Overview

The Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) and the Office of the Associate Provost of International Affairs and Operations (APIAO) invite proposals to further academic, artistic, and scholarly exchange between Princeton University and institutions in Greater China (mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore).

The Joel L. Epstein ’67 *72 Fund for Greater China Initiatives seeks to enhance Princeton’s scholarly ties with institutions in Greater China by supporting visits to Princeton’s campus by scholars from universities in the region. In addition, the Fund seeks to provide a platform for Princeton scholarship in Greater China and facilitate the building of institutional ties by supporting programming, lectures, seminars, and gatherings by Princeton scholars.

The Epstein Fund aims to support faculty members, scholars, and graduate students from all disciplines. In addition, administrative staff and administrative units of the University involved in or proposing artistic collaboration or experiential learning initiatives are also eligible. The Fund will consider support for both short-term and longer-term visits, research and collaborative projects. Faculty or other compensation, if awarded, must be consistent with Dean of the Faculty guidelines.

Activities in Princeton

Departments, schools, centers, and programs are invited to nominate scholars from Greater China whose presence on campus would contribute to our research or teaching enterprise. A wide range of activities will be considered, including:

• Short-term visits of a few days to deliver a public lecture and meet with students.
• Participation in a conference or short-term seminar in Princeton.
• Visits of a few weeks to teach or share scholarship on a particular research topic.
• Longer-term activities such as a lecture or speaker series over one or two academic years.
• Modest stipends for semester-long visitors from Greater China who bring their own salary but need additional support to meet living expenses (cap of $3,000 per month).
• Modest research grants to support Princeton faculty engaging with and doing research with academics from Greater China.
• In exceptional circumstances, summer salary for a Princeton faculty member to coordinate and advance Princeton-China exchanges. This would be for faculty who do not have other sources of summer support (and would be for no more than 1/9 summer salary up to a maximum of $15,000).
• Given the likelihood of ongoing travel challenges, the fund may currently be used to support a wide range of virtual programming (including honoraria for those participating).

Administrative Support for Activities in China

The Princeton China Center (toggle to the ‘Centers Abroad’ tab) is located on the campus of Tsinghua University and provides administrative support to Princeton faculty, students, and staff studying and conducting research in China; for more information, write to Director Jin Liu. In order to broaden and deepen Princeton’s connections with Chinese scholars and institutions, as well as local alumni groups, the Epstein Fund will enable the Beijing office to sponsor lectures, research and other scholarly activities by Princeton faculty, administrators, or distinguished alumni who are visiting China. These activities will allow Princeton to connect with major Chinese universities and research institutes in a meaningful way that may facilitate ongoing research, teaching, and artistic collaboration.

Projects that include a digital component—including online virtual programming, lectures, and workshops—are also eligible.

Eligibility

All regular faculty members (senior lecturers, instructors, assistant professors, associate professors, and professors), research scholars, and graduate students are eligible. Full-time lecturers and language lecturers are also eligible, provided their appointments for the award period have been approved by the Dean of the Faculty. Administrative staff and administrative units of the University involved in artistic collaboration or experiential learning initiatives are also eligible. Priority will be given to new projects that are jointly sponsored collaborations between colleagues in Princeton and Greater China.

How to Apply

As a first step, please contact Deborah Yashar, Director of PIIRS and Associate Provost for International Affairs & Operations, Aly Kassam-Remtulla to indicate interest.

Application Components

1. Cover sheet with basic information
   1. Proposer’s name/department and contact information
   2. Optional: Co-proposer’s name/department and contact information
   3. Project name
   4. Project start/end dates
   5. Requests from graduate students should include a letter of support from a ladder faculty member.
   6. Department chair’s/program director’s signature endorsing the request. If the request is from a faculty member seeking summer salary, this endorsement should also include a description of the benefits of summer salary in advancing departmental or programmatic interests, contribution to enhancing scholarly ties between Princeton and institutions in Greater China, and/or potential benefits to the intellectual life of the University.
2. Project description (no more than 1000 words)
   1. Project plan
   2. Participants in the project
   3. Ongoing benefits of the project to Princeton faculty members and students
3. Project budget (maximum $25,000)
   1. Eligible expenses include travel, meals, housing, and ground transportation for faculty members, postdocs, other researchers, and students; honoraria and fees from host organizations; visa, medical, and other required fees in preparation for travel; technology needs to support virtual interactions, equipment, materials, and supplies.
   2. Under “sources/income” section, include all funding requests and funding committed by your department/program and other sources (specifying if funding is pending or committed).
   3. Proposers should familiarize themselves with the University’s travel policies and guidelines.
   4. Project length may be up to two years.

Selection Procedure

Applications are currently being accepted on a rolling basis. Proposals will be evaluated in terms of scholarly or pedagogical merits and intellectual and academic creativity. Experimental ideas are welcomed and encouraged.

Reporting Requirements

Awardees are required to submit a brief report on their project at the end of the grant. The report should be submitted both to Deborah Yashar and Aly Kassam-Remtulla.