William Evans Visiting Fellowships

The William Evans Fellowship is  currently on hold.

The William Evans fund was established in 1946 by the University Council under the will of the late Dr William Evans. Dr Evans directed that a trust fund be established for the promotion and encouragement of learning.

History of the William Evans fund

Dr William Evans was a well-known family physician in Dunedin, who died in 1943. He bequeathed the remainder of his estate to the University of Otago, which, on the recommendation of the Professorial Board was mainly devoted to financing a Visiting Professorship. The William Evans Fellowship was first held by Dr Harold Mattingly, a Visiting Professor of Classics. Dr Mattingly was an authority on the Roman Empire, specifically on its coins, and spent a year at Otago.

Awarding the William Evans Visiting Fellowship

William Evans Visiting Fellowships are awarded by invitation from the University on the recommendation of the Staffing Advisory Committee.

Where appropriate, the visiting fellow will be attached to a University department, and will be expected to assist with the work of the department. This could be in the form of seminars, lectures, or public lectures.

Find out more detailed information for Departments
Find out more detailed information for Fellows

Important details to note

1. The tenure of a Fellowship is for a minimum period of three weeks and maximum of six months
2. Fellows will be reimbursed for their necessary expenses in the form of an allowance
3. Fellows must submit a brief report within three months of the end of their visit. The University welcomes any comments and observations.

Nominations

Nominations for William Evans Visiting Fellowships will be called for from Heads of Department twice yearly. The closing dates for recommendations are mid-March and mid-September each year. For 2021, Round 1 has been cancelled and Round 2 closes 17 September 2021. Nominations are open to Australian applicants only.

William Evans Visiting Fellows will normally be persons of academic distinction who have a strong record in research and/or teaching and/or professional practice.

Submitting a proposal

When submitting a proposal, a Head of Department should note that their nomination is competing for limited funding and should:

1. Make a case which describes the project or programme in which the nominee will participate, and his/her specific role. A clear statement of goals and objectives should be provided
2. Provide a clear statement of the perceived value of the visit the department and wider university
3. Provide letters of support from departments other than the nominating department
4. Provide details of the dates and length of visit, noting that the majority of the visit will take place in the teaching semesters. Please note that applications will only be considered for visits within the next two teaching semesters
5. Attach a full curriculum vitae (including current contact information)
6. Provide details of any other sources of funding
7. Include the name of a host to the Fellow designated by the department

To ensure that all required information is provided to the Selection Committee, the below nomination form should be used. All nominations for Fellowships must include this form, but may also be supported by a fuller letter of justification and/or other supporting documents.

Download the William Evans Fellowship nomination form (Word)

Please note: Nominations for visits outside the two teaching semesters (and summer school) following the application round will not be considered. If the Fellow or the host Department request changes to the approved dates of visits which will extend the visits outside this time frame, the Fellow will be asked to reapply.

Departments are encouraged to be pro-active in recommending suitably qualified women for the award of the fellowships.

The Committee will not accept applications for Fellowships if there is an intention that the Fellow be involved in other paid work for the University during the term of the Fellowship. A separate arrangement by which the Fellow is employed or stays on as a visiting appointment after the Fellowship terminates is acceptable.

Selection

All proposals will be referred by Human Resources Division to the appropriate Pro Vice-Chancellor for an assessment of the nominee in terms of the above criteria and ranking in order of priority before they are considered by the Selection Committee.

The Selection Committee will consist of:

• Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
• 2 members of the Staffing Advisory Committee
• The Pro-Vice-Chancellors

The amount of the reimbursement allowance to any Fellow will vary but it is unlikely that support will exceed $7,500 in any one instance.

When a visit is imminent, it is expected that the host department will provide a brief resumé of the visiting Fellow to Marketing and Communications for publication in the Staff Bulletin. The information might include details of seminars and public lectures scheduled to be given by the Fellow.

Reporting required post-Fellowship

Within three months of the end of the period of tenure of a Fellowship, Heads of Department are required to submit to their Pro Vice-Chancellor a report which assesses the benefit of the visit to the Department and the wider University, and addresses the objectives of the visit as stated in the application. This report must also include a brief report written by the Visiting Fellow. It is suggested that the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (or a nominee if necessary) responsible for the host Department should invite the Fellow to a meeting, possibly including lunch or afternoon tea, to discuss the Fellow's activities towards the end of the visit.

Departments should be aware that further nominations will not be considered if there is a Department Report outstanding from a previous William Evans Fellowship award.

In addition to completing the Department Report form, a Statement of Expenditure form must also be completed and signed off by the Departmental Administrator or whomever has responsibility for the administration of the Fellowship.

The Department Report and Statement of Expenditure forms can be downloaded from the "Get it Done" section on this page.