The Humanities Center is excited to announce Incubator Grant opportunities for Carleton faculty intrigued by the possibility of proposing a Faculty Research Seminar (FRS).

These grants are intended to encourage interdisciplinary discussion of humanistic topics and to foster interdepartmental collaborations across campus. With these grants, the HC hopes to create low-stakes opportunities for faculty to explore humanistic areas of mutual interest that might evolve into proposals to direct our year-long FRS in the future.

The HC will award up to three Incubator Grants of up to $500 apiece this term. The application deadline is mid-term break. Please read on for details.

Meetings: Groups should meet at least three times over the rest of the academic year to discuss their topic however they see fit. The HC will make available $100 per group member (up to a maximum of $500 per group) to support these sessions. The funds can be used to purchase reading materials or supplies, to visit cultural sites, to buy snacks or meals, or for anything else that supports or advances the goals of the group.

Composition: Each self-selecting group should consist of at least three members and must be interdisciplinary. Faculty from all disciplines are welcome! No more than two group members should come from the same department or program. Each group should have one point person, who submits the proposal and would be responsible for organizing the meetings and submitting a very brief report.

Proposals: While the composition of each group may involve faculty from any area of the curriculum, proposals must have a humanistic focus. As with FRS proposals, Incubator Grant proposals, which need not be longer than 2-3 paragraphs, should be sent to the Humanities Center Director.

There are no required deliverables other than the following:

  • A brief (one paragraph) summary of the meetings.
  • A meeting with the HC director after the meetings have taken place to discuss the process and possible next steps (which might include applying for a second round of funding, applying to lead the annual FRS, seeking external grant sources, contemplating a joint publication, organizing a symposium, or other possible directions).