College of
Humanities and Social Sciences “Lightning Rod” Events
Call For Proposals
Proposals Due: November 1, 2015
Interdisciplinary
Studies and the Office for Research invite proposals to host a major
interdisciplinary scholarly event on behalf of the College of Humanities and
Social Sciences during 2016. We are calling these activities “lightning rod”
events—that is, events that gain a lot of attention on campus and throughout
the region. The goal of such an event is galvanize interdisciplinary and, where
appropriate, inter-college groups to tackle major research problems, and to
share ideas with the broadest possible audiences, both on and off campus, and
do lay the foundation for significant ongoing research activities.
We invite
proposals for a speaker, colloquium, or other public event or series of events
over a day or several days that would attract a broad interdisciplinary
audience that would address “big questions” about the most important issues of
the day. The topics are wide open, but should derive from the College’s
strengths and should support its strategic plan. The event should also attract
interest from the widest possible audience from NC State as a whole, from
regional colleges and universities, and from the region as a whole.
The
proposal should include the title of the event, a budget, including costs for
refreshments, honoraria and travel for speakers, and any costs associated with
the venue. The College portion of the budget will not exceed $20,000, and
should clearly distribute costs between those items that could be funded from
state appropriations (e.g., rental of venue, travel for speaker) and those that
cannot (e.g., food/beverage for a reception). It should also include a narrative making the
case for why the event is important, how it will both reflect and grow
scholarly activity among the college’s faculty, and how it will attract both
broader NC State and community interest to the event. Include a general agenda
of activities to be undertaken, such as a keynote public speaker, symposia, or
similar events. Proposals will specify the speaker or speakers you plan to
invite, and the best proposals will contain the speaker’s or speakers’
agreement in principle to join your event, pending notification of funding. The proposal should not exceed three pages, plus
a budget in spreadsheet form.
Competitive
proposals will be those that plan for an ongoing program of scholarship that is
sustainable after the event, that is truly interdisciplinary, and that has a
strong likelihood of attracting outside resources. The college will work with
those submitting compelling proposals to polish ideas to meet these goals. The
number of projects funded will be determined by available resources, and the
number/quality of proposals. It is unlikely more than two projects will be
funded in a given year.
The college
Research Office will provide administrative support for financial aspects of
the event. The department or departments proposing the event will retain
project management responsibilities. Hourly pay for graduate or undergraduate
assistants to help plan and manage the event will be an acceptable budget item.
We look
forward reading your proposal!
