Faculty Funding

The Asian Studies Center is entrusted with the management of the Dr. Delia Koo Endowment. Center-affiliated faculty are eligible to submit applications for teaching, research, or outreach. Applications will be accepted on a quarterly basis. Conference funding is also available for faculty. These applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.

The Asian Studies Center administers the Dr. Delia Koo Endowment, which supports teaching, research, and outreach activities conducted by the center’s affiliated faculty at Michigan State University. 

Goals of the Dr. Delia Koo Endowment:

• To incorporate international and global studies—especially of Asia—into teaching, research, and outreach at MSU.
• To support MSU faculty in developing their capacity to conduct such activities.
• To enhance the reputation of MSU’s colleges, departments, the Asian Studies Center, and affiliated units in the field of Asian Studies.

Recipients are encouraged to acknowledge the support of the Dr. Delia Koo Endowment and the Asian Studies Center in all related publications or presentations. 

Funding is available in two categories:

1) Conference Travel Funding

Applications for conference funding are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. 

• Funding is up to $1,500 per award.
• One travel award per calendar year or $1,500 in total (if more than one conference) per applicant.
• One travel award per paper presentation (if the paper has multiple authors).
• Conference funding application must be submitted at least one month before the conference date.
• Paper or presentation with Asia-focused content is required to be eligible for this travel award.
• All files must be uploaded in PDF format and consistently labeled (e.g. Smith _ Conference Acceptance Letter; Smith _ CV).

Apply for Conference Funding

2) Faculty Teaching / Research / Outreach Funding

Applications for faculty funding are reviewed and awarded quarterly, with deadlines on January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.

• Funding is up to $ 6,000 per award
• Funds must be used as proposed and spent within two years of the award date
• The Koo faculty funding does not go toward faculty salary or the equivalent
• The Koo awardee cannot hold two or more professional development awards from the Center concurrently
• If you have received this funding in the past, please include a brief report outlining the outcomes of your previous project with your new application
• All files must be uploaded in PDF format and consistently labeled (e.g. Smith _ Project Narratives; Smith _ CV).

Apply for Research and Professional Development Funding

The Provost and the Dean of ISP have made funds available to develop strategic partnerships with some universities and institutions of higher education and research, focused on themes in which MSU faculty are engaged. These partnerships will generally involve multiple departments and/or colleges at MSU. Collaborations that link Arts and Letters or Social Science faculty to the STEM and health disciplines are especially encouraged. These partnerships may involve collaborative research, regular exchange of faculty and students, co-developed distance learning courses, co-sponsored dual degree or sandwich programs, and other forms of cooperation that build the institutional partnership.

The Asian Studies Center annually awards Strategic Partnership grants to teams of faculty interested in collaborating to establish a strategic initiative in East, Central, South or Southeast Asia. Strategic Partnership funds will provide partial support for travel and other costs to develop strategic partnerships, both for MSU faculty and their partners coming from abroad. Faculty applicants' college, department, and other institutes will be expected to share the costs of this travel to ensure that the commitment to long-term partnering is shared by departments and colleges.

Proposal Guidelines:

The complete proposal should include the followings:

1. A one-page project narrative, which describe the aims, expected outcomes, and timeline of the project
2. A one-page proposed total budget of the project, which itemize the expected expenses including per diems and travel
3. A letter for match funding source (a minimum of 20% of the proposed total budget). For each source of matching funding, please include a brief letter from the source confirming the source and the amount of funding for the project proposed.

All files must be uploaded in PDF format.

Deadline:

Proposals for research or professional development projects are reviewed on a rolling basis; however, all funds must be expended, and travel completed by May 31 of the fiscal year.

Successful applicants will be required to submit a written report on program activities and outcomes upon completion of the program.

Submit SPG Proposal

For questions about the funding program or proposal, contact  Siddharth Chandra or Soksamphoas Im.

The Asian Studies Center administers the Joseph Lee Fund for Visiting Scholars in Chinese Studies. The purpose of the Fund is to enrich the academic experience of students and faculty at Michigan State University as well as visiting scholars of Chinese Studies across the disciplines.

Support is available for MSU faculty to host short-term visiting scholars at MSU. During their time at MSU, the visiting scholars shall be required to give a public lecture/colloquium. The Asian Studies Center will support the sponsoring MSU faculty and department in organizing and promoting the event.

The Center welcomes proposals from MSU faculty members to support new and existing institutional partnerships or collaborations with individual scholars from disciplines including the arts, humanities, social sciences, and applied sciences, appropriately contextualized. While visiting scholars from China, broadly defined, are especially welcomed, this is not a requirement for funding. In addition to the public lecture, activities during the scholar’s visit may include collaboration in research, teaching, and academic events (such as symposia or conferences held at MSU). The Center encourages proposals that will result in co-publications, although this is not a requirement.

Award Funding:

The fund will cover travel costs, living expenses, arrangements for a public presentation, and a celebratory dinner for the scholars. A typical award will not exceed $5,000, although exceptions can be made under special circumstances. Joseph Lee Visiting Scholars who are not US citizens or permanent residents must be eligible to visit the MSU campus under the J-1 Short Term Scholar program.

Submission Requirement:

• A completed online application form
• A CV of the sponsoring MSU faculty
• A CV of the proposed visiting scholar
• A one- to two-page proposal narrative detailing the activities planned for the proposed visit to MSU
• An estimated budget during the proposed visit, including airfare, accommodation, per diem, and public lecture dinner reception.

Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis by a committee consisting of Asian Studies Center and MSU Chinese Studies representatives.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact Siddharth Chandra or Soksamphoas Im to discuss proposals prior to applying for funding.

Apply for Joseph Lee Funding

The Asian Studies Center is entrusted with administering the Anthony Koo/Kwan-Wai So Lecture in Chinese Studies Endowment. The endowment supports a public lecture on a topic of scholarly or current interest in the area of China scholarship. Financial support is available for MSU faculty to invite a scholar of Chinese studies to the MSU campus to conduct a public lecture and participate in formal group discussions, classes, or seminars.

Funding Support:

The fund may cover the invited scholars:

• Travel costs
• Accommodation during the visit
• Honorarium
• Arrangements for a public presentation

Application Requirements:

Applicants must submit:

• A completed online application form
• A one-page proposal for a lecture on Chinese studies, including:
  • Lecture title
  • Brief abstract
  • Short bio of the invited speaker
• An estimated budget for the proposed visit, including, as needed, travel, accommodation, honorarium, and other associated costs.

Questions regarding this funding opportunity, please contact Siddharth Chandra or Soksamphoas Im.

Apply for Anthony Koo/Kwan-Wai So Funding

The Council on Korean Studies (CKS) is pleased to continue Drs. CHI CKS Faculty Fellowship Award, conferred on MSU scholars in recognition of their exemplary research, teaching, service, or outreach activities related to Korea. This includes but is not limited to research, curriculum development in pre-existing or new courses, study abroad course development, and any programming, outreach, and service that promote inclusive campus and communities. The award aims to recognize the accomplishments of MSU scholars, support their professional endeavor, and encourage their engagement with the Council on Korean Studies. Preferential consideration will be given to academic activities related to Korean contexts.

Each year’s nomination cycle will open in the first week of March and close on June 30.

Eligibility for Nomination:

MSU faculty, academic staff, and postdoc fellows with current CKS general membership may nominate others or self-nominate for this award. CKS membership is open to anyone and there is no membership fee. Members are strongly encouraged to participate in CKS’s programming and outreach efforts to promote Korea. For example, CKS may ask its members to share event announcements within their networks and ask for help in organizing events including the Global Korea Award, Korean Night, Korea Week, etc.

For membership inquiries, contact cksmsu@msu.edu.

Eligibility for Selection:

Those nominated candidates must hold a CKS membership. Upon nomination, CKS will reach out to nominees if they’re interested in CKS membership.

Nomination and Selection Process:

Each year’s nomination cycle will open in the first week of March and close on June 30. To nominate and be selected, CKS membership should be obtained prior to March 1st.

Required materials include:

1. A short description of the nominee’s work and its importance
   CV of nominees or any related materials of candidates
2. The selection committee, which consists of at least four current CKS members, will review and make the decision by July 15. The Committee may ask the nominee(s) for additional information if necessary, during the review process.

Award Prize:

The award recipients will be awarded $1,500 of research funding and a certificate of recognition at the annual Global Korean Awards ceremony in October. The recipients are expected to attend the Global Korean Awards ceremony and give a short acceptance speech.

The MSU/Israeli Universities Cooperative Fund endowment supports academic exchanges and collaborative activities between Michigan State University (MSU) and Israeli universities with comparable academic programs where partnerships can provide mutual benefit to both MSU and participating Israeli institutions. The fund is intended to expand research, teaching, and study opportunities for MSU faculty and students and may provide support for travel and other activities that advance sustained institutional and scholarly collaboration.

Details of the Award:

The fund may support activities or initiatives such as:

• Faculty exchanges and research visits between MSU and Israeli universities (e.g., Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University, the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and others).
• Travel for collaborative research development, including working jointly on research proposals. Development of joint academic programs, such as potential joint degree programs.
• Preparation of external grant proposals, including collaborative NSF/BSF applications.
• Building and strengthening research partnerships with Israeli faculty, laboratories, and research institutions.
• Follow-up travel to advance previously established collaborations and projects.
• Graduate student recruitment and exchange activities involving Israeli universities.
• Institutional learning and knowledge exchange, including studying research practices and models that may strengthen research productivity and efficiency at MSU.

Submission Requirements:

• A completed online application form.
• A one-page proposal describing the proposed activity or initiative, including its purpose; detailed information about the partner institution(s) in Israel and their primary point(s) of contact; the proposed timeline; and the anticipated outcomes.
• An estimated budget for the proposed visit, including (as needed) travel, accommodation, per diem, and any other related costs.

If you have any questions regarding this funding opportunity, please contact Siddharth Chandra or Soksamphoas Im.

Apply for the MSU/Israeli Universities Cooperative Fund

The Asian Studies Center Global Speaker Program aims to stimulate and increase academic and scholarly interest about Asia at MSU, offering both virtual and in-person formats to share views on any Asia-focused topic.

Faculty members and academic specialists engaged in teaching, research, and outreach at MSU are invited to apply for funding to invite speakers to share their views on any Asia-focused topic that is likely to be of interest to any section of the MSU community. Possible formats for such an event include, but are not restricted to:

• a one-time speaker session with one guest,
• a one-time panel session with multiple speakers, or
• a series of sessions involving different speakers.

The session(s) may be a part of course instruction (i.e., held during normal instruction times) or as an additional session outside of instruction time. With this in mind, MSU faculty and academic specialists are encouraged to invite authors of books and scholars whose work serves as reading material for a course. However, this is not a requirement for funding. Faculty and academic specialists are also encouraged to envision these events as open lectures to create learning opportunities to a wider MSU audience with a general interest in the selected topic.

The Asian Studies Center will support the logistics of the event. However, the proposing MSU faculty members and academic specialists will formally host or arrange to host the proposed event.

Award & Application Information:

Funding is to be used to cover speaker honoraria, with the following honorarium rates:

• $300 per person for virtual speakers,
• $500 per person for in-person speakers.

Awards are limited to a maximum of $1,500 for events featuring multiple speakers. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis.

Follow Up:

After the Speaker Session, the sponsoring faculty member is required to email the Asian Studies Center to Soksamphoas Im with an estimate of the number of participants who attended each session. Speaker honorarium payments and other reimbursable expenses will be processed after the event.

Apply for Global Speaker Program Funding