4.4 Dr. Newton Chun Award

This award, endowed as a memorial to Dr. Newton Chun by his son, Jon Chun, provides faculty members of Kenyon College the opportunity to undertake the scholarship on which their continuing development as teacher-scholars depends.

It will be awarded through a competition administered annually through the Provost's office and the Faculty Affairs Committee.

Early in the fall semester, the Faculty Affairs Committee will call for proposals for an award of a Newton Chun fellowship. An award of approximately $8,000 will be given each fall to support research and artistic projects of exceptional merit and promise. The award may be used for projects that take place in the summer, during one semester, or over one or more academic years. Preference will be given to projects that cannot otherwise be accomplished without financial support.

Jump to:

Eligible to participate are:

  • all members holding full-time tenure and tenure-track appointment at the rank of Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.
  • Applicants must be employed by the College at the time of application submission and during the funding period.
  • Joint appointments are acceptable;
  • awardees may apply for other grants administered by FAC as long as those applications are for projects substantially different from the Award project.

Faculty development funds may not be used in the support of work towards a degree or for expenses which are primarily promotional in character.

Recipients may not reapply until the seventh year after having been awarded a Chun fellowship.

Back to Top

A member seeking a Chun award will submit a written proposal to the Associate Provost in accordance with the directions announced at the beginning of each academic year by the Faculty Affairs Committee. Members planning to submit a proposal are encouraged to discuss it with the Associate Provost or the Associate Director of Faculty Grants & Fellowships, but only a fully developed proposal, submitted by the deadline, will be considered by the committee.

Applications must include the following:

  1. A summary cover sheet available from the Provost's website under Forms and Guidelines .
  2. A detailed project statement of no more than ten double-spaced pages. Applicants involved in artistic production may include a portfolio of past and current work as part of this project statement. The project statement should clearly explain:
    1. The importance of the project to the Member's discipline.
    2. The relationship of the project to the work of the Member and the College.
    3. Discussion of the work to be undertaken during the tenure of the award along with a timetable and the expected date of completion.
    4. The expected results of the project.
  3. A detailed budget for all books, equipment, materials, travel, and other expenses.
  4. A current vita (two pages only).
  5. In particular cases the committee may request further information.
  6. All information must be in electronic format.
  7. Email all application material to foxj@kenyon.edu as attachments.

Back to Top

After each announced grant deadline, the Faculty Affairs Committee will meet to evaluate proposals. Before each meeting the members read the proposals and rate them on a five-point scale. At the meeting the members discuss each proposal and their individual ratings. Following this discussion, members declare their final rating and the results are tallied.

The Associate Provost notifies applicants of the committee's decisions. Applicants may discuss the committee's decision regarding their proposal with the chair or any other member of the committee.

When a member of the committee has submitted a proposal to be evaluated, that member must excuse himself or herself during the time the proposal is evaluated. The other committee members will vote, and the total score will be multiplied by a fraction compensating for the member's absence, or the scores will be added and averaged, and the average score will be added to the total.

The sole criterion used in evaluating proposals is the project's scholarly or artistic merit.

Appropriate uses of the award include but are not limited to:

  • Enabling a winner of an outside grant that does not match the person's salary to accept the grant and take the necessary leave of absence
  • Supporting travel, research and writing during the summer or while on sabbatical
  • Paying student or other research assistants
  • Course release

Back to Top

All recipients of the Newton Chun Award must submit written reports to the Associate Provost on the work accomplished under the grant. The report is due within two months of the completion date for the project. It should include the recipient's evaluation of the project and a summary of actual funds expended and all receipts covering those expenditures (note: receipts are not required for stipends, which differ from grants because they are treated as income by the IRS and taxes are withheld). The report is required of all recipients to maintain eligibility for subsequent proposals. No proposal will be considered for funding if the applicant has failed to submit a written report for any previous Faculty Development Grant and/or Labalme Faculty Development Grant.

Back to Top