New Frontier program provides humanities, arts grants

This summer saw IU Associate Professor of Music Phuc Phan working to create an opera about traditional Vietnamese culture.

Creating an opera takes time and money, which is why Phan turned to the New Frontiers in Humanities and Arts grant program.

“Writing an opera is a multi-year task,” said Faith Hawkins, IU chief of staff to the vice president for research. “We are really pleased that we were able to help this out.

“It was very exciting and very unique and probably wouldn’t be possible without New Frontiers.”

During the 2010-11 academic year, the program administered around $600,000 in grants to faculty members in order to help them become better educators.

The program provided faculty members with grants up to $50,000.

“There are very few universities in the nation that dedicate that much money to faculty of the arts and humanities,” Hawkins said.

Science topics often have a better chance of receiving research grants than arts and humanities; however, the New Frontiers program exists to allow other topics surrounding the liberal arts a chance to receive money for research.

“There are much more funding opportunities in sciences than arts and humanities, and it makes faculty better for students,” Hawkins said.

Ellen Wu, an assistant professor in the Department of History, was previously granted money for research through the program and said participating in it was an honor and privilege.

“The grant has provided me with the necessary resources to conduct historical research at a number of archives and libraries across the country,” Wu said.

“In these lean economic times, especially for the arts and humanities, I hope that Indiana University will continue to fund the New Frontiers program.”