University of Chicago International Institute of Research in Paris (IIRP) Faculty Grants

Funded by the Office of the Provost and the College with support from the Humanities Division, the Physical Sciences Division, the Social Sciences Division, and the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, this program offers seed funding to activate and amplify networks and collaborations among members of the entire University research community and members of creative, scholarly and research communities in institutions across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The ideal submission should have clear intellectual or artistic merit, involve a programmatic element, incorporate meaningful participation and expertise from both the University and one or more partner institutions in the target regions. When appropriate, applicants should indicate how the project will continue beyond the grant period. 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.

N.B. Funding may only support activities within the target region of Europe, Africa and/or the Middle East. Activities in other locations, including Chicago, must be supported through other sources.

Applicants may apply for one of the following award categories:

* in support of projects that are either based at the IIRP or that engage with the IIRP in a significant way

** in support of projects that take place in the target geographic region (Europe, Africa, the Middle East) but that do not engage the IIRP to a significant degree

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.

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’s facilties in the Boyer Center. Public-facing activities that will elevate the visibility of the IIRP are strongly encouraged.

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, and research or artistic residencies with network- or institution-building content. Specifically encouraged is the development of long-term thematic research programs in collaboration with partners in the target geographic regions.

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.

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.

Evaluation Criteria:

All IIRP Faculty Grant applications, regardless of application type, are evaluated on:

1. intellectual and/or artistic merit, and
2. reasonableness of proposed costs relative to anticipated results.

Further application-type-specific criteria are summarized in the table below:

Applications will be evaluated by the Faculty Steering Committee of the IIRP and decisions will be communicated before the end of Spring Quarter. For projects taking place at the Boyer Center, IIRP staff will provide planning and logistical support. For this grant, the costs of space and staff support are included in the award. 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, the costs of which should be factored into the project budget.

All applications should be submitted online using the University of Chicago’s InfoReady Funding Portal. Once logged into the portal using your CNetID credentials, search under “IIRP,” selected “IIRP Faculty Grant 2025,” download the appropriate Budget template, and to start your application. Note that partially completed applications may be saved at any point and accessed in their most recent forms during future visits. Please contact Beth Ziolkowski(bethz@uchicago.edu) in the Office of Research if you experience any technical difficulties accessing or submitting this online application.

If you have any questions as you prepare your application, please contact:

IIRP Associate Director Hugo Toudic (htoudic@uchicago.edu)

IIRP Senior Administrative & Research Coordinator Maria Melissa Guarte (mmguarte@uchicago.edu)

Selected examples of successful projects from previous funding cycles may be found here.