Up to two rising seniors at AUB per academic year may receive support in line with the mission of the Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR) to conduct research on a subject inspired by Edward Said's call to make the US an object of curiosity and skeptical investigation towards opening handles for people impacted by the US to grapple with the effects of its society, politics, and global practices.
Candidates will be accepted from Anthropology, Art History, English Literature, History, Media Studies, Political Science, or related disciplines. Recipients must submit a senior thesis by the penultimate month of their final semester, somehow addressing CASAR’s mission at AUB. The thesis will be supervised by a member of the CASAR internal advisory board. Ideally, students will start working with CASAR’s outreach in the fall semester either on supporting CASAR’s public lecture series, “Confronting America,” by preparing and moderating discussion or by hosting a reading group with fellow students (that meets regularly in CASAR offices).
Contingent upon their demonstrated sustained commitment to this preparatory work, which will also prepare their thesis writing, students can receive a second semester of tuition relief during which they produce the proposed senior thesis. It is also recommended the recipients give one public lecture. Rising seniors who start their final year in the spring may also apply and, if selected, will start their outreach work with CASAR in the spring and writer their theses in the following fall.
Position includes tuition payment of up to 40% of registered credits as well as benefits that include support to present research internationally.
Eligibility: AUB senior students
Budget: Up to 40% of registered UG credits for one year or one semester
Application materials: Apply online. Please upload in a single PDF file: 1. A statement of intent (1 page) explaining your interest in American Studies from AUB’s location; 2. A previously submitted course paper (with professor’s feedback included); and 3. The names of three academic referees.
In preparing their proposal, applicants are requested to address the following questions from the committee, towards assessment of the proposal’s alignment with CASAR’s mission:
1. How can the proposed project help us (the AUB community) imagine what American Studies are?
2. What sorts of conversations does the proposed project hope to generate, and with whom (i.e. with teachers, students, or other constituents)?
3. How can the proposed project help construct a bilateral dialogue between AUB and American Studies practiced elsewhere?
4. What implications does the proposed project seek for the broader AUB community? Can it foster a symmetrical structure between the proposed topic of study and the targeted audience?
5. In what ways can people without a background in American Studies (students or community members) be included in the unfolding of the proposed project?
Outcomes for CASAR: Grantees will give one public lecture which can be published in the University Publications & Press (specifically the undergraduate journal). Grantees will lead one reading group for fellow students. Grantees will submit a senior thesis addressing the issue of American Studies from the outlook of AUB.
Application deadline: For students who will become seniors in Fall, the deadline is July 1st. For students who will become seniors in Spring, the deadline is November 15th.
Contact: [email protected]