PACIFIC ISLANDS SCHOLARS FUND

The Pacific Islands Scholars Fund supports attendance and participation by Pacific Islands scholars at ASAO meetings through travel awards and waivers of meeting registration fees and membership fees. We are particularly interested in supporting younger scholars and those who have not previously attended ASAO meetings, but we encourage all prospective Pacific Islands participants (from graduate students to practicing professionals at any level) to read the application materials and the proposed sessions for the February meetings (links below and above) and to consider taking part in one or more of them.

The process for participating in sessions is as follows: contact organizers of sessions for which you feel you can make a contribution and proceed from there (see descriptions of proposed sessions and organizer contact information).  Session organizers will guide you through the process of joining their session.  Once you have been accepted, follow the links on this Web page to the PISF application forms and apply by the deadline.  Scores of Pacific Islands scholars and graduate students have been assisted in attending ASAO meetings and making significant scholarly contributions through this competitive process, which is an integral part of the mission of ASAO.

PISF objectives are:

Types of PISF Awards
There are two types of Pacific Islands Scholars Fund awards:

Travel Awards  The bulk of our award funds go to Travel Awards, which are allocated through a competitive process in which applications are due annually on November 1.  In most cases these awards cover the cost of round-trip airfare. Awards also provide meeting registration and a year’s ASAO membership.  The ASAO Board, depending on its finances for the year, is also sometimes able to provide travel awardees with partial support toward cost of housing at the conference hotel.

Mini-Grants allow us to further encourage participation in ASAO sessions by Pacific Island scholars and extend our recognition for their valuable contributions--they provide meeting registration fee waivers and a year’s membership in ASAO. Forms will be available for downloading in mid-September.

Both travel grants and mini-grants are awarded to Pacific Islander participants who are taking an active part in one or more sessions, by serving as organizer, presenting a paper, or making a presentation in another format.

Criteria for Selection for Travel Awards

PISF application deadlines for the 2011 meeting (Honolulu, Hawai'i)
Travel grant applications must be received by November 1
Notifications to Travel Awardees: December 1
Travel awards must be accepted by December 15

Mini-Grant applications (from participant and organizer) may be sent by January 30th (preferred), but will also be accepted at the registration desk in Honolulu.

Pacific Islands Scholars Fund Report following the 2010 Meetings, Alexandria, Virginia

This year’s PISF Committee consisted of continuing at-large members Ping-Ann Addo and Michael Goldsmith, new member Elfriede Hermann representing the Board, chair, Keith Chambers, and chair-designate, Judith Schachter.

The committee reviewed and evaluated ten applications for travel awards this year. Following an intense and productive conference call, the committee proposed nine candidates for awards, and the Board approved the choices. Two individuals subsequently declined their awards (for personal reasons) and, given the weather, only three awardees were able to attend the February meetings in Alexandria: Bronwyn Williams, Nuhisifa Williams, and Marcellin Abong. Bronwyn and Nuhisifa came to the Board lunch, and introduced themselves and their work (Marcellin arrived later that day). Our other awardees, Courtney-Savali Andrews, Dionne Fonoti, Mahina Okusitino, and Teena Brown Pulu, did not make it to Alexandria. Elfriede and Judith attended the Board lunch; due to weather, Ping-Ann missed the lunch, but she made an eloquent plea for support of the fund at the closing plenary. Unfortunately, neither Michael nor Keith were able to come to Alexandria.

One mini-grant was awarded at the ASAO meetings. This follows the new policy of making those awards at the meetings themselves.

Keith Chambers has been chair of the PISF committee for the past five years, and he has done a wonderful job. Organized, gracious, and attentive to the applicants (as well as to the members of the committee), Keith has ensured that the PISF maintain its vigor, its significance, and its importance to Pacific Island scholars: we are all grateful to Keith for his work, and we look forward to drawing on his advice over the next several years. Thank you, Keith.

We’d also like to thank Elfriede Hermann for her work on the committee. Elfriede provided thoughtful and considered comments on a range of issues, and we will miss her calm interventions. We welcome Aletta Biersack, her successor as representative of the Board on the committee. We look forward to working with Aletta, which we know will be a pleasure. Ping-Ann and Michael continue as at-large members. Judith Schachter has replaced Keith as Chair, after having “shadowed” him for the year. Keith has been an unfailing source of advice, providing clear and cogent guidelines for running the committee, and lots of good, reassuring support.

Action items for the future include: ensuring a wide range of applicants, with interests in diverse sessions; continuing a discussion of the interpretation of “Pacific Islander;” initiating new efforts to raise supplementary funds; reviewing our evaluation process; possibly extending the tenure of the Board representative.

Instructions for applying for ASAO travel awards are posted above.

We thank ASAO members for their generous contributions, which support ASAO’s travel awards – and we encourage all to donate as this year goes on. These funds make a big difference in the professional lives of our young Pacific Islands colleagues. (For those who pay taxes in the USA, donations to the PISF are tax deductible.) And thanks to the PISF Committee members for good work and good will.

Judith Schachter
PISF Committee Chair