Paul Charosh Independent Scholar Fellowship

Paul Charosh is a retired member of both the Sociology and Computer Science Departments of Brooklyn College (CUNY) with a scholarly interest in the social history of American music beginning in the mid-nineteenth century.  Though he does not possess formal music-related credentials, his articles have appeared in American Music and other scholarly publications. This award seeks to encourage others to do independent work as music scholars, even if their formal training and careers may have evolved elsewhere.

The initial award was in the amount of $1,500. Recipients are expected to attend and participate in the Society’s annual conference. Specific conditions of the participation will be made in consultation with the award committee and the Society’s Board. The awardee’s name and presence, and nature of their participation in the conference, will be noted in the program. Conference registration fees for the awardee will be waived.

The Paul Charosh Independent Scholar Fellowship is intended to foster research by independent scholars, and to encourage their participation in Society conferences. For purposes of this award, an “independent scholar” is someone who does not teach at an institution of higher learning, or who does so with a non-renewable contract of one year or less. Applicants are not required to hold any particular degree or certification. They may be current SAM members but others, pursuing a scholarly life outside the academy, are also eligible.

In addition to the application form, the following materials are required:

• Overview of your engagement with American music as an independent scholar
• 500-word (maximum) narrative describing your research project
• One or two sentences explaining how attending the SAM conference will benefit you and/or your project
• A statement of any support that you receive from an employer for research or travel to meetings
• Current CV or resume

October 15