The Levin Educational Enrichment Grant
Thanks to the generosity of the late Distinguished Professor Saul Levin and his family, the Department of Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies is pleased to announce the Saul and Ruth Levin Educational Enrichment Grant.
If you are a currently enrolled Binghamton University student majoring in classics*, this may be the grant for you! It is intended to help fund classics-related educational experiences like the following:
*Major undergraduate tracks in Classics are: Classics, Greek and Latin (focus on ancient Greek and Latin language and literature);
Latin (ancient Latin language and literature); Classical Civilization (broader focus
on the ancient Mediterranean: Greece, Rome, etc.). “Classics-related” means having
to do with the ancient Mediterranean. Those considering a major should contact the
Ancient Mediterranean Studies Undergraduate Director, Professor Tina Chronopoulos
(tchronop@binghamton.edu).
What kinds of proposals qualify? Really, anything related to the ancient Mediterranean and requiring funding. That might include, but is not limited to:
- Self-guided intellectual enrichment, research, creative projects
- Self-guided domestic or foreign travel with an educational focus
- Internships: museums; Paideia-sponsored projects; digital humanities internships via the Center for Hellenic Studies; etc.
- Archaeological field schools (also see tips here)
- Distance-learning or off-campus-study programs, US or abroad, for instance:
- Spoken ancient Greek or Latin via Paideia Institute or SALVI
- Study abroad with College Year in Athens (CYA) or the “Centro” (Rome)
- Archaeological field schools
Students considering applying are encouraged to contact BU Classics faculty in advance to float ideas.
For more information see below, or see the dedicated PDF document. But you're also encouraged to email Professor Scholtz.
- Previous Grant Recipients
- Lyla Cerulli '17. Living Latin in Rome program. (Summer 2016)
- Thomas Rice '19. American College of Greece. (Spring 2018)
- Emily Banach '19. Ancient Italy in Context, Binghamton University (Rome). Summer 2018. Read more about Emily's experience here!
- Mark Solomon, '21. College Year in Athens to take the course, "The Geography of Faith: Paul and the Emergence of Christianity in Greece." (Summer 2019). Read about Mark's experience here.
- Olivia Condos '21. American School of Classical Studies at Athens.
- James Caracciolo. Self-guided travel to Rome and Campania, fall 2022.
- Details on How to Apply
To apply for the Saul and Ruth Levin Educational Enrichment Grant, please submit a proposal in the form of a word document or similar. Your proposal should include the following:
- A concise (300-600 words) but clear description of the project or experience (henceforth
to be referred to as "experience") and how it is related to your Binghamton University
classics major. Include the general outlines of the proposed experience:
- Is this about study abroad? If so, which program or programs are you looking at? Why?
- If travel, the where and the why — what is it that you plan to do? What do you hope to get out of it? What do you expect to produce (paper, artwork, other) as a direct result of the experience?
- If a research project, what is the topic? What do you expect to produce and what do you hope to achieve?
- Or if it's something other than the above, explain what you have in mind
- Those aspects of the experience that you anticipate will require funding and how much
funding, in other words, a summary estimation of relevant costs.
- Travel
- Lodging
- Equipment
Please note that funding requests must not exceed $6000.00
- Some experiences may cost more than available funding, in which case grant recipients will need to seek additional funding elsewhere
See the detailed document above for details.
- A concise (300-600 words) but clear description of the project or experience (henceforth
to be referred to as "experience") and how it is related to your Binghamton University
classics major. Include the general outlines of the proposed experience:
- Submission Information (including deadline)
E-mail your proposal to the Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
Chair, Andrew Scholtz.The application deadline has been extended to Friday, March 24, 2023.
- Decision Timeline
Selection committee members will inform applicants of their decision by Monday, April 4, 2023, - Nature and Amount of Grant(s)
As noted above, proposals should not seek more than $6000 in grant money, which means that, depending on anticipated costs, applicants may need to consider additional sources of funding.
It is possible that, depending on the character of proposals and on available funds, multiple grants will be awarded.
- Who May Apply, Timetable for Experience
If you're a declared Binghamton University Classics major (that includes multiple majors, Classics plus something else: Classics, Greek and Latin; Classical Civilization; Latin, are the three major tracks that count as 'Classics' major) and a registered student, full-time, in spring 2023 you may apply for the grant.
- Selection Criteria
In no particular order, selection criteria include:
- The strength of the proposal
- Its pertinence to the student's major
- Feasibility within a stated budget
- Financial need (students should certainly feel free to address this)
- Academic excellence in the major and generally
- Receipt of Grant Money
Receipt of grant money will take place in response to documented need. Say that you need to purchase a plane ticket. Before- or after-the-fact reimbursement will require documentation in the form of a record of purchase plus a copy of the electronic or paper boarding pass. If you have requested funding for room and board while abroad, you will need to present a record of reservations plus receipts for funded expenses.
Note that it will be possible to receive an advance on all or part of awarded funding, but only if the request is documented as just described, and with the promise that full documentation of expenditures will be provided at the conclusion of the experience.
- Documentation, Reporting
Those awarded a Levin grant will, at the conclusion of the funded experience, present records of expenditures plus a report on the experience itself: what the grant recipient learned from it, what the recipient feels should be shared with others about it, that kind of thing.
Recipients who are on campus the semester following the experience will be expected to attend the annual Levin grant reception and to describe to attendees their respective experiences. Any recipient who so wishes should feel free to create and to share a very brief slideshow (PowerPoint or similar). Recipients who cannot make the reception will be asked to present virtually. Grantees are further asked to have their experiences shared via the departmental web page and via departmental social media. Classics faculty can help with that.
The award recipients will also share a written report of educational benefits and outcomes from the experience with thanks to Levin family.