NCIS News

In the News

Info on October NCIS Elections

This October NCIS will be holding elections for officers and Board members. The following officer positions are open:
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer

There are also six seats on the Board that need to be filled by election.

Serving on the NCIS Board not only offers you an opportunity to help direct the future of our organization, but is also excellent experience in working with a non-profit that is valued and sought by employers in almost every field. Having NCIS Board service on your cv or resume can be a great boost in landing a position anywhere.

Officer roles generally require 2-3 hours of work per week, communicating with members and affiliates, serving on at least one committee, and working with the chairs of other committees to undertake projects like setting up receptions at conferences, gaining affiliate status with other organizations, and similar activities. Board members will chair or serve on at least one committee; this usually entails about 5 hours of work per month. All officers and Board members should have access to and be comfortable using email.

All members of NCIS are encouraged to consider running for an officer position or a seat on the Board. If you have just a little time and want to help our great organization, please run!

To submit your name for the ballot, please send your name, the position you are running for, and a brief bio to Janet Wasserman. The bio submissions should be in Word, 12 point Arial, sent to Janet at Mae08ben02x@aol.com.  E-mails should have as subject line "NCIS Election" so she knows it isn't spam. Bios should be 250 words maximum with the understanding that some minor editing by Janet may be needed for formatting on the ballot.

We would like to post candidate info on the NCIS web site no later than September 15, 2010. Balloting for the election will be conducted by a third-party professional balloting service--we'll send out more info on that closer to the election.

If you have any questions about serving or running, please feel free to email me at kendraprestonleonard@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading--
Kendra Leonard
NCIS President

The Cambridge-Boston NCIS affiliate group, the Alliance of Independent Scholars, has relaunched

The first meeting was held Thursday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m., at the Brookline Public Library, main branch, 361 Washington St., Brookline, MA 02445, in the conference room.

For full info, contact Elizabeth Coons directly at ecoons6@comcast.net.

NCIS becomes AHA affiliate

NCIS has become an official affiliate society of the AHA. Many thanks to Neil Dukas for leading the affiliation application process!

From the American Historical Association Blog (http://blog.historians.org/):

At its meeting today, the AHA Council approved applications for affiliation from the National Coalition for Independent Scholars and the Toynbee Prize Foundation, joining 114 other affiliated societies. Affiliates receive rooms for session and other functions at the AHA meeting (at no charge), are listed in our online Directory of Affiliated Societies, and are also invited to submit information to the “Affiliate News” column in Perspectives on History.

Benefits of Affiliation:

The specific nature of the AHA's relationship with its affiliates varies considerably. In some cases, the ties are close, as evidenced in collaborative projects and publications, joint prizes and awards, and cosponsored meetings and conferences. In other cases, the principle activity is consultation regarding special concerns or referral of inquiries. The following are the most consistent avenues of communication and collaboration:

• An opportunity to contribute to and participate in exciting discussions about new forms of publishing and new ways of doing history through collaborative partnerships with the AHA and other affiliates.  Affiliates have free access throughout the year to an umbrella organization that can provide information about speakers, aid in locating meeting space, access to advocacy and lobbying efforts in support of social sciences and humanities, and the like.

• The Association publishes a Directory of Affiliated Societies on the Association’s web site (at http://www.historians.org/affiliates/), which lists each organization’s:  date of founding; size of membership, web site address, and annual dues; names, addresses, and phone numbers of the president, the primary contact,  and other appropriate officers and staff; dates and locations of future annual meetings; list of periodical publications; and a twenty-five word statement on the society's nature and purpose. The Association depends on each organization to provide this information annually in response to a request from the AHA headquarters. Any organization that does not respond to requests for updated information will be subject to suspension as described below.

• Each year several affiliated societies sponsor joint sessions at the AHA annual meeting. Proposals for such sessions must be submitted formally through the AHA Program Committee in accordance with the AHA's Annual Meeting Guidelines. No affiliated society is guaranteed a slot on the program -- final authority over the program rests entirely with the AHA Program Committee.

• Affiliated societies can mount their own separate programs parallel to the AHA annual meeting -- such activities are not subject to review by the Program Committee. Currently, around four dozen affiliates meet during the AHA's meeting, taking advantage of the Association's favorable transportation and hotel rates and the availability of meeting space. Each society is responsible for all organizational and financial details for such activities and for keeping the AHA  informed of its plans. For a fee, such meetings or sessions can be listed in a special section of the official AHA Program. The AHA does insist, however, that all individuals in attendance register for the AHA meeting. Also, due to the limited availability of meeting space and the large number of affiliates, the Association reserves the right to set limitations or assess fees on usage of meeting space by affiliates.

• For a nominal fee, each affiliate can request a table and seating in a convenient location during AHA annual meetings for dispensing literature and other items. Generally, the timeframe is for three hours on Friday midday, with location in the headquarters hotel.

• All AHA Affiliates are encouraged to submit news items for the "Affiliates" column of the Association's newsletter, Perspectives, and special consideration is often given to affiliate organizations in regard to publishing news in other columns.

Club Quarters booking note

When you call to book a room, ask for the "NatCoalitionIndScholars" rate--we're not listed there as NCIS.

The 2010 Awards and Grants Competition is now open!

Prize for Best Scholarly Article

The Eisenstein-DeLacy Award is awarded annually for the Best Scholarly Article by an NCIS member. Applicants should send an electronic copy of the article to be considered to Christopher Robinson, Chair of the Awards Committee, at chrisrobinson@rocketmail.com.

The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2010. Winners will be notified by September 15, 2010.

Research or Conference Travel Grants

The Yosef Wosk Grant

This grant provides the winner with $1000 to be used to further a scholarly project. It may be used for traveling to a research site, obtaining microfilm, or other such expenses incurred in the course of research and writing scholarly work. Applicants should send a c.v., proposal of project, and a budget to Christopher Robinson, Chair of the Awards Committee, at chrisrobinson@rocketmail.com..

The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2010. Winners will be notified by September 15, 2010.

The Taube Foundation for Jewish Life Prize

This prize provides the winner with $1000 to be used to further a scholarly project; it need not be limited to Jewish life or topics. It may be used for traveling to a research site, obtaining microfilm, or other such expenses incurred in the course of research and writing scholarly work. Applicants should send a c.v., proposal of project, and a budget to Christopher Robinson, Chair of the Awards Committee, at chrisrobinson@rocketmail.com.

The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2010. Winners will be notified by September 15, 2010.

Conference Travel Grants

Three Conference Travel Grants of $200 each are available. These grants were established to encourage NCIS members to participate in the annual national meetings of their disciplinary societies (MLA, AHA, etc.). NCIS members who have had papers accepted for presentation at conferences in 2010 are eligible to apply. Applicants must submit a c.v., a copy of the abstract or paper that was accepted, and the official notification of acceptance from the conference’s program chair/coordinator. Applicants may apply for conferences they have already attended in 2010 or for upcoming conferences that will take place in 2010.

The deadline for submissions is rolling. Send all application materials to Christopher Robinson, Chair of the Awards Committee, at chrisrobinson@rocketmail.com.