Ann Duncan Memorial Fund
Dr Ann Duncan was an Oxford Graduate who taught at Exeter University until she came to Newnham in 1970 as Director of Studies in Modern Languages where she remained until her death in 1989, aged only 48. She was a modernist working in nineteenth and twentieth century French studies as well as on contemporary Latin-American literature. She earned her Cambridge doctorate from her publications, not by thesis.
She was a stimulating and demanding teacher, with a lively sense of humour; never satisfied with easy answers, pompous authoritarianism or received wisdom. Despite being paralysed from the waist down from the age of thirteen she travelled widely, never allowing her disability to limit either her freedom of movement or her independence.
The Ann Duncan Memorial Fund was set up immediately after her death with donations from her family, her students and friends. In making grants from the fund the awarders try to choose those projects which they feel would have interested Ann. Grants are awarded every two years.
How to apply
Applications are invited for a number of small grants to be awarded for foreign travel during Summer 2023 to students of the University currently studying a language to degree level under the auspices of the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, particularly those with special interest in contemporary French or Latin-American studies.
Consideration will also be given to applicants who are now studying aspects of French or Latin-American society for a postgraduate qualification.
Enhanced grants may be available for students with special difficulties of mobility.
The awards are not intended to fund the MML year abroad, nor are they intended for language courses. In recent years awards have gone mainly to those whose travel plans have a distinctive social or intellectual purpose.
Applications must be made on-line at https://app.casc.cam.ac.uk/fas_live/duncan.aspx , no later than midnight BST on Monday 1st May 2023
The application will comprise:
- A system-generated application form to be completed on-line
- The name and email address of the applicant’s Director of Studies or Supervisor.
- Once the application has been completed the named Director of Studies/Supervisor will be contacted to request a letter of support by Monday 8th May 2023 for the applicant. Applicants should pre-warn the person providing their letter of support that a request will be forthcoming, and provide them with an outline of the proposed travel.
Please note information submitted as part of this form will be used by the College for the purposes of assessing your application and may be retained for up to 2 years. Summary information will be permanently held in College Committee minutes and any travel reports submitted may be transferred to the College Archive for long-term preservation.
Any queries should be directed to the Principal’s Secretary, Newnham College, Cambridge CB3 9DF, (cb560@cam.ac.uk).