Research and Creative Collaborative Proposals

Next Application Deadline:
Monday, February 5, 2024

IAS Research and Creative Collaborative Proposal Instructions

IAS Research and Creative Collaboratives represent some of the most synergistic and innovative work at the University. Collaborative funding enables interdisciplinary activity that can sometimes be challenging within departmental and collegiate structures. These self-initiated groups come together with the idea of working on a project of common interest, such as public engagement activities, the creation of a supportive intellectual community, or the exploration of a research area through different disciplines.

For a list of current and former Collaboratives, see the main Research and Creative Collaboratives webpage.

 

Eligibility & Organization

  • Collaboratives are organized and directed by conveners, usually a group 2–4 people
  • Conveners are responsible for the leadership and administration of the Collaborative
  • Conveners may be University faculty, students, or staff systemwide; or non-University community members. At least one convener must be a member of the University community; in cases of Collaboratives convened by primarily undergraduate students, we will require at least one faculty convener) 
  • An individual may be a convener of only one Collaborative, but may participate in more than one Collaborative
  • Current IAS advisory board members and staff may not serve as Collaborative conveners, but may participate in Collaboratives

Funding Priorities

The Institute for Advanced Study is open to proposals of all interests. We are particularly interested in those that include or feature:

  • Community-engaged work, i.e. collaborations with community partners
  • Public scholarship, i.e. creative works and research intended for broad audiences
  • Indigenous-led Collaboratives
  • BIPOC-led Collaboratives
  • Systemwide Collaboratives, or those not based solely on the Twin Cities campus (Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester campuses, and Extension projects)
  • Projects focused on institutional transformation and systemic change
  • Projects involving disciplines and fields beyond the humanities

Budget

Research and Creative Collaborative members are expected to participate in the intellectual life of the IAS by making their activities open and accessible. The IAS seeks participation from all colleges, schools, and system campuses across the University and encourages student participation in Collaboratives. Funds are to be used to further the work of the Collaborative; faculty salary may not be included. 

  • New Collaboratives may request up to $12,000
  • Renewing Collaboratives may request up to $10,000
  • A portion of the funding is reserved for Collaboratives (new or renewing) with budgets of $6,000 or less

Examples of possible use of funds include honoraria for community partners, bringing in scholars from other institutions to participate for brief periods in the work of the Collaborative (travel/lodging/meals/honoraria), hiring student workers, purchasing books, conducting a field trip, purchasing materials or services in support of creation of artistic work, or organizing public programming.
 


Proposal Instructions

Proposals will be submitted online via InfoReady Review. Uploaded documents must be either Word or PDF; budget documents may be in Excel, Word, or PDF.

Click the appropriate dropdown below to view instructions for those wishing to propose a NEW Research and Creative Collaborative, or those wishing to RENEW funding (apply for an additional year) for an existing or former Research and Creative Collaborative.

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Propose a New Research & Creative Collaborative

Propose a New Research and Creative Collaborative

Fields to be filled in on the form:

  1. Name, email, and departmental (or other) affiliation of each Collaborative convener.
  2. Collaborative title
  3. Amount requested
  4. An abstract of your proposal, which should not exceed 200 words.
  5. Additional conveners. You may have a total of 6 co-conveners, including the person submitting the application. List each person in the section “Co-Applicants” (below the documents upload). In addition, list each co-convener’s email in the field “Add Other Email Addresses for Notifications.

Documents to be uploaded:

  1. Description of the project, including its significance, goals, and potential outcomes. Discuss why this work cannot be done in existing structures and requires IAS affiliation. Explain how you have considered making this an interdisciplinary project: how did the group come together, how did you seek participants, and what was the logic of your search for participants? Explain how your Collaborative advances research or creative work. Discuss how you will measure and evaluate achievement of your goals and outcomes. If your Collaborative engages a community outside the University, be sure to identify that. (1,500 words)
  2. Tentative list of activities that the Collaborative intends to carry out. (one page)
  3. Itemized budget with specific estimates of costs. Maximum amount is $12,000. Faculty salary may not be included. Please ask only for funds actually needed; we welcome proposals for any amount up to the maximum and encourage applications for budgets of $6,000 or less. Note: Budget documents should be saved in portrait, rather than landscape, layout.
  4. Budget justification describing why budget items are necessary and explaining basis for cost estimates. Include information on any other funding requested or received for the project.
  5. Two-page curriculum vitae for each convener, combined into one document.
  6. List of people participating in the Collaborative, with departmental or other organizational affiliation.

 

Apply for a NEW IAS Research and Creative Collaborative 

NOTE: You will need to log in with your UMN account.

Renew an Existing or Former Research & Creative Collaborative

Renew an Existing or Former Research and Creative Collaborative

Fields to be filled in on the form:

  1. Name, email, and departmental (or other) affiliation of each Collaborative convener.
  2. Collaborative title
  3. Amount requested
  4. An abstract of your proposal, which should not exceed 200 words.
  5. Additional conveners. You may have a total of 6 co-conveners, including the person submitting the application. List each person in the section “Co-Applicants” (below the documents upload). In addition, list each co-convener’s email in the field “Add Other Email Addresses for Notifications.

Documents to be uploaded:

  1. Report on your Collaborative’s activities and accomplishments to date and discussion of future plans for the project. Describe how the Collaborative is rooted in and having impact on the University—for example, development of teaching related to the Collaborative’s work, the Collaborative’s involvement in recruiting graduate students, conference presentations and/or publications coming out of Collaborative activities, public engagement activities. Explain how you have measured and evaluated achievement of your goals and outcomes. Discuss how being connected with the IAS makes possible work that cannot otherwise be done in existing structures. If your aims or goals have changed from those proposed in your initial application, explain how and why. Your discussion of the significance of the proposal may refer to your original proposal, which the IAS will provide to reviewers. Please note that in the past, selection committees have rejected requests for refunding when they found the applications to be perfunctory in their descriptions of the project or that fail to demonstrate development in the Collaborative’s research/creative agenda. (1,000 words)
  2. Short statements from 3-5 Collaborative members explaining how participation in the Collaborative has benefited their work. Each statement should be no more than one page; combine all statements into one document.
  3. Tentative list of activities that the Collaborative intends to carry out (one page).
  4. Itemized budget with specific estimates of costs. Maximum amount for renewing Collaboratives is $10,000. Faculty salary may not be included. Please ask only for funds actually needed; we welcome proposals for any amount up to the maximum and encourage applications for budgets of $6,000 or less. Note: Budget documents should be saved in portrait, rather than landscape, layout.
  5. Budget justification describing why budget items are necessary and explaining basis for cost estimates. Include information on any other funding requested or received for the project. Note: Budget documents should be saved in portrait, rather than landscape, layout.
  6. Two-page curriculum vitae for each convener, combined into one document.
  7. List of people participating in the Collaborative, with departmental or other organizational affiliation. 

 

Apply for an IAS Research and Creative Collaborative RENEWAL
 

NOTE: You will need to log in with your UMN account. 


Questions

Questions about the program may be directed to IAS Director Bianet Castellanos ([email protected]). Questions about submission requirements may be directed to Susannah Smith ([email protected]).