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Minnesota Futures Grant Program

Symposium Grant 2009-10 Winners announced:

Symposium Grant 2009-10 Call for Proposals

Due date for application: May 29, 2009
Tentative award date: June 2009
Tentative project start date: not before July 2009
Tentative symposium date: September 2009-January 2010
Project completion: April 2010

General eligibility: All faculty members and others otherwise eligible to serve as principal investigators, per the Board of Regents policy Submitting and Accepting Sponsored Projects:
http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/administrative/Submit-Accept_Projects.html.

Program Description
Successful interdisciplinary efforts require more than great ideas. They require time and attention to foster the cooperative spirit and engage in exploration of the research question. Collaboration often starts by bringing colleagues together for an exchange of ideas, continues through participation in active discussion, and culminates in the development of research projects and proposals.

Besides the extra coordination inherent in any collaboration, interdisciplinary initiatives often face additional barriers related to different research traditions, disciplinary specialization, and divergent disciplinary cultures. These barriers must be surmounted to facilitate progress. Effective communication among individuals who work in different professional worlds is a matter not just of effort, but also of intensity and depth.

To accelerate this process and facilitate interaction and communication, the Minnesota Futures model will bring together individuals from diverse disciplines to explore a single topic of interest to all. Out of an intensive period of engaged learning and discussion comes new perspectives and directions to challenge the routine and established methods of inquiry.

Minnesota Futures Symposium is a call to propose an interdisciplinary symposium around a topic of current research significance identified by the investigator(s). The symposium should involve scholars from diverse disciplines. The design and format of the symposium should encourage communication and discussion that formulates new research questions or promotes new ways to address existing research questions.

Proposal Narrative
The Proposal Narrative should include the following:

• Description of the topic of the symposium
• Multiple disciplines that will be included and the contribution expected from that particular discipline or field
• Scholars from each of the disciplines that would be invited and the particular knowledge they are expected to contribute
• Other experts or individuals that might be necessary to lead or facilitate the symposium, and why their expertise is needed
• Why the team designing the symposium is uniquely qualified to undertake this topic
• Explanation of the significance of the preliminary research topic relative to the potential for future interdisciplinary funding
• Organizational details, such as any pre-symposium work that might be required; a plan to sustain promising discussions for a short period of time while proposals are being developed for the Research Grant or other funding opportunities; and a timeline for the design and target date(s) of the symposium

Other Requirements

• The principal investigator(s) must be from the University of Minnesota, but participation by members of interested communities and organizations outside the University, including other institutions of higher education, is strongly encouraged.
• The time line for organizing a high quality, well attended symposium should be ambitious, but attainable. Symposia are expected to be open events, not invitation only, designed to attract engaged discussion by a large number of researchers from diverse disciplines.
• The symposium should be held in time to meet the proposed funding dates and other milestones for the Research Grant or other funding opportunities as listed below.
• Evidence of interest and willingness to participate by key presenters at the symposium should be part of the Symposium Grant proposal package.
• Evidence of interest from non-traditional fields for collaboration from within the University of Minnesota or other universities or community partners.

Selection Criteria
Symposium Grant proposals will be evaluated by peer review using the following criteria:

• The significance of the symposium theme;
• The opportunity for interdisciplinary participation;
• The breadth of disciplines and communities involved;
• Originality and impact of the idea;
• The quality of proposed symposium (for example: speakers, format); and
• The potential for future funding opportunities.

Budget Information
Allowable expenses up to $25,000 for the symposium include costs for space, faculty salaries (with justification), staff support to arrange for meetings and prepare materials, web, teleconference and other costs of ongoing communication, support for graduate assistants, honoraria for speakers, and travel expenses. General use equipment or supplies including computers, books, and subscriptions are not allowable.

Application
The application must include:

1. The Cover Page (download template)
2. The proposal narrative (not to exceed six pages)
3. A single page budget (use of EGMS budget prep is encouraged)
   • No indirect costs will be paid
   • Support from other sources, if any, must be disclosed and explained in the budget
4. Supporting letters or emails to meet “other requirements” above
5. Bio-sketches of key collaborators (two pages each)
6. Completed Proposal Routing Form:
   Insert OVPR as sponsor name in item number 1
   Choose "electronic" for item 5, enter sunde005@umn.edu and insert the following in the Instructions for Electronic Proposal box:
   
   ATTN: Peggy Sundermeyer
   Minnesota Futures Grant Program
   Vice President for Research
   420 Johnston Hall

Submission Process
Please send your proposal (items 1 – 5 above) as a single PDF document, via e-mail using MN Futures Grant in the Subject line to Peggy Sundermeyer, sunde005@umn.edu, due date May 29, 2009. The PRF should be routed electronically to Sponsored Projects Administration where it will be forwarded to OVPR, Collaborative Research Services.

Questions?
Contact Peggy Sundermeyer at sunde005@umn.edu or 612-626-7850.

Symposium Grant Timeline

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