Is there a burning topic in your discipline or a topic that cuts across disciplines that we should bring to campus? Is there a format for the conversation that can energize an intellectual community around that topic? That might be the perfect topic for an Obermann Symposium!
In addition to a compelling topic, we invite co-directors to propose national and international speakers who can offer richly diverse perspectives on the symposium theme. We also want to highlight the work of UI and local experts. Continuing in the tradition of past symposia, we welcome the opportunity to help applicants include the arts, community-facing programming, and the latest pedagogical approaches to the theme as well.

We invite proposals for half- or whole-day programs featuring two to six invited speakers. In addition to the financial award of up to $15,000 to cover expenses such as traveling and honoraria, Director(s) will also receive significant staff support.

Learn about past Symposia.

Application Deadline

Applications are due the last Wednesday in October each year. The application deadline for the 2025–26 Obermann Symposium directorship is October 30, 2024 (5:00 p.m.).

Eligibility

• Applications are welcome from any faculty member whose appointment requires significant research, including scholarship and work in the arts.
• Director(s) must be on campus the semester the symposium occurs, as well as the semester when planning occurs.
• If applying as a pair or trio, at least one Director should have tenure. If you are applying as the sole Director, you must have tenure.
• Faculty may apply in collaboration with UI departments; or with external archives, museums, and other cultural organizations with a point person from that organization named.
• Faculty members who have received this award in the last 4 years are ineligible.

Criteria

• A topic that promises to engage artists and scholars on campus and beyond.
• Clear purpose for the event—What will it help to accomplish? The objectives and outcomes could include featuring an archive or cultural resource on campus, highlighting an intellectual area of strength on campus, drawing attention to an emerging field or practice or inter-discipline, connecting Iowa artists and scholars with national and international experts, laying the groundwork for a collaboration or research team or publication, and more.
• Reflections on why this is an excellent time and place to host the event.
• Inspiring speakers or performers you hope to include.
• Possible format, e.g., panels, performances, workshops.
• A meaningful draft budget that corresponds with the applicant’s objectives for the event.

Application Materials & Submission Process

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The application will ask you for the following:

• Director's/directors' contact information (name, position, department/organization, office mailing address, and e-mail address)
• The name of each director's DEO (for UI faculty only)
• The CV for each director
• Proposed symposium title 
• Preferred timeline for the symposium (semester and year)
• The amount you are seeking for the event, with a maximum of $15,000. (Download our Sample Symposium Budget Template to help you estimate your funding request.)
• Ideas for seeking out additional funding (e.g., nominate a symposium speaker for an Ida Beam visiting professorship, apply for an Arts and Humanities Initiative [AHI] award, reach out to individual departments for co-sponsorship funding, etc.)
• Project narrative regarding your symposium topic that speaks to the criteria above. Be sure to include—
  • The significance of the topic
  • Its relevance or appeal to artists and/or scholars in a particular field or fields
  • The goals for the event
  • The potential for sustained impact through publication or any other means of sharing knowledge beyond the immediate event
  • Ideas for engaging with the larger campus and/or local community.
• The names of 2–6 speakers you’d hope to invite and how each would develop the symposium topic (please include affiliations/positions and links to departmental bio pages/websites).