Welcome to the Humanities Initiative

In an effort to build community and foster interdisciplinary exchange on topics with a humanistic focus at New York University, the Humanities Initiative sponsors the Humanities Initiative Working Research Groups grants. The Initiative envisions a Working Research Group (WRG) as bringing together NYU faculty and graduate students in a carefully planned series of meetings on a focused topic in the humanities where interdisciplinary approaches are likely to be particularly fruitful. The Initiative expects that the work achieved by the WGRs will generate new curricular offerings, publications, conferences, or collaborative faculty projects.

Eligibility
All full-time faculty in all schools of the University are eligible to apply, and are encouraged to involve colleagues and graduate students in their own and other disciplines in the planning and implementation of the proposed WRG.

Participants
The Initiative requests that each WRG have co-directors drawn from at least two distinct disciplinary areas, departments, or schools at NYU, which may include the sciences and the professional schools, but at least one co-director must be from the humanities. Although the core participants of the WRGs are expected to be members of the NYU community, participants from other area institutions are also welcome. WRGs are not intended to be lecture series. While meetings may be timed to take advantage of visits to NYU by distinguished scholars, reliance on invited outside speakers should be limited. The Initiative believes that active participation in a successful WRG will have many educational benefits for graduate students. Consequently, graduate students, including those from the professional schools, should be actively involved in each WGR and contribute at least a quarter of the WRGs presentations.

Term of funding
The Initiative recognizes the benefit of sustained work over an extended period of time. While proposals for one-year WRGs will be considered, those committed to two-year projects will be given priority. The maximum level of funding is $5,000 per year. The Initiative may, however, exceed these guidelines for projects that are deemed to have exceptional merit and a specific need for resources.

Reporting
The co-directors of each WRG are expected to send a brief written report to the Humanities Initiative at the end of each of the two years of the grant period, including a summary of activities and outcomes, and an accounting of all expenditures.

Criteria for selection

• Is the proposed topic presented in a clear, detailed, well-organized way, and does it adhere to the WRG guidelines?
• To what extent does the proposal demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach to the topic? Does it draw effectively on the expertise within NYU on the selected topic?
• To what degree and in what capacity will graduate students participate in the proposed WRG?
• How will the work of the group advance faculty and graduate student research in the humanities?
• Does the work of the group have the potential for making a significant impact within a department, school, or the humanities in general (for example, through curricular development, a conference, a publication, etc.)?
• Is the budget solid and reflective of real needs?
• Is the group likely to sustain a certain level of activity when it no longer receives funding?

Application format
Applications should contain the following materials:

1. Face sheet
   Each proposal must contain a face sheet listing all of the following:
   • Name of proposed WRG
   • Co-directors from two or more distinct disciplinary areas, departments, or schools
   • Co-directors’ contact information, including:
   • Full faculty titles (professor, associate professor, assistant professor, etc.)
   • School(s)
   • Departments
   • Office addresses, telephone and fax numbers
   • E-mail addresses
   • Number of years for which funding is requested (one or two)
2. Description of the topic of the proposed WRG
   The Initiative encourages concise descriptions (1,500 words or less) addressing the following:
   • Leading ideas and questions unifying the WRG
   • Statement of how the topic will bring together a broad community of scholars at NYU
3. Outline of proposed activities of the WRG over the course of its proposed duration
4. A list of core NYU participants, including graduate students, and their affiliations
   Where applicable, list participants from other institutions and indicate their affiliations.
5. Abbreviated curricula vitae
   In no more than five pages, each co-director should indicate his or her education and positions held, publications and major presentations, honors and awards.
6. Budget
   Itemize costs on one page. The budget may include some support for a work-study undergraduate to help with administrative/clerical tasks. For assistance with preparing the budget, consult your departmental budget administrator, your dean’s office, or your school’s office of funded research. A sample budget is included with the downloadable program Guidelines.
7. Letters of support from the co-directors’ dean(s)
   Please submit your request for a statement of support to the dean(s) of your school(s) well in advance of the application deadline.

Application deadline and submission
Working Research Group proposals are due no later than Monday, January 25, 2010, by close of business. Items 1-6 described above should be submitted electronically, as a single Microsoft Word (or compatible) document to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Deans should forward their letters (Item 7) separately, also to the e-mail address noted above. Scanned letters bearing the dean’s original signature are preferred, although simple e-mails from their NYU-issued address will also be accepted.

Notification
Applicants will be notified of the Initiative’s decision on or around March 8, 2010.

Further information
Questions regarding proposals are welcome and should be addressed to Asya Berger.