The Daily Bulletin

Applications are being accepted for the E. O. Smith Arts and Humanities Faculty Development Fund for the period of January 1–December 31, 2024. The deadline for submissions is Monday, December 4, 2023.

These competitive, peer-reviewed projects support opportunities for the professional development of full-time Buffalo State University faculty members in programs related to the arts and the humanities. Eligible candidates must be members of programs included in the arts (art, design, art conservation, theater, music, dance, film) or the humanities (history, art history, museum studies, philosophy, religious studies, literature, English, modern and classical languages) and teach discipline-specific courses in the arts and humanities.

Candidates are required to submit their proposals to the selection committee detailing how they would use the funding and include a curriculum vitae and detailed project budget. Funds may be used only for expenses directly related to professional development in their discipline, including research, supplies used in research or the publication of research, travel, or other similar professional activities. All pertinent COVID-19 restrictions will apply, and adherence to spending constraint rules and regulations will be followed. Funds may not be directed toward internal administration (including course release fees) or social functions or for personal use. Any proposed budgets that include personnel expenses (e.g., student assistants) must detail those expenses.

Projects consistent with the mission and goals of the Monroe Fordham Regional History Center will be given preference. Previously funded candidates may reapply (for a new phase of the funded project, or a new project), but previously unfunded candidates will be given preference. Applicants cannot serve on the selection committee.

The announcement of funded proposals will be made in late December, and expenses according to the approved budget must be incurred during the calendar year from January 1 to December 31, 2024. Recipients will be required to complete their projects during that time. A final report and participation in the 2024 Fall Forum is expected.

The fund's benefactor, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and historian Edward Owen "E. O." Smith Jr., became a member of the faculty of the Buffalo State History Department in 1963, serving as chair of the History and Social Studies Education Department for many years and as the first director of the Monroe Fordham Regional History Center. He also founded the college’s museum studies certificate program. He retired from the college in 2013.

During his 50-year tenure, he was known for his concern for students, his chairmanship of numerous college committees, and his efforts to improve the economic and cultural life of Buffalo’s West Side. He also held a deep interest in art and the visual image as a document, and was honored by the Burchfield Penney Art Center for his participation in and leadership of many collaborative center projects. Dr. Smith was named a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in 1999 and had previously received the President’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Dr. Smith died in March 2014, and his gift endowing this fund leaves a lasting legacy at Buffalo State.