Unit Fellowship for the School for Criticism and Theory at Cornell University

With substantial financial support from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory will now be able to offer one full fellowship each year to the School for Criticism and Theory (SCT) at Cornell University. Currently directed by Dominick LaCapra, the SCT is a six-week summer institute that has existed for thirty years and provides the opportunity for graduate students and faculty members to take seminars with some of the world’s leading critical theorists. The SCT provides an unparalleled opportunity for advanced training in critical theory and for making connections with an international cohort of peers and world-class scholars.

This summer’s SCT will take place between June 18-July 28, 2006 and will feature the following six-week seminars, from which participants must pick one: Amanda Anderson, “Literary Theory/Political Theory”; Brent Hayes Edwards, “Black Intellectuals”; Eric Santner, “On Creaturely Life”; and Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, “Traveling Debates in Translation: Eurocentrism, Multiculturalism, and Postcoloniality.” In addition, there will be mini-seminars for all SCT participants given by Alain Badiou, Judith Butler, Geoffrey Hartman, Stephen Nichols, and Haiping Yan. More information about the SCT, seminar descriptions, and application instructions and forms are available on their website.

Under the SCT’s “Sponsored Participant” program, the Unit for Criticism will be able to select one graduate student per year to send to Cornell; with funds from LAS, we will be able to pay for tuition, housing costs, and transportation between Champaign-Urbana and Ithaca. The Sponsored Participant chosen by the Unit does not have to go through the SCT application process; that person simply files an abbreviated application and is generally guaranteed the seminar of his or her choice.

In addition, the Unit will offer additional smaller fellowships of $500 each to help offset tuition costs for up to two other students (the remaining tuition cost is $1,700 and housing on campus costs $1,100). Students interested in these smaller fellowships must be accepted by the SCT in their ordinary application process; please consult the SCT website for information on normal application procedures.

Students who would like to apply to be the Unit for Criticism’s Sponsored Participant or for one of the smaller fellowships should read the guidelines below and submit the necessary materials by Thursday, February 16. The fellowships will be awarded soon after and applications and other materials are due at Cornell by March 1. Fellowships will be awarded by a selection committee made up of Unit faculty members. (Because the funds have just been approved, there is a very short time frame for applications this year. In future years, the process will begin earlier in the semester.)

Please contact Unit for Criticism Director Michael Rothberg (mpr@uiuc.edu) if you have any questions about this program.

Guidelines for participation in the Unit’s Sponsored Participant program at the School for Criticism and Theory:

Applicants must be full-time graduate students enrolled in a degree-granting program at UIUC who will return to UIUC in fall 2006.
Applicants must be affiliated students of the Unit for Criticism, but Unit applications can be submitted concurrently with SCT applications. See our website: http://criticism.english.uiuc.edu
Applications must be received in the Unit for Criticism office (100 English Building) by Thursday, February 16, 2006 at 3:00 pm.

A short cover letter that gives the names of two UIUC faculty references; indicates which six-week seminar the student would like to attend; and indicates whether the student would like to be considered for the smaller $500 fellowships as well as the full fellowship.
Five copies of a statement of no more than two pages describing current scholarly interests and plans and how the SCT might further those interests and plans. The statement should include information about courses taken in critical theory and about ongoing and projected research projects. Please connect your interests and research to the particular seminar you would like to attend.
Five copies of a current c.v.
A writing sample of 15-25 pages.