The Baldy Center sponsors several conferences and workshops each academic year on topics related to law, legal institutions, and social policy. Our conferences typically have thirty to fifty attendees, and include formal presentations by distinguished speakers. The Baldy Center workshops tend to be small, narrowly focused events aimed at intensive discussion.
The 2021 application period has ended. Our next call for grant proposals is anticipated in Spring 2022. Thank you for your interest.
The Baldy Center supports conferences and workshops to advance the interdisciplinary study of law, legal institutions, and social policy in the UB community. The Baldy Center conferences and workshops should contribute to faculty research, provide faculty members and graduate students with opportunities to discuss their work with outside scholars, and help to develop new areas of scholarly interest and new networks of scholarly activity. They should bring to University at Buffalo outstanding scholars from around the world who are engaged in innovative work, enhancing the quality of UB scholarship and visibility of The Baldy Center.
Applicants must be full-time faculty members (non-adjunct) or emeritus faculty of the University at Buffalo. Collaboration with faculty at other universities and research centers is encouraged. Applicants must have the capacity to co-administer the proposed event. The Baldy Center will provide advice to the organizers and will share responsibility for event logistical arrangements with the organizers.
Decisions to support conferences and workshops are made by a review committee of UB faculty. Preference will be given to proposals that:
Complete the online grant application form and upload one required document, as a pdf of your proposal.
The grant proposal document must include the following named sections:
Faculty organizers are responsible for certain aspects of event coordination.
The substantive work required on the part of the faculty organizer includes:
• Identify, invite, and confirm potential participants.
• Approve paper topics and abstracts.
• Develop a conference program / schedule.
• Designate moderators (if applicable).
• Produce content for conference publicity, and distribute event announcements in collaboration with the Baldy Center staff and web manager.
• Make publication plans.
• Handle of all aspects of the event that require substantive or intellectual judgments, including decisions regarding the distribution of funding to participants and for event activities.
The faculty organizer will identify a non-Baldy Center staff member or include in the budget a graduate student assistant to work with The Baldy Center staff in the logistical coordination of the event, including the following tasks:
In addition to grant funding, The Baldy Center will provide the following support:
To avoid conflicts with other important events, scheduling of Baldy supported conferences and workshops must be coordinated through The Baldy Center. No workshops or conferences will be scheduled on the days of significant University or School of Law events (e.g., Commencement).
Catering: Prices as listed will vary depending on the caterer and menu choices.
It is up to the organizer to estimate likely costs. All expense reimbursement requests and vendor payments must follow SUNY approval and documentation protocols.
Catering Estimates: Costs will vary depending on the caterer and menu choices
—Continental Breakfast: $6.00-$8.00 per person
—Morning or Afternoon Snack; assorted pastries, fresh fruit: $4.00-$6.00 per person
—General Lunch; meat and vegetarian options: $10.00-$15.00 per person
Reception Items: Costs will vary depending on the caterer and menu choices
—Fruit & Vegetable Platter: $25.00-$45.00
—Cheese and Cracker Platter: $35.00-$55.00
—Breads and Spreads Platter: $30.00-$50.00
Beverages:
—The Baldy Center will provide non-alcoholic beverages throughout the event including coffee, tea, and water.
—Beer and wine are permitted in the conference center if the UB caterer, Three Pillars, provides the bartender and liquor license. These costs should be included in the conference grant proposal.
-Alcohol Permit Fee: $65.00
-Bartender: $100
-Bar Packages: $300 (min.) consumption
Dinners:
Dinners are usually held off-campus, in restaurants following SUNY cost limitations (FY20 = a maximum of $28 per person with no more than $15 in alcohol per person including gratuities).
—Dinner expense reimbursement requests must follow all SUNY documentation protocols. The organizer should obtain a NYS tax-exempt form before the dinner and specifically request that no tax be applied to the receipt. Alcohol purchases should be on a separate itemized receipt.
—The organizer will pay for off-campus meals. They should submit their receipt, list of diners, and event flyer in Concur.
Accommodations:
Preferred hotels can be found on the Hotels for UB Guests website. Frequently used hotels include the Doubletree and Candlewood Suites.
—Costs vary from approximately $80-$150/per night, the standard CONUS rate is $106/night.
—The Baldy Center can set up a group contract when for the event.
Travel Costs:
Student Assistants:
$ 12.50 per hour, but budget for $13.00 per hour to account for NYS fringe charges.
Each awardee agrees to provide The Baldy Center with a report on the findings and publications/products resulting from the project. This report is due three months after the award period ends, or after the award is expended. Please use this form to submit your report.
Awardees agree to acknowledge The Baldy Center support in publications and other resulting products and agree to forward pdfs of resulting publications to The Baldy Center.