Call for Annual Awards Nominations and RFPs for Poster Presentations and Seed Funds
- February 21st, 2014
- in News
By Kirsten J. Barnes
Center for Community-Based Partnerships
The Division of Community Affairs has announced the schedule and deadlines for its annual awards program, awards nominations, seed funds proposals and poster presentation proposals.
For the eighth consecutive year, the Division of Community Affairs will host the Center for Community-Based Partnerships Excellence in Community Engagement Awards Luncheon. The date is Friday, April 18, beginning with poster presentations at 10 a.m., followed by the luncheon from 11:30 till 1 p.m.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Katy Campbell, dean of the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta, Canada. Campbell, an active engaged scholar who is a member of the board of directors of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, is an expert in learning and instructional design and faculty transformation.
The Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta has a mission “to provide leadership for social and individual betterment through community-university collaborations in learning, discovery and citizenship.”
There is no charge but attendees must RSVP to community.affairs@ua.edu or call 205-348-8376 by 5 p.m., Friday, April 11.
During the luncheon awards are given for individuals who have contributed to engagement scholarship in various ways. Nominations are currently being sought for the following categories:
- Excellence in Community Engagement, Faculty or Staff
- Excellence in Community Engagement, Student
- Excellence in Community Engagement, Community Partner
- Distinguished Community-Engaged Scholar, Faculty or Staff
- Distinguished Community-Engaged Scholar, Student
- Distinguished Community-Engaged Scholar, Community Partner
To nominate an individual for an award, to propose a seed funds project, to propose a poster presentation, or to register for the luncheon, go to http://communityaffairs.ua.edu/awards/. The deadline to submit a nomination or submit a proposal is 5 p.m., Monday, March 31.
One of the highlights of the luncheon will be announcement of seed funds awarded for research projects. Applications are being sought for awards varying in amounts from $2,000 to $5,000. More than $200,000 in seed funding has been awarded since the program began in 2007, and scholars have turned those initial funds into research grants totaling nearly $3 million.
“The programs that we celebrate on April 18 are at the heart of the mission of the Division of Community Affairs,” said Dr. Samory Pruitt, Community Affairs vice president. “As we reapply for the five-year Carnegie Foundation’s Engaged Institution Classification, these initiatives will comprise a large part of our application.” UA received the Carnegie Engaged Institution recognition in 2008.
Before the luncheon, CCBP will host the fifth annual Engaged Scholarship Poster Presentation at 10 a.m. in the Bryant Conference Center Lobby, as a precursor to the luncheon at 11:30 a.m.
Poster proposals are sought that reflect outstanding community-engaged scholarship. The emphasis of the poster should be on community-university partnership and successful civic engagement practices.
If you have questions about your nomination or proposal, contact the chairs of the various selection committees: Excellence in Community Engagement, Dr. Jeffrey Parker, associate professor of psychology, j.g.parker@ua.edu; Seed Funds, Dr. Laurie Bonnici, associate professor of library and information studies, lbonnici@slis.ua.edu; and Poster Presentations, Dr. Angelia Paschal, associate professor of health science, apaschal@ches.ua.edu.
As a member of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, the University of Alberta will host ESC’s annual convention this year. UA was host of the same conference in 2012.
“When you come to this conference you are going to meet colleagues that see university community engagements in some different ways,” Campbell said of the conference to be held Oct. 7-8, 2014. “An international conference like this enriches you beyond what you can imagine.”
She said Edmonton, Canada, is the perfect place to host an international conference of this kind.
“We have the most parkland green space per capita in North America and it runs right along the river,” Campbell said. “We also have an incredible cultural scene in Edmonton. We have every kind of music that you can imagine… We’re very strong in ethnic food; practically every ethnicity that you can imagine is represented.”