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. 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.

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 their 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 virtual formal, public lecture (chosen from the list below; either synchronous or recorded) as well as meet with at least one class (undergraduate or graduate) for a virtual synchronous session. The honorarium for a NEAC Distinguished Speaker presenting one virtual public lecture and synchronous session with classes is $500.

Applications for the NEAC Distinguished Speakers Bureau are accepted on a rolling basis in order to allow the most flexibility in scheduling speaking engagements. Applications are only accepted in digital form (via Word or PDF attachment). Complete applications must be submitted at least 4 weeks prior to the anticipated visit of the NEAC Distinguished Speaker.

Host institutions are asked to provide an evaluation of the events featuring the NEAC Distinguished Speaker within 60 days following the speaker’s virtual campus visit (via a short narrative NEAC grant report form).

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.

(1) Look through:

(i) the Thematic Listing of Presentations in Japan and Korean Studies (below); and

(ii) the Lecturers and Presentations linked at the buttons above, 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. 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 notice box above 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 virtual visit.

(4) Complete the NEAC Distinguished Speaker Grant Application Form and submit electronically to grants@asianstudies.org at least four weeks prior to the anticipated visit of the NEAC Distinguished Speaker.

Be sure to include a letter from an administrator (department chair, center director, dean, etc.; the signatory cannot be the grant applicant) confirming the institutional commitment to hosting the NEAC Distinguished Speaker and bearing any local costs and a signed Distinguished Speakers Bureau Waiver on Recording Live Events Form, as well as proof of the speaker’s acceptance of the proposed speaking engagement (PDF of an e-mail communication, e.g.).

(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) Within 60 days following the speaking engagement, the host institution will submit all requisite reporting and publicity materials to grants@asianstudies.org.

Note about indirect costs: The AAS is unable to support funding requests for indirect costs from applicants to its small grant programs. The AAS is a membership organization rather than a funding agency, and conducts its grant programs as a service to the field through the voluntary help of its members. Funds for all grant programs originate from outside agencies, and individual awards are quite modest. We therefore require applicants’ home institutions to waive their normal indirect cost requirements.