CSCC Faculty-Student Collaborative Project Grant (Max. 2,000 USD)

Submission Deadline: February 21, 2025
Award Notification Date: within six weeks

Program Description:

The CSCC Faculty-Student Collaborative Project Grant aims to support faculty-student research teams at DKU, fostering meaningful mentor-mentee relationships and collaborations that contribute to the advancement of contemporary China studies. This grant provides funding of up to 2,000USD for projects that demonstrate potential for significant learning experiences for students while aligning with the CSCC’s mission. Faculty members are required to submit the proposals on behalf of the collaborative team. Approximately 7 awards are granted annually. The project duration should not exceed two years from the submission deadline.

Eligibility:

• Faculty 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.
• Student participants must be enrolled at DKU during the grant period.
• Faculty members are ineligible for this grant if they have received the award for two 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 in one PDF file.

• 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 of faculty member(s) (Not to exceed three pages).
• Resume(s) of student(s) involved in the project (Not to exceed two pages each).
• Submit all required components as one PDF file.

Evaluation Criteria:

Each proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Fitness and Importance
  • Does the research generally fit with the CSCC’s mission?
  • Is the research question important and relevant to contemporary China studies?
• Educational and Long-Term Impact
  • Will the research experience provide significant learning benefits for the student(s)?
  • Are there potential long-term and/or career goals for the student(s) resulting from this project?
  • Is there potential for impacts within the DKU community and beyond?
• Student and Mentor Preparedness
  • Do the student(s) demonstrate adequate academic preparation for the proposed work and show potential for success?
  • Does the faculty mentor have the capacity to provide quality mentoring support and a conducive research environment for the student(s)?
• Project Design and Feasibility
  • Can the student-mentor team complete the research project within the allotted time?
  • Is the project methodologically sound?
  • Is the proposal well-written, demonstrating clarity and depth of ideas?
• Well-Justified Budget
  • Does the study represent value for money?
  • Are the costs realistic and reasonable? If not, what changes will you suggest?

Institutional Review Board Approval:

If selected and working with Human Subjects, awardees must obtain an approval to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the acceptance of the grant to be completed. Consult with your mentor.

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.

Final Project Report Requirements:

Each grant recipient is required to submit a final project report. This report 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 final project report must be submitted by the stated deadline and should provide a comprehensive overview of the project’s results and achievements.

Using CSCC Grant for Sponsor Student Traveling to A Conference: 

CSCC supports students attending conferences, but the funding threshold needs to be appropriate to ensure effective resource allocation. Students may be sponsored for conference attendance under the following circumstances:

• Conference within China or Asia with a small budget (e.g., <$500).
• The student has made a substantial contribution to the conference, either as a co-author of a research presentation or as the primary presenter.

For international conferences, each case will be dealt with individually. In such cases, the faculty member or the student must articulate the reasons why additional funding is needed.

It’s important to consider liability issues associated with conference travels. Therefore, consultation with the student affairs office may be necessary before finalizing the sponsorship decision.

Important Dates:

Submission Deadline: the third Friday of February

Award Notification Date: within six weeks

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-Student Collaborative Projects