Call For Proposals: Constitution Day

The Jack Miller Center National Constitution Day Initiative

An Invitation for Proposals

Also see Program Description for further information. click here

Initiative Steering Group

Proposal Guidelines

In 2004, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, troubled by numerous studies indicating a growing constitutional illiteracy among Americans, introduced an amendment to that year’s omnibus spending bill, mandating that every institution of higher education receiving federal funds provide educational programming on or about September 17 of every year, in honor of the promulgation of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

The Jack Miller Center established its Constitution Day Initiative to contribute to the educational goals of the mandate by promoting the critical study of the Constitution and constitutionalism. The Center invites proposals from JMC Fellows and outside scholars in support lectures, symposia, or other events that address constitutionalism in a substantive way. We encourage applicants to collaborate with academic departments or campus groups who might be interested in co-sponsoring a Constitution Day event on an historical or contemporary topic.

The Center will provide awards of up to $2,000, and special consideration will be given toproposals that include matching funds from your college or university. Many members of the JMC network of Fellows have agreed to make themselves available as speakers or panelists for Constitution Day events.  A list of them is available on the JMC website. The JMC also welcomes candidates as speakers who have yet to participate in JMC-sponsored programs.

Your proposal should include:

• A description of the event(s).  These might include a lecture, a conference, a faculty symposium, a workshop for undergraduates, the presentation of a prize to encourage undergraduate research, or less formal activities such as a lunch and discussion, or other suitable programming.
• A budget, including any matching funds to be provided by the host campus, whether cash or in kind, and specific amount requested from the JMC.
  • The JMC does not assign a limit to the total cost of the program it is being asked to help support, though the JMC’s contribution will not exceed $2,000.
  • The campus ‘match’ may include the time invested in the planning and conduct of the program, as well as follow-up educational efforts aimed at building awareness of Constitution Day, such as placing an item in the campus newspaper, on a campus website, or in an Alumni magazine.
• If the event involves a public lecture, a list of possible speakers, or the speaker(s) already committed to your event.
• The specific topic to be addressed.
• The deadline for application is April 13, 2012.

• Name and contact information for the faculty member(s) responsible for the program.

Successful applicants agree to send a brief report to the JMC within 30 days after the event including, where possible, copies of the talk(s) or other educational material (the winning essays in a contest, for example).  The faculty member requesting support agrees to secure permission from the speaker(s) to allow the JMC to use copies of the talk(s) in its print materials and on its website.  The JMC does not request the copyright for the talk(s).

Proposals should be sent to Michael Andrews and Daniel Cullen:

Scholars who have expressed an interest in being speakers (though not required for funding) include:

Also see Program Description for further information. click here