The OSUN Center for Human Rights & the Arts invites applications for faculty research grants at the intersection of human rights and the arts. The Center seeks to confront the current practical and conceptual challenges of human rights discourse by stimulating new ways of thinking, developing new strategies of activism and engagement, incubating new relationships between activists, scholars and artists, and working seriously and meaningfully at a global scale. The goal of the grants is to support OSUN faculty research—including scholarly research, investigation/documentation, or research-based art practices—and to strengthen the connections between OSUN member faculty.
Eligibility
Any faculty member with an appointment to teach during the 2021-2022 academic year in any of the partner institutions of the Open Society University Network (OSUN) is eligible to apply.
Grants Details
Faculty members can apply to one or both of two categories, but will only be awarded funding for one: Research Stipend Grant or Course Release Grant.
1. Research Stipend Grant:
Successful applicants for the Research Stipend award will receive up to $8,000 in research support. These funds can be used to cover relevant book and equipment purchases, conference participation, research travel, research assistants, translators, transcriptions, scanning and copying, permissions, artistic collaborators, subscriptions, entry fees and other admissions, and costs associated with other relevant materials, services, and arrangements necessary for conducting the proposed research. All expenses must be pre-approved through the application process (or subsequently amended) and executed between January 30 and August 30, 2022. Please note that since the award payment is issued as a stipend rather than as advanced payment for research expenses, it may be considered taxable income and will be the award recipient’s responsibility to declare appropriately.
2. Course Release Grant:
The Course Release Grant is intended to support a faculty member’s research by awarding their institution funds to cover the faculty’s time spent researching. In order to be eligible for this award, the applicant must submit a letter of support from the relevant dean, department chair, or other academic officer(s) at the applicant’s institution. The time frame for the course release must be approved by the faculty’s institution as well.
All applicants will be notified of selection committee decisions by December 1, 2021.
Questions about the grant or about the application process should be sent to chra@opensocietyuniversitynetwork.org
Application Procedure
Eligible faculty interested in applying should submit the following materials via this 2022 CHRA Faculty Research Application portal no later than 11:59 PM EST on November 5, 2021. Please include your full name, program/department and institutional affiliation, and project title in the header of uploaded material.
1. Research Project Abstract (300-word limit): This abstract should explain the objective, outputs, and significance of your broader research project.
2. Proposal Narrative (500-word limit): This narrative should detail the specific components of your project you are applying to receive funding for and what the expected outputs (if any) are.
3 – A. If applying for a Research Stipend Grant: Budget Expenses and Justifications (2-page limit): Please divide this budget by location of expenses, and type of activity therein (e.g., airfare, lodging, meals, access fees, etc.)
3 – B. If applying for a Course Release Grant: Signed letter of support from the relevant dean, department chair, or other academic officer(s) at your institution, approving and encouraging the course release to support your proposed research project.
3 – C. If applying to be considered for both a Course Release Grant and a Research Stipend Grant, applicants must submit both a letter of support and a proposed budget.
4. Curriculum Vitae: Please include all academic positions, research grants, and publications.
Expectations
Understand that award payment can take up to six weeks after the award letter is issued to be fully processed. The project activities should be proposed with that timeline in mind.
Adhere to the proposed budget submitted with their grant application.
Adhere to OSUN policies related to research-related purchases and other expenses.
Submit an interim report narrative and expenditures sheet via the requisite google form by May 1, 2022, accounting for the use of the grant award and summarizing the findings and any exhibit, performance, presentation, and/or publication outputs that may have resulted.
Submit a final report narrative and expenditures sheet via the requisite google form by August 30, 2022, accounting for the use of the grant award and summarizing the findings and any exhibit, performance, presentation, and/or publication outputs that may have resulted.
Commit to presenting research findings at grantees’ virtual panel during the 2022-23 academic year.
The OSUN Human Rights & the Arts Center at Bard College invites applications for micro-grants to students pursuing campus- and community-based initiatives in human rights and the arts. The goal of this grant program is to support students at OSUN institutions who seek to create or extend projects in human rights and social justice, particularly those with an artistic dimension, that are based in the institution or the community (or beyond).
Eligibility
Any currently-enrolled undergraduate or graduate student in any of the partner institutions of the Open Society University Network (OSUN) are eligible to apply.
Projects that are incorporated into class curriculum or involve all of the students in a particular class are eligible for support.
Projects that strengthen connections across OSUN institutions are encouraged but not required.
Grants Details
Applicants will be notified of selection committee decisions by December 15, 2021.
Successful applicants for the Spring-Summer 2022 cycle will receive up to a $1,000 stipend in support. These funds can be used to cover relevant purchases and other expenses in pursuit of a student-led initiative. All expenses must be pre-approved through the application process (or subsequently amended) and executed between January 30 and August 30, 2022.
Awards to projects with high material expenses will be issued as a form of advanced payment to cover the project expenses. Awards to projects with little or no material expenses will be issued as a stipend. Please note that stipends may be considered taxable income and will be the award recipient’s responsibility to declare appropriately.
All grant recipients will be required to write a brief grant report and the end of their project, which will include a narrative description of the project outcomes and a final expenditures report.
Direct questions should be sent to chra@opensocietyuniversitynetwork.org.
Application Procedure
Eligible students interested in applying should submit the following materials via this 2022 CHRA Student Led Initiative Microgrant Application portal no later than 11:59 PM EST on November 19, 2021. Please include your full name, program/department and institutional affiliation, the administrative point-person at your institutions, faculty advisor, and project title in the header of uploaded material.
- Initiative Summary (250-word limit): This abstract should explain the objective, outputs, and significance of your initiative.
- Proposal Narrative (250-word limit): This narrative should detail the specific components of your initiative that you are applying to receive funding for and what the expected outputs (if any) are.
- Budget Expenses and Justifications (1-page limit): Please divide this budget by location of expenses, and type of activity therein (e.g., airfare, lodging, meals, access fees, etc.).
Expectations
- Understand that award payment can take up to six weeks after the award letter is issued to be fully processed. The project activities should be proposed with that timeline in mind.
- Adhere to the proposed budget submitted with their grant application.
- Adhere to OSUN policies related to research-related purchases and other expenses.
- Submit an interim report narrative and expenditures sheet via the requisite google form by May 1, 2022, accounting for the use of the grant award and summarizing the outputs that may have resulted.
- Submit a final report narrative and expenditures sheet via the requisite google form by August 30, 2022, accounting for the use of the grant award and summarizing the outputs that may have resulted.
