The Commons announces interdisciplinary Starter Grants

LAWRENCE –The Commons will offer Starter Grants, funded through the Office of Research, for interdisciplinary research projects in Spring 2015. Starter Grants are available for collaborative teams, which may apply for up to $10,000 each to initiate their proposed studies. The deadline to apply is April 17.

Starter Grants will fund interdisciplinary projects in the initial stages of development. They are intended to provide intellectual freedom and space for testing and growing innovative ideas into mature research and creative propositions. Starter Grants support collaborators from across the arts, sciences and humanities as they work to find a common language and methodological approach. These grants take into consideration projects with potential to develop into proposals for Research Investment Council (RIC) awards.

This round of Starter Grant funding features a redesigned application process that gives applicants an opportunity to present their ideas to colleagues. Through this new component, researchers may strengthen their projects by incorporating feedback from diverse perspectives and learning about additional collaborative possibilities. As in the past, applicants will be expected to forecast potential outcomes for the research, with specific attention to future funding opportunities.

By supporting the preliminary steps of truly integrated research, this funding opportunity complements the efforts of The Commons to further interdisciplinary research and learning. In addition, Red Hot Research sessions provide an opportunity for faculty to learn about one another’s current work via six-minute slideshow presentations. Idea Cafés bring together scholars from many disciplines around a central theme to be questioned and explored as a group. Many other speakers and events round out the interdisciplinary programming of The Commons.

The Call for Proposals is available on The Commons’ website. Contact thecommons@ku.edu for more information.