She began asking local medievalists to give lectures, which promoted research by allowing students and faculty to see current veins of scholarships and encouraged networking and cross-university discourse. But her small group had to find funds where available, book rooms and address all the other minute details associated with putting on an event, whether large or small. Once the medieval group became an official center workshop, she had access to additional funds that allowed her to offer honorariums to lecturing scholars. The faculty at Rice face heavy workloads and teaching schedules, Nirenberg said. The fellowships relieve faculty from teaching duties so they have the luxury to pursue their own research for one semester.
Applicants propose a research project to the center's advisory panel.
The proposals are then reviewed by leading scholars outside of Rice. Two outside opinions are received for each proposal. Then the advisory panel awards three fellowships. The center has always provided an arena from which people in different disciplines can communicate with each other, said Thomas Haskell, the McCann Professor of History and director of the center from 1993 to 1997. By offering a voice to all views, the Center for the Study of Cultures has avoided the uncivil wars of ideas involving postmodernists and their opponents that have ripped apart universities across the country.