CSCC Faculty Research & Creative Activity Grant (Max. 5,000 USD)

Submission Deadline: November 1, 2024
Award Notification Date: within six weeks

Program Description:

This program provides funding support for any full-time DKU faculty to engage in projects on contemporary China that will significantly advance their professional development and field of research, scholarly or creative work. The CSCC Faculty Grant Review Committee reviews proposals and makes funding recommendations to the DKU Co-Director. Approximately 7 awards are granted annually. The project duration should not exceed two years.

General Guidelines:

Applicants should not assume reviewers are familiar with the details of their scholarly work and must offer sufficient background information to assist the reviewers. Avoid using technical jargon.

Additionally, CSCC Faculty Research & Creative Activities Grant applicants must indicate if the activity can be accomplished within two years. If not, they must demonstrate that other support is available to sustain the continuation of the work over the necessary timeframe.

Preference will be given to projects with a tangible plan to apply for larger external research funds.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must be employed full-time by DKU for the current academic year and have a contract (or formal agreement of full employment with the university) for the two academic years following the grant period.
• Priority will be given to high-quality applications from faculty who have not received the award in the previous two-year period.
• Faculty may not receive this grant in consecutive years.
• Faculty may not receive more than 7,000 USD in research grant support in total within one academic year, combining CSCC Faculty Research & Creative Activity Grant, Faculty-Student Collaborative Research Grant, and Faculty Research Product Workshop Grant.
• Priority will be given to projects where applicants do not have existing funding support from other sources. If applicants have or are actively applying for other support, they must mention this in their proposal.

Application Materials: Proposals must include the following components:

• Proposal Narrative (Not to exceed three pages, single-spaced)
• Project timeline, budget, and, where appropriate, bibliography (Not to exceed two pages, single-spaced).
• Current Curriculum Vitae (Not to exceed three pages).
• Submit all required components as one PDF file.

Evaluation Criteria:

Each proposal will be evaluated by the CSCC Faculty Grant Review Committee based on the following categories:

• Fitness and Impact
  • Is the proposal a good fit with the CSCC’s mission?
  • Does the proposal have potential for impacts? If so, how much?
• Originality
  • Is the proposed study innovative (incrementally) in concept, theoretical framework, research questions, methods, or implications?
• Design
  • Is the study methodologically sound?
• Capacity and Track Records
  • Does the PI possess the necessary range of expertise and experience to successfully carry out the proposed study?
• Value for Money
  • Does the study represent value for money?
  • Are the costs realistic and reasonable? If not, what changes will you suggest?
• Potential for Larger Grants
  • If funded and successfully completed, does the study have high likelihood of receiving larger external grant support?

Institutional Review Board Approval:

• If working with Human Subjects, grant recipients must obtain an approval to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the acceptance of the grant to be completed.

Acknowledgement:

• All publications, conference posters or presentations, or other means of dissemination resulting from work supported by a CSCC research grant should acknowledge funding from the Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Duke Kunshan University.

Mid-Project Report and Final Project Report Requirements:

Each grant recipient is required to submit a mid-project report and a final project report. Both reports should be no more than 2 pages long (single-spaced) and detail the progress and outcomes of the project within the specified time frame. The mid-project report should be submitted by the designated deadline, showing the work’s status at that point. The final project report must be submitted by the stated deadline and should provide a comprehensive overview of the project’s results and achievements.

Important Dates:

Submission Deadline: November 1, 2024

Award Notification Date: within six weeks

Mid-Project Report Deadline: A year from the award notification date

Final Project Report Deadline: Two years from the award notification date

Fund Closing Date: Two years from the award notification date

Spending Authorization Approval Request:

All spending authorization approval requests must include the following:

1. Final Project Budget:
   o Attach the final project budget that was submitted during the grant application process and based on which the grant was awarded.
2. Supporting Documentation:
   o Provide supporting documents that clearly demonstrate the alignment between the proposed spending and the objectives of the awarded project. This documentation may include, but is not limited to, invoices, quotations, and detailed descriptions of the expenses.

Please ensure that all required documents are complete and accurate to facilitate the approval process.

CSCC Grant Budget Modification Policy:

Grantees are allowed to modify up to 10% of the total grant award for expenses not originally outlined in the approved budget. Requests for modifications exceeding this limit, due to extraordinary circumstances, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To request a budget modification, grantees must submit an updated budget and a rationale for the changes, which will be reviewed by the CSCC co-director for approval.

All grant proposals and inquiries should be sent to Chi Zhang, the program coordinator for the Center for the Studies of Contemporary China.

List of CSCC Research Grant for Faculty Research & Creative Activity Projects