The Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion (BCSR) is sponsoring 1 to 2 Project Development Groups (PDG) in the study of religion for faculty in academic year 2014-15. BCSR PDGs provide an opportunity for small collaborative faculty groups to work on larger-scale projects related to the study of religion. Collaboration across the humanities and the social sciences is often prohibitively difficult both to organize and to fund. The PDG program seeks to ease these challenges by providing a congenial and productive framework for collaborative intellectual exploration.
To that end, the PDG program can contribute $2,500 in research funds to each participating faculty member (from 2 to 5 participants), as well as up to $7,500 for incidentals. These expenses can include hiring a GSR, inviting outside speakers, meals, etc. Groups may wish to use the PDG as a platform to launch larger grant writing projects or to seed a lecture series, publication, or a conference. Collaborative projects with other campuses—national or international—are welcome, although the program cannot fund non-UCB faculty.
Applications for funding should include:
-Project Description. ~1000 words narrative of the research project and its significance. Please also include brief participant bios, and describe their roles in the collaboration. Be sure to identify primary coordinating contact on the proposal.
-Proposed Objectives. These might include conferences and workshops, publications, grant proposals, colloquia, etc.
-Schedule of Activities. PDGs are expected to meet regularly (at least 1x/month) and should provide a syllabus for these meetings.
-Budget. Justification for up to $7,500 to support these activities
Completed applications (including all supporting materials) should be submitted to BCSR Directors c/o bcsrprojectdevgrant@berkeley.edu and received by Tuesday, April 1 at 4 pm. Electronic or hard copy files are accepted.
Deadline for applications: Tuesday, April 1, 2014 by 4 pm
Award Announced: Week of May 1, 2014
Award Period: July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015
Award Amount $2,500/faculty member in research support and up to $7,500 in related expenses
By connecting scholars, students, and the global community, the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion (BCSR) fosters critical and creative scholarship on religion and activates this scholarship for students and the public at large.