About
ISLA Director James Brockmole
ISLA: An Overview
The College of Arts and Letters established the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts (ISLA) in 1984 to help build, sustain, and renew a distinguished faculty in the arts, humanities and social sciences, and to enhance the intellectual life of the University.
To accomplish these goals, ISLA provides faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students within the College three main types of support:
First, The Institute curates and manages a large and diverse portfolio of grants to support faculty and student scholarship. We directly fund research projects, domestic and international travel, language training, summer study, thesis and dissertation enhancements, and publication subventions.
Second, we help scholars secure and manage external funding for research and artistic creativity. We provide both one-on-one and group-based services that assist faculty members in preparing and winning grants. This includes identifying and targeting specific grant opportunities, developing appropriate research teams, preparing competitive proposals, coordinating cost-sharing, and interpreting sponsor feedback. We also provide direct grant-writing assistance through critiques of draft proposals; coordinate grant-writing workshops that promote strong writing skills, strategies, and grantsmanship; and assist with various aspects of grant-proposal preparation.
Third, the Academic Conferences Office within the Institute provides experienced, professional support for all phases of academic event planning and implementation including budget development, financial processing, materials preparation, facility management, catering, logistical support, and day-of-event management. We also provide funding for lecture series, visiting scholars, and academic conferences.
The Institute is directed by the College of Arts and Letters’ Associate Dean for Research and
Strategic Initiatives, a position currently held by Prof. James Brockmole.
Strategic Initiatives, a position currently held by Prof. James Brockmole.