The Eileen M. Hayes Fund for Equity and Opportunity

The Eileen M. Hayes Fund for Equity and Opportunity is established in recognition of the leadership and professional commitments of ethnomusicologist and past CMS President Dr. Eileen M. Hayes, the first African American and second woman of color to hold that office. In her leadership roles across CMS and colleague music societies, and through her work as a division and department chair, researcher, university dean, book series editor, and faculty mentor, Dr. Hayes has embodied the qualities of the quintessential scholar and academic leader. Her pioneering advocacy for equity and anti-racist initiatives in music has prompted profound change within the profession. The breadth and timeliness of her leadership continues to be an inspiration for music scholars, performers, and educators in academia. A long-time CMS member has generously provided a $2,500 matching grant toward The Eileen M. Hayes Equity and Opportunity Fund, aiming to help the CMS Fund reach its $20,000 goal by the end of 2024. This matching gift, along with the initial $13,000 in contributions from Dr. Hayes’s colleagues and friends, provides a solid foundation for the Fund's continued growth, ensuring its significant impact on equity and anti-racist initiatives in the academic music community.

Purpose: To recognize exceptional commitments to equity and inclusion in music in higher education. Award proceeds may be applied in a variety of ways, including supporting travel to a CMS conference; honoraria for guest performers and/or speakers; subvention grants for first books; and collaborative efforts that reflect the engagement of more than one music subdiscipline. Preference will be given to proposals submitted by contingent faculty and from groups underrepresented in academia. 

Award Categories:

1. Travel Awards to a CMS regional, national, or international conference. Special consideration is given to CMS members who are presenting at the CMS conference for the first time and whose scholarship, performance, or composition speaks to the themes of equity and opportunity in music.
2. Honoraria for Guest Performers and/or Speakers. Special consideration is given to performances, lectures, and workshops that reflect themes of equity and opportunity in music.
3. Subvention grants. The award is intended to defray costs not normally covered by other resources such as the institution, a publisher, or an invitee but necessary to complete the scholarly project. Projects include books, articles, performances, commissions, community engagement ventures, recordings, and production and post productions. Note that recipients of subventions are requested to forward a copy of the final scholarly project. 

Prize: $500 or $1000

Frequency: Annually

Note: All funds must be claimed (with submission of receipts) within thirty-six months of the granting of the award. Awardees must be members of the College Music Society. 

Administration: The Eileen M. Hayes Award for Equity and Opportunity will be administered by the CMS Fund under the direction of the CMS Fund President.

Application Process: Nominations, including self-nominations.

An application consists of:

1. Name/Institution/Position
2. Address/Phone/Email
3. A short written abstract (500–1,000 words) that describes the project and its contribution to furthering the mission of the Hayes Equity and Opportunity Fund
4. A budget (itemized list of expenses)
5. Optional: copies of invoices or receipts to support the proposed budget

For the Travel Award: 

1. Indicate Regional, National, or International CMS Conference and place
2. Copy of CMS Conference acceptance letter
3. Dates of travel

For the Honoraria Award: 

1. Event description (including location, likely audience and audience size, and ticket price [if applicable])
2. Bio of guest artist / speaker
    

For the Subvention Grants:     

1. Faculty/Staff/Administrator
2. Name of Members of the Project Team and their Institutional Affiliations (if applicable)
3. One letter of recommendation from a colleague not associated with your project

Application Deadline: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. The deadline for applications for the 2024-2025 academic year is June 1, 2025. 

Submitting your Application

The College Music Society's submission process is powered by Submittable. To submit an application, please (1) log in to the CMS members-only website using your user name and password and then (2) click the 'Submit' button below. You will be directed to Submittable to complete your proposal. If you don't already have a Submittable account, you will be prompted to establish one. (Click here for help using Submittable and to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions.