Manuscript Review Workshop in Global and International Research

This fund aims to support tenure-track faculty with nearly complete book manuscripts that deal substantially with important global/international topics and fund a workshop that provides the opportunity to engage in intensive discussion of the project with two invited external readers. A select group of UB faculty and graduate students may participate in the workshop.

UB’s Office of International Education (OIE) offers this fund.

• Travel, lodging, and honoraria (normally $500 per person) for two external faculty reviewers
• Lunch and dinner for the workshop participants
• If necessary, photocopy reproduction and postage for the distribution of the draft manuscript to workshop participants
  

Funds shall be transferred to the applicant’s department, which will be responsible for making logistical arrangements for all aspects of the program, including travel, lodging, hosting, food and the workshop.

Any tenure-track (tenured or pre-tenure) and clinical faculty whose research concerns important global/international topics are eligible to apply, but priority will be given to junior faculty for whom the manuscript review workshop will be instrumental for their upcoming tenure review.

The goals of the workshop are to: 

• Provide the author with substantive feedback that will assist in transforming a nearly complete draft into a publishable book manuscript 
• Introduce the author’s work to external reviewers in the author’s primary research field(s)
• Nurture a culture of mentorship for junior faculty pursuing topics related to global/international studies
• Introduce current UB graduate students carrying out research on international/global topics to opportunities for professionalization, networking, and international scholarship consistent with UB’s research mission

The format of the workshop may be as follows: 

• Morning Session (the author of the project under discussion may only listen, take notes, and record how their project is being understood, misinterpreted, stretched, contextualized, queried, and critiqued by knowledgeable peers): 
  • Introductions
  • One-hour discussion of the project by the external reviewers
  • One-hour open discussion of the project
• Lunch (on campus)
• Afternoon session:
  • Response by the author to the morning’s discussion
  • Open discussion 
• Dinner (off campus)

To apply for the grant, please submit the following:

• A completed application on the submission site, to include: the name, title, departmental affiliation, and contact information for the faculty applicant
• A brief (no more than 2 pages) cover letter addressed to the “Members of the Selection Committee” that includes:
  • One-paragraph précis of the project
  • The current state of the manuscript (including discussions with publishers)
  • Changes made from the PhD dissertation (if applicable)
  • Plans for publication (including the name of one or more presses and/or book series and ideal date for submission of the complete manuscript for review)
  • A proposed date for the workshop (this should be at least four months after and within a year of the submission deadline)
• Annotated table of contents for the book manuscript
• Three-page (maximum) curriculum vitae
• One (1) sample chapter (normally 20,000 words maximum)
• List of four to six possible external readers selected in consultation with the applicant’s chair with their contact information
• An itemized budget for the funding request, and a budget justification
• A signed form from the applicant’s department chair with a commitment to provide support for the event, including recruitment of external readers; communication with external reviewers; preparation for the workshop, including timely distribution of the manuscript to workshop participants; and arrangements for travel, lodging, and meals.

The OIE selection committee will consider the following: 

• While applications from faculty at other ranks will be entertained, preference shall be given to junior faculty in the third, fourth, or fifth year at the rank of assistant professor
• Relevance of the project to global and international studies
• Feasibility of the proposal
• Promise of the project

Applicants must submit all required documents as separate files (PDF or WORD) to the OIE submission site. Grants are awarded twice a year, and the application deadlines are at the close of business (5:00 pm) on February 28 and September 30.

If selected, the grant awardee must complete the following steps: 

• The awardee’s department chair shall use the list of external reviewers to secure commitments from external reviewers.
• The awardee must confirm as soon as possible a date for the workshop with OIE, the external reviewers, and the host department.  
• The awardee must submit to the department chair a complete manuscript at least two months before the workshop for distribution to workshop participants.

The awardee is required to submit a summary report of no more than 1,000 words within a month of the conclusion of the workshop. The summary report should be submitted to the Office of International Education at OIEgrants@buffalo.edu. Failure to submit the summary report in time may make the awardee ineligible for future OIE grants.