International Institute of Research in Paris Faculty Grants

The Executive Committee of the University of Chicago International Institute of Research in Paris is pleased to invite proposals for faculty grants to support research programs and develop scholarly or creative networks in Paris and throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. This call is being issued in anticipation of the Spring 2024 opening of the new Center and research institute in Paris.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 

March 3, 2023. Applications may be submitted online via the University of Chicago’s InfoReady Funding Portal. See “To Apply” below.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN PARIS (UC-IIRP):

Housed within the University of Chicago Center in Paris, the new International Institute for Research in Paris (IIRP) promises to be an extraordinary intellectual venture offering innovative possibilities for research, collaboration, and public-facing discourse between University scholars and their partners around the world. The IIRP will build on the activities of the current Paris Center, extending the mission beyond teaching and faculty research to elevate the University’s intellectual presence and visibility internationally. The IIRP will support and promote the University’s engagement throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, fostering intellectual creativity and collaboration among students, scholars, alumni, artists, practitioners, and policymakers.

GRANT PROGRAM OVERVIEW: 

This program, funded by the Office of the Provost and the College, aims to activate and amplify networks and collaborations among members of the University research community and members of creative, scholarly and research communities in institutions across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East with the aim of laying the groundwork for the forthcoming research institute.

The ideal submission should have clear intellectual merit, involve a programmatic element, and incorporate meaningful participation and expertise from both the University and one or more partner institutions in the target regions. A limited number of smaller awards for individual research projects will also be offered. Wherever possible, outside funding (e.g., research funds, national agency or foundation funding, funds raised by collaborators) to supplement the faculty grant is strongly encouraged.

Applicants may apply for one of the following award categories:

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY:

Awards are open to all UChicago faculty and other academic appointees from all schools, divisions, and disciplines. The primary applicant must be a University of Chicago faculty member or other academic appointee.

APPLICATION GUIDE & EVALUATION CRITERIA: 

We invite interested faculty and OAAs to submit an online application via the University of Chicago’s InfoReady Funding Portal (see “To Apply” below).

For institute-based collaborative awards, applicants should indicate how their proposed project will contribute, through the cultivation of intellectual/artistic networks and institutional collaborations, to laying the groundwork for future activity at the research institute in Paris. These proposals should be based at or include an important component taking place at the IIRP, housed within the Center in Paris. Public-facing activities that will elevate the visibility of the IIRP are strongly encouraged, but are not a necessary condition for obtaining funding.

Eligible activities may include academic and public events (e.g., conferences, workshops, network planning activities, hackathons, lecture series, exhibitions, performances), activities to support the establishment of summer institutes, research or artistic residencies with network- or institution-building content, and the development of long-term thematic research programs in collaboration with partners in the target geographic regions.

The faculty Executive Committee will evaluate these proposals with the following criteria in mind:

• The intellectual/creative merit of the proposal
• The broader impact of the project with respect to cultivating enduring networks and/or institutional collaborations connected with partners in Europe, Africa and/or the Middle East
• The centrality of the IIRP with respect to the programmatic activities

In addition to the above criteria, the committee will consider the reasonableness of costs in relation to anticipated results.

Non-institute-based collaborative awards may include the same eligible activities as above, located within the target geographic regions of Europe, Africa, or the Middle East.

The faculty Executive Committee will evaluate these proposals with the following criteria in mind:

• The intellectual/creative merit of the proposal
• The broader impact of the project with respect to cultivating enduring networks and/or institutional collaborations connected with partners in Europe, Africa and/or the Middle East

In addition to the above criteria, the committee will consider the reasonableness of costs in relation to anticipated results.

Individual research projects should take place in a single year and may include activities such as archival work, data collection, training initiatives, exploratory visits with the aim of establishing scholarly and/or creative networks, and supplementary travel funding. Individual projects taking place at the IIRP should note how they plan to make use of the institute’s facilities.

The faculty Executive Committee will evaluate these proposals with the following criteria in mind:

• The intellectual/creative merit of the proposal
• The potential for future impact related to the project and/or network-building

In addition to the above criteria, the committee will consider the reasonableness of costs in relation to anticipated results.

SELECTION & AWARD ADMINISTRATION: 

Applications will be evaluated by the faculty Executive Committee of the IIRP and decisions will be communicated in Spring Quarter. For projects taking place at the Center in Paris, staff at the Center in Paris will provide planning and logistical support. For the purposes of planning and space coordination, several date options should be provided. Investigators organizing projects that take place elsewhere will need to arrange for local planning and logistical support.

TO APPLY: 

All applications should be submitted online using the University of Chicago’s InfoReady Funding Portal. Once you are logged in to the portal (using your CNetID), choose “View Funding” and navigate to “International Institute of Research in Paris (UC-IIRP) Faculty Grant” to start your application. Once you have started an application, you will be able access it directly on your dashboard during future visits. Please contact Beth Ziolkowski (bethz@uchicago.edu) in the Office of Research if you have any trouble with access to the online application.

Note that successful applicants will be asked to submit a short report following the conclusion of their project.

QUESTIONS: 

Please contact Sarah Walter (scw@uchicago.edu) or Dan Bertsche (ddb1@uchicago.edu) if you have any questions as you prepare your application. Selected examples of successful projects from previous funding cycles may be found here.

View faculty research grant projects funded for 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, and 2019–20.