with the goal of deepening our understanding of the natural world and our place in it.
The potential for the scholar to engage creatively with research supported by the Summer Science Scholars program.
Considerations of disciplinary and student diversity, equity and inclusion.

Fellowship and Expenses

The current fellowship award is $4,000 per student plus provision of on-campus housing. Students not requiring on-campus housing are not eligible for additional remuneration.

A budget of $500 is provided to purchase materials, equipment, or travel that directly supports the creative project. Any durable materials, supplies, and equipment will become the property of the College and remain with the faculty mentor’s department or at the Kenyon Farm after the summer. All expenses must be approved by the faculty mentor and submitted with original invoice or receipt to the administrative assistant for the faculty mentor’s department no later than the last day of October following the summer project. Additional funding for conference travel may be requested through a Provost’s Student Research Grant.

Transcript Notation

Students who complete all requirements as stated above and who are endorsed by their faculty mentors will receive notation on their transcripts for this summer research experience. Students who will be abroad at the time of the poster session may prepare their presentation in advance for display at the session, or they may present in the summer science poster session the following year to complete the requirements for audit credit. If neither of these options is feasible, other arrangements may be made with the approval of the associate provost and the student’s research mentor.

Human Subjects Research

Students awarded a summer research scholarship whose research involves the use of human subjects, must apply to the Kenyon College Institutional Review Board (IRB) for review of their research protocol. Information about the IRB application may be found on the IRB web page. IRB applications should be submitted well in advance of the start dates of your program and research.