Co-sponsored by the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies and the Office of the Vice President for Research, Books Ends—Obermann/OVPR Book Completion Workshop supports University of Iowa faculty from disciplines in which publishing a monograph is required for tenure and promotion. The award is designed to assist UI faculty members with significant research responsibilities turn promising manuscripts into important, field-changing, published books.

Book Ends brings two senior scholars to campus for a candid, constructive three-hour workshop on the faculty member’s book manuscript. The award will cover travel, accommodations, and a $500 honorarium for each visiting scholar. We will also ask two University of Iowa senior faculty members to participate, an opportunity to learn about and support the work of a colleague. The Director of the Obermann Center or a representative for the Center will work with successful applicants to select the outside reviewers and organize their visits. Usually, one of the University of Iowa colleagues will act a facilitator, using the guide we have developed for authors and readers. Reviewers will be asked to provide substantive written comments, and the workshop will be recorded for the author’s use during the revision process. Our goal is for each author to leave the workshop with concrete suggestions for revision, advice about appropriate presses, and a timeline that will lead to a revised manuscript ready for presses to review within six months.

We will host workshops for up to four UI faculty members in 2023–24. This project supports both faculty members completing first books within a timeframe that aligns with deadlines for tenure review and associate professors on the verge of seeking promotion to full professor.

We thank the Vice President for Research for co-sponsoring this initiative, and we look forward to this exciting opportunity to create new intellectual connections, to enrich scholarly research, and to assist faculty members advance in their careers.