The Center for Innovation in Social Science and the Associate Dean of the Faculty for the Social Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences invite Boston University faculty to apply for small grants to support book proposal/manuscript “incubator” workshops. These workshops provide faculty an opportunity to receive feedback on their book proposal or manuscript draft through a day-long or half-day meeting in which key readers gather to provide guidance and suggestions. The Center anticipates awarding up to four grants of up to $1,000 each for a virtual or in-person book workshop held between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
Eligibility: All faculty and full-time lecturers in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and CISS faculty affiliates from any unit are eligible to apply for a small grant. Priority will be given to associate professors.
To apply, visit our application page.
Informational Session: CISS will hold a Zoom informational session on Thursday January 25, 2024, from 1-2 pm.
Funding Guidelines: Funding covers the costs of a day-long or half-day book proposal/manuscript workshop with up to three guest discussants. Funds may be used for discussant honoraria, paying a note-taker, travel, refreshments, and other reasonable expenses. CISS will offer logistical support and space, as needed. Honoraria amounts for readers of complete manuscripts should be more substantial than those for readers of proposals only.
Required Proposal Components:
The application should include:
- A summary of the book project (no more than three pages), which describes the manuscript goals, potential scholarly contributions, and intended audiences. The summary also should describe the status of the project (e.g., book proposal in progress, completed manuscript under revision). Please also provide a brief (2-3 sentence) rationale for why you are seeking funds specifically from CISS, and how your work contributes to the social sciences.
- The proposed slate of participants
- Budget, timeline, and workshop objectives
- CV
Applications should be uploaded to this link.
Review Process: Applications will be reviewed by members of the Area Dean of the Faculty for Social Sciences and the Center Director. Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of fit with CISS priorities, the potential impact of the manuscript, and scheduling considerations. Applications should be submitted to ciss@bu.edu no later than February 15, 2024. Applicants will be notified of outcomes no later than March 15, 2024.
Please direct questions to Deborah Carr, Center Director (carrds@bu.edu) or Arianne Chernock, Associate Dean of the Faculty for the Social Sciences (chernock@bu.edu).
Outcomes: Grantees must provide a one-page report no later than 90 days after the event has concluded. This report should include attendees, outcomes, what worked well, and what could have been done differently (to inform the longer-term program if the pilot proves successful). Grantees also must provide the Center with an update upon the book’s publication.