CALL FOR PROPOSALS: 2013 Faculty Summer Research Awards

On behalf of the UC Humanities Network, the University of California Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI) invites proposals for Faculty Summer Research Awards for projects addressing humanities and changing conceptions of work.

Who Can Apply: UC Faculty
Level of Award: Up to $7,000 per award
Funding Source: UC Humanities Network [Mellon Foundation grant]
Deadline: 11:59 pm PST on Wednesday, February 20, 2013. Apply on FastApps (opens on January 17)
Award quarter: Summer 2013

OVERVIEW

Globalization has profoundly impacted not just what work is available but how and where we work, what we think of as work, and what skills the humanities and interpretive social sciences must teach to prepare graduate and undergraduate students for work in our 21st century global society. This three-year multi-campus research initiative seeks to comprehend and illuminate the changing conceptions and experience of work in diverse historical and geographical contexts as well as in the face of recent global economic, technological, and social developments. A particular area of interest is changing conceptions of the work of the humanities within and beyond the university.

"The Humanities and Changing Conceptions of Work," a three-year research initiative of the UC Humanities Network, is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The working groups, seminars, and other research projects of this initiative will take place on campuses across the University of California, drawing on and promoting the networking and research strengths of faculty and graduate students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences across the system.

SUMMER RESEARCH STIPENDS

Seven one-time summer research awards of up to $7,000 will be awarded through a competitive process to faculty from across the UC campuses. Projects should address issues and ideas, principles or projects of direct relevance to the Humanities and Changing Conceptions of Work research initiative (see http://humanitiesandwork.org/).  

Summer research awards will be available to UC faculty who are participating in the initiative for the first time as well as those who have participated in previously funded research groups or seminars.  The goal of these funds is to invite new scholars into this research areas and to enable scholars with existing research projects to bring them nearer to completion. The result will be greater scholarly productivity and an influx of fresh ideas into the initiative's third and final year.   

Awards should support full-time work on a research project at any stage of development for a period of at least two months during the Summer 2013 quarter.

At the conclusion of the summer quarter, awardees will be expected to produce both a financial report to the UCHRI staff and a research report suitable for posting to the UC Humanities Network website and dissemination via UCHRI's digital communications venue(s).

Awardees may also be invited to participate in 2013-14 programs sponsored by the initiative, including the Society of Fellows retreat, convening conference, and summer institute.

All eligible proposals will be evaluated by a subcommittee of the UCHRI Advisory Committee and UC faculty content experts. Proposals will be assessed on the basis of intellectual merit and innovative approaches and/or engagement with issues of work, as well as potential contribution to the larger initiative and the humanities overall.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are accepted exclusively online via UCHRI's FastApps system. The applicant must be a UC faculty member.

Required documents include:
  • Project Abstract (200 words max.) and Project Title
  • Proposal Narrative (2,000 words max.). The narrative should describe the intellectual project that will be supported by this research award, and the short- and long-term significance of this research to the theme of the humanities and changing conceptions of work. The narrative should also clearly describe the work plan and projected outcome of the summer's research.
  • Proposed Project Budget with a brief narrative. Proposed project budgets (up to $7,000) should provide reasonable cost estimates for such expenses as travel, lodging and per diem for research trips, reproduction fees, purchase of books, equipment and other research materials demonstrably relevant to the project. No more than 25% of the award may be used for a GSR.
  • Curriculum Vitae
All materials should be submitted to UCHRI via FastApps no later than 11:59 PM PST on Wednesday, February 20, 2013.

Questions about the application process or research initiative should be directed to Kelly Brown, UCHRI Research Projects Manager, at kbrown@hri.uci.edu.

For technical assistance, contact techsupport@hri.uci.edu.