GERALD L. DAVIS FUND TRAVEL GRANTS:

In memory of folklorist Gerald L. Davis, AFS makes grants of up to $500 available to persons of color who want to attend the annual meeting. Prospective applicants may be graduate students, community scholars, staff members of public folklore programs, or others who want to attend. Registration fees will be waived for Gerald L. Davis Fund grant recipients.

Applicants should submit a letter stating their specific reasons for wanting to attend the AFS meeting, the impact they expect the meeting may have upon their work, estimated expenses, and the amount requested. Applications will be reviewed and grant recipients selected by the AFS Task Force on Cultural Diversity. Applicants should plan to attend the orientation session mentioned above.

Letters of application must be postmarked no later than April 15, 2002, and mailed to Jerrilyn McGregory, Chair, AFS Task Force on Cultural Diversity, Department of English, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1580.

GRADUATE STUDENT TRAVEL AWARDS:

The Public Programs Section of the American Folklore Society is providing up to four awards of up to $300 each for graduate students to defray costs for traveling to the 2002 annual meeting in Rochester. The Public Programs Section is interested in supporting students who have an interest in working as public folklorists or who have chosen an area of public folklore as a primary topic of graduate research.

Application materials will consist of: (1) a two-page letter written by the applicant, (2) a letter of support written by a faculty member or public folklorist that describes the student's interest in public folklore and supports the student's plan for using the AFS meeting to further her or his interests in public folklore, and (3) a budget outlining anticipated expenses. The letter of application should address the applicant's interest in public folklore, goals for attending the meeting, and plan for using the resources of the meeting to further her/his academic and/or professional development. Previous winners of the student travel award are not eligible for this year's competition.

The deadline for receipt of applications is July 1, 2002. Awards will be announced by August 1. To apply, send three copies of all materials to Gregory Hansen, Florida Folklife Program, Bureau of Historic Preservation, R.A. Gray Building, 4th Floor, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL STIPENDS:

The American Folklore Society warmly encourages the participation of folklorists and other cultural specialists from outside of the United States. Travel stipends will be available for international scholars and practitioners who are participating in the annual meeting program. The deadline for submission of applications for stipends is April 15, 2002.

The AFS particularly encourages applications from individuals who have limited or no institutional support for travel, as well as from independent scholars and freelance practitioners. AFS members and sections are encouraged to spread the word, to help identify potential applicants, or to collaborate with an international colleague in the application process, seeking matching funds to complement the possible AFS award. For example, adding a campus visit or a consultation at your agency could fruitfully expand on participation in the AFS meeting. We especially welcome member assistance in organizing panels that include international participants.

Applications should include a brief curriculum vitae and a letter briefly outlining what paper or other presentation will be made, how the individual will benefit from attending the meeting, and how the experience will be communicated in one's home professional context. The overall goal of the travel awards is to increase international communication and awareness of international issues in our field. Since the AFS has very limited funding available, it is important for applicants to think ahead about how they would communicate their experience effectively to a larger professional community back home.

The deadline for submission of applications is April 15, 2002. Direct applications and inquiries to Dorothy Noyes, Mershon Center, Ohio State University, 1501 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-2602; e-mail noyes.1@osu.edu.

REGIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOLAR FELLOWSHIPS:

Thanks to generous support from the Fund for Folk Culture and the AFS Public Programs Section, AFS will again offer fellowships to local and regional community scholars to attend this year's annual meeting. A subcommittee of the Annual Meeting Committee will solicit candidates, review their applications, and select the recipients of these fellowships. Fellows will receive support towards the cost of their travel and lodging, complimentary conference registration, and a one-year membership in AFS. For further information, please contact the chair of the selection committee, Ellen McHale, at emchale@nyfolklore.org.