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Call For Proposals

Purpose

This program supports collaborative research projects in Humanities & Social Sciences between researchers at University Libraries and Virginia Tech academic departments, institutes, and centers. These projects will leverage the library’s resources and expertise to explore research questions of significant interest to Humanities & Social Sciences. Similar to the Mcubed model, the selection of this program will be through a lottery instead of the formal merit review.



Funding

University Libraries will provide $5,000 to each awarded project. Projects are expected to be completed in 6 months from the date of awards. Examples of appropriate use of funds include library collections, student wage, GRA, and travel critical to research activities. Salary and indirect cost to VT employees cannot be charged on this fund. For assistance on computing infrastructure, please reach out to program co-directors or directly contact library IT.

Guidelines

  • Each proposal will be submitted by at least two co-PIs, one is a full-time employee at University Libraries, and the other a full-time employee at a Virginia Tech academic department, institute, or center. Postdocs are also eligible. A co-PI on a fixed term contract must be able to complete the project within the corresponding VT employment contract period.

  • Proposals should clearly state what the team is proposing and how it leads to the intended next steps.

  • Proposals should describe how library resources and/or expertise will be leveraged to explore research questions of significant interest to Humanities & Social Sciences.

  • Project deliverables should be specific, measurable, and achievable within the project period. We encourage deliverables and subsequent research outputs be made available through open access methods (e.g., VTechWorks, Virginia Tech Data Repository, etc). When applicable, we also encourage proposals to take into consideration 1) issues of equity and inclusion and 2) how including a community partner may benefit the project.

  • Each eligible co-PI may submit at most 2 proposals in each funding cycle.

  • All eligible proposals will be entered into a random draw. Proposals not selected for the current funding cycle are encouraged to participate in the next round.

  • Program co-directors reserve the right to request additional clarifications on the proposals and decline proposals deemed out of the stated scope of this program.

  • Failure to fulfill the proposed deliverables within the project performance period may result in co-PIs being temporarily excluded from applying for funding in the next two funding cycles.

  • Researchers interested in collaborating in this program are encouraged to participate in an online information webinar to be held at 1:30-2:00 PM Friday Oct 22, 2021, then submit a collaborator profile and reach out to potential collaborators (need to log in with your VT Google credential), and also participate in a hybrid Meet-and-Greet session to get acquainted with other potential participants’ areas of expertise and research interests. Please bookmark this page and check back for the announcement of the Meet-and-Greet.

Timeline

In-person: Athenaeum Classroom (Newman Library 124)

Zoom: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/85466699433?pwd=eXFPYlNrVjgyQzN2dWpYcmJwNk9Vdz09

  • Dec 17, 2021: Proposals due. Submit either with this form or email the proposal to both zhiwuxie@vt.edu and ceska@vt.edu

  • Dec 30, 2021: Awards announced

  • Early January, 2022: Project starts, library fund activity code generated for each funded project. The library co-PI can directly access funds using the activity code.

  • June 30, 2022: End of project, funding must be fully spent

  • Before July 30, 2022: A workshop to showcase project deliverables.

Proposal Requirements (3 pages)

  • Title Page (1 page): Title of project, names, and affiliations of co-PIs as well as all other participants.

  • Proposal Narrative (2 pages):

    • Problem Statement: What research question does your project address? Describe your overall vision for your project and incorporate a summary of your goals. Why does your proposed project address a research question of significant interest to Humanities & Social Sciences? How does your project leverage the library’s resources and expertise?

    • Description of the Proposed Project: Describe 1) needs in the area you’ve chosen, 2) deliverables and timeline of the project, and 3) future publication and funding opportunities and next steps resulting from the project.

    • A brief Budget Breakdown

    • Bio sketches or CVs of co-PIs (these do not count towards the proposal page limit)

Additional Information

  • The CFP will be disseminated through CLAHS, library liaisons, and relevant DA/SGA Program Managers.

  • Proposals will be screened by program co-directors, Zhiwu Xie and Charlene Eska to make sure the proposals are within the scope of this program.

  • For the 2022 Spring round, the program is expected to fund 10 projects. In future rounds the number of projects and level of funding may vary.

For questions, please contact program co-directors: zhiwuxie@vt.edu, ceska@vt.edu