The Distinguished Speakers Bureau (DSB) of the Northeast Asia Council (NEAC) of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) supports public presentations by senior scholars in Japanese and Korean studies at American colleges and universities, especially those without well-established programs on East Asia. The NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau began in 2011 and is supported by funds generously provided by the Japan-United States Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and the Korea Foundation (KF).
Colleges and universities may apply to host one of the distinguished scholars of Japan or Korea on the NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau. The invited speaker would be expected to give one formal, public lecture (chosen from the list below) as well as meet with either a graduate or undergraduate class and interact extensively with host faculty and their students while on campus. NEAC grant monies fund the honorarium and air travel for the NEAC Distinguished Speaker, up to the amount of the approved NEAC grant award, and the host institution is responsible for all local costs (food, lodging, marketing, airport transfer, etc.).
NOTE: NEAC DSB speaking engagements and the application process must be initiated by the host university; applications seeking additional funding for already committed speaking engagements will not be considered.
NEAC Distinguished Speakers may be hosted only at colleges and universities, including community colleges. Speakers on Japan will only be supported at institutions in the United States; speakers on Korea will be supported at institutions in the United States and Canada. The NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau is intended to serve institutions with small East Asian studies programs, not institutions with large and well-established centers in Japanese or Korean studies.
Due to the popularity of this grant program and the limited grant funds available, institutions may only receive support for one NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau program every three years. In addition, a limit has been set on the amount of DSB grant budget funds available to award in each six-month calendar year period so as to ensure that funds are available throughout the duration of our AAS/NEAC 3-year grants with the JUSFC and KF.
NEAC DSB grant applications are considered on a rolling basis and when funds expire for each six month budgetary period, no further applications will be considered until the next budget period.
Please check back here before submitting your completed NEAC DSB application materials to determine if funding is available. We will post notices whenever funds are fully expended and alert you as to the exact date when applications will again be accepted.
Currently funds are available for any applications received during the January 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019 award period for a NEAC JAPAN DSB speaker grant.
Currently funds are available for any applications received during the January 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019 award period for a NEAC KOREA DSB speaker grant.
NEAC Distinguished Speaker grant applications may be submitted by individual faculty or staff members, but must be accompanied by a support letter from an administrator (department chair, center director, dean, etc.) confirming the institutional commitment to hosting the NEAC Distinguished Speaker and bearing all the local costs of his/her visit. Applications from students or student groups will not be accepted.
All publicity for the visit of a NEAC Distinguished Speaker must acknowledge the support of the Distinguished Speakers Bureau of the Northeast Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies and the respective grant funding agency (JUSFC for Japan speakers; KF for Korea speakers).
A NEAC Distinguished Speaker must present one formal, public lecture (chosen from the list below) as well as meet with one class (undergraduate or graduate) during his/her visit. Host institutions are encouraged to provide opportunities (such as receptions and meals) for guest speakers to interact with faculty, students, administrators, and members of the local community. The fixed honorarium for a NEAC Distinguished Speaker presenting one public lecture and meeting with classes is $500.
Applications for the NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau will be accepted on a rolling basis in order to allow the most flexibility in scheduling speaking engagements and are only accepted in digital form (via Word or PDF attachment). Complete applications must be submitted at least 90 days prior to the anticipated visit of the NEAC Distinguished Speaker.
All grants are provided to host institutions on a reimbursement basis, after the speaking engagement has occurred. The host institution will directly pay/reimburse the invited speaker's airfare and honorarium; the AAS/NEAC grant will subsequently reimburse the host institution. Host institutions will be asked to provide an evaluation of the events featuring the NEAC Distinguished Speaker within 60 days following the speaker's campus visit (via a short narrative NEAC grant report form). This evaluation must be provided to the AAS Secretariat in Ann Arbor, MI along with all requisite forms/receipts in order to receive reimbursement.
All views and opinions expressed by a NEAC Distinguished Speaker are the speaker's alone and do not represent those of the Northeast Asia Council or the Association for Asian Studies.
(ii) the LIST OF LECTURERS AND PRESENTATIONS offered under the NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau and identify a scholar you would like to host at your institution. Please pay particular attention to the number of speaking engagements currently available for your desired speaker in each NEAC DSB term year. This information is posted directly under an individual speaker’s contact information. Some speakers have no limitations listed. If a speaker’s annual limitation has been reached, no further applications for a speaking engagement planned during that particular NEAC DSB term year will be considered.
(2) Verify that funds currently exist for awarding a DSB grant at this time by looking at the top section of this webpage and by checking again immediately prior to submitting your DSB application as the grant funding situation is fluid and can change quickly. If you submit an application and funds are currently fully expended for this six month DSB funding round, we will ask you to kindly resubmit your application after the start of the next 6-month funding cycle. In order to be equitable to all applicants, we cannot hold applications in queue.
(3) Contact the scholar directly to determine his/her interest and availability to visit your campus. Agree on tentative dates for the visit and activities during the visit.
(4) Complete the NEAC Distinguished Speaker Grant Application Form and submit electronically to Alicia Williams, AAS CFO, at the following email address: awilliams@asian-studies.org at least 90 days prior to the anticipated visit of the NEAC Distinguished Speaker.
Be sure to include a letter from an institutional administrator committing to the payment of all local costs (food, lodging, marketing, airport transfer, etc.) for the speaker's visit as well as proof of the speaker's acceptance of the proposed speaking engagement (PDF of an e-mail communication, e.g.). This letter must come from someone other than the grant applicant.
(5) Due to the popularity of this grant program and the limited grant funds available, institutions may only receive support for one NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau program every three years.
(6) Do not begin publicity for the NEAC Distinguished Speaker's visit until you have been notified of the success of your application by the AAS Secretariat. NEAC Distinguished Speaker grant application award notification should be received within two weeks, barring any unforeseen circumstances or long holiday periods.
(7) Travel arrangements for the speaker should only be made (by the host institution or by the speaker him/herself) after the grant applicant has been given positive notification of grant award by the AAS. Only economy/coach fare, minimum 30 day advance-purchase airplane tickets are allowed for reimbursement by AAS. Note: for Japan speakers, airfare must occur on U.S.-based air carriers per JUSFC guidelines.
(8) The host institution will be expected to directly pay all expenses related to this NEAC Distinguished Speaker engagement (including the payment of airfare and honorarium to the scholar). At the completion of the speaking engagement, the grant applicant/host institution representative will submit a NEAC Seminar Grant Report Form, NEAC Seminar Expense report form (with supporting expense documentation copies provided by the host institution), and in the case of Japan speakers, a JUSFC Cost Share Form. These are all very simple forms to complete and will be provided at the time of grant award.
(9) Within 60 days following the speaking engagement, the host institution will submit all requisite materials to Alicia Williams at awilliams@asian-studies.org.
The AAS will immediately reimburse the host college/university for approved airfare and honorarium once the NEAC grant report, forms, and receipts/supporting expense documentation is provided. Reimbursements are generally turned around within one week from the time all requisite documents are received at the AAS office.
For questions regarding the NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau, please contact Alicia Williams at awilliams@asian-studies.org.