Arts Research Initiative

The Arts Research Initiative is an annual internal grant competition to support research efforts by members of the Faculty of Arts (Social Sciences and Humanities). The Arts Research Initiative offers seed or bridge money for tenure-track and tenured faculty of all ranks who do not already hold any external or internal funding from another source (such as SSHRC, Vice-President’s Research Grant, Dean of Arts/Vice-President (Research) Special 4A Award, ISER, Smallwood Foundation, Start-up grants, etc.). ⁱ

The grant is tenable over two years at a maximum of $5,000 with the obligation to apply for an external grant (such as a SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, etc.) within this two-year period. Faculty members who receive funding through the Arts Research Initiative in April 2013 must apply for an external research grant by April 30, 2015. Arts Research Initiative grant holders can reapply for the Arts Research Initiative only once every six years.

The Faculty of Arts (Social Sciences and Humanities) recognizes that the ability to attain external funding is becoming an increasingly important component of a successful academic career, and would like to provide research funding to scholars who are beginning new projects or may need to reinvigorate their research profile. The Arts Research Initiative will be offered in conjunction with other support services such as our Grants Facilitator (Kelley Bromley-Brits), workshops and seminars. It is our hope that with both a financial commitment and sustained development effort, researchers in the Faculty of Arts (Social Sciences and Humanities) can increase their participation and success in external funding competitions.

Application process

• DEADLINE: March 28,2013
• Submit your application to Betty Foley, Dean of Arts’ office (efoley@mun.ca)
• Application instructions (pdf)

Evaluation criteria

The Faculty Research Committee will evaluate proposals according to the following criteria:

• Excellence and feasibility of the proposed research
• Clear budget justification
• Applicant’s academic record
• Potential for eventual external funding
• The extent to which funding the project will strengthen the applicant’s research profile

Include the following items in your package:

1) Description of Proposed Research (maximum 3 pages). Include the following categories in the order specified below:

• Scope and objectives of the proposed research; note that a well-constrained project will be considered more feasible. 
• Work already completed and/or in progress and schedule of work to be done; note that a well-planned, finite, one-to-two-year project will be considered more feasible. 
• Methodology; should be clearly spelled-out, since it addresses the feasibility of your project. 
• Theoretical approach or conceptual framework, as appropriate; this should be framed in terms that can be understood by an interdisciplinary committee of scholars not necessarily familiar with your discipline. 
• Scholarly significance and potential contribution to knowledge; address the potential for eventual external funding in this section; also address how the project will strengthen your research profile. 
• Social relevance or practical importance, if applicable, to address the ‘excellence and feasability’ criterion discussed below.

2) Budget and Justification (maximum 1 page); use MUN rates and guidelines, as well as quotes, etc. to accurately quantify your costs.

3) Current CV in Academic Program Review format; this format asks you to carefully distinguish between refereed and non-refereed contributions in particular.

Restrictions

Applications will be considered for both operating expenses and equipment with the following restrictions:

• Travel for data collection, archival work, field work or other direct research activities will be considered; however, travel to conferences will not be supported. Travel for research purposes should be very carefully justified. 
• The use of Arts Research Initiative funds to pay student assistants for a very short period or for field work under the supervision of the researcher is permitted. However, these funds are not meant to be an alternative or supplement to research assistantships provided to masters or doctoral students. 
• The Arts Research Initiative may not be used to pay for secretarial or other support services which can be provided to the researcher by their department. 
• Requests to purchase personal computers, iPads, etc., will not be considered. 
• Due to the limited amount of funds available, the Arts Research Initiative will NOT fund faculty who hold external research funds, or those who hold internal funds offered by Memorial University. The Arts Research Initiative is intended for scholars who have exhausted any previously held funding.

Reporting

Those who receive Arts Research Initiative funding will be asked to provide a one-page report on progress made towards the research project during the duration of the grant. A final report will then be due within two months after the completion of the grant.

 

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i. In exceptional cases, faculty holding external funding might be eligible to apply for the Arts Research Initiative: for example, external funding (such as CFI funding) does not provide funds for regular research activities (such as travel, student assistantships, etc.) Faculty holding such funding may apply for the Arts Research Initiative, but must justify the circumstances.

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