Workshop, Symposia, and Conference Grants
Eligibility
Award Amount
Deadline
Feb 8, 2027
Eligible Project Types
We seek to fund projects that draw upon multiple intellectual traditions and/or interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary fields in order to develop more robust and nuanced understandings of topics than are possible within traditional disciplinary vocabularies, categories, and self-descriptions. Though proposals should demonstrate emphasis on the humanities, special consideration will be given to projects that engage the arts, social sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and other fields of study.
Workshop, Symposia and Conference Grants support skill-building, research development and/or dissemination events hosted at UC Riverside. Though ranging in scale and audience, these events bring a variety of UC, national and international scholars/artists together at UC Riverside (in person or online) for one or more days to learn, share research and explore topics of mutual interest in an interdisciplinary environment.
Applicants may submit one proposal per annual cycle. More than one proposal in the same cycle will not be considered.
Workshops: Public or campus-facing learning experiences that teach skills and develop understanding and/or application of new knowledge.
Symposia: Smaller scale, public or campus-facing research presentations, typically with 1-2 panels of interlocutors. May also include a keynote speaker.
Conferences: Larger scale, public facing research presentations, typically over 2 days, and featuring keynote speakers and 3 or more panel presentations. May also include receptions, formal dinners or performances in the conference theme.
Application Preview & Proposal Guidance
The application form is organized into distinct sections, and you will need to complete all required fields and upload supporting documents. We suggest that you prepare your proposal content beforehand and copy/paste it into the form.
Applicant & Project Information
You will need to provide:
- Your email address
- Your name and role (PI or Convener)
- Your home department at CHASS
- Your Co-PIs, collaborators, or co-organizers (names, departments, and email addresses)
- The Project Title and Project Type (Workshop, Symposium, or Conference)
- A Project Abstract
Project Proposal
- Research Framework: Describe how your proposal is grounded in the humanities and incorporates interdisciplinary collaboration
- Project Impact: Detail the project’s expected impact on research, teaching, and community relations
- Description of Activity: Provide a detailed description of the proposed activities, including a schedule, format, and information on participants and audience
Supporting Documents & Budget
This final section is for uploading required documents and providing detailed budget information.
- PI CV: You must upload a 2-page version of your CV
- Collaborator CVs: You can also upload 2-page CVs for any collaborators
- Bibliography: Option to upload a bibliography (limit 2 pages)
- Budget Details: Provide a detailed explanation of how the requested funds will be allocated and the necessity of those expenses (See ‘Budget Narratives’)
- Funding Information: You will be asked about any other funding (committed or tentative) available to support this project
Review Criteria
Research Framework
- The extent to which the project is grounded in the humanities and incorporates interdisciplinary collaboration
- The importance of the questions, problems, themes and/or issues that the project seeks to address
- The extent to which the project has appropriately taken account of existing research and scholarship and the appropriateness, effectiveness, and feasibility of the proposed approach or research methods
- Potential of the project to inspire or lay groundwork for future research, programs, grants, or community relationships
Description of Activities
- The use of formats and venues that are open and accessible to campus and community audiences
- The capacity of the proposed format to enhance or develop insights into these themes or issues and the feasibility of timelines and/or milestones
- The suitability of proposed participants to complete or significantly advance the project given their experience and the project’s themes and/or issues
- The inclusion of diverse voices and disciplinary/interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary perspectives
Budget Narratives
Detailed budget information is required in the application. In the Budget Narrative section, provide estimates for each expected expenditure and a brief description of the category.
Sample Narrative: “The workshop budget requests funding to support s public bookmaking workshop. Cost estimates include: Travel for two guest presenters (hotel, and ground transportation of $450 each = $900); Catered lunch ($250); Honorarium for one guest presenter ($350). Total requested = $1500.”
Expense Estimates Resource – Helpful guidance on building project estimates
Refer to the ‘Award Terms & Guidelines’ for additional information on allowable expenses.
Award Terms & Guidelines
Final awards are based on available funding. To support as many projects as possible, projects may be offered an award for less than requested. Lower awards do not reflect on the quality or importance of the work being conducted. Awardees are encouraged to leverage this award in seeking matching campus contributions.
Participant payments
- Participant payment amounts: minimum $200 – maximum $500
- UCR faculty are eligible for research awards for presentations at conferences or on symposia panels hosted at UC Riverside.
- Faculty from other UC campuses may receive research awards, to be transferred to their home departments
- Faculty from other institutions and guest presenters may be paid honoraria.
- UCR graduate students may receive financial aid stipends for presentations or panel moderation.
- See Expense Estimates Resource – for more details on participant payments
General Guidelines
- All events funded by the Center are free and open to the public.
- All project transactions and processes must adhere to applicable/relevant UC, UCR, and Center policies.
- Expenses must be incurred within the award period and unexpended funds are surrendered at the end of that period.
- Extensions of the grant timeframe are rare but may be requested in writing to the Center executive director.
- Major purchases of non-expendable equipment, course buy-outs, faculty stipends, GSR/student tuition or fees, staffing, alcohol, and personal conference travel are not covered by this award.
- Reusable supplies and equipment purchased with these funds remain the property of the Center.
- Expenditures must be within the categories listed in the proposal budget.
- Written permission is required for budget adjustments or changes to the project scope prior to spending funds.
- CIS awards do not support meetings or annual conferences of professional societies or organizations with paid memberships.
- Proposals that involve personal interviews or experiments with human subjects must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board first. Proposals should indicate if IRB approval has been granted and the protocol number. Funds are released only after approval is obtained.
- Administrative and event support may be provided by the Center for Ideas and Society as staffing capacity permits. Where feasible, projects are invited to make use of the Center’s facilities in College Building North.
Reports
After your event, we will request a final narrative report that assesses the outcomes (both planned and unexpected) and compares the project as proposed with the project as experienced. What progress was made toward your stated goals? What questions were uncovered or resolved? What challenges did you face? What new areas of research and collaboration were opened? Reports should include a list of participants, audiences reached, and impact on students, classes, teaching, publications, community service, and other methods of research engagement and service.
Acknowledgements and Publicity
Events funded by the center should be posted on the UCR Events Calendar, with the Center for Ideas and Society tagged under ‘Groups’ in the event set up form. The Event Description and flyers should also acknowledge the sponsorship provided. In papers, conference presentations, or other methods of sharing the results of your project, please acknowledge the support of the UC Riverside Center for Ideas and Society.
By accepting the award, you acknowledge that we may share your name, conference title, and/or portions of your narrative report on our website or other reports and promotional materials. This serves our mission by sharing the research of our college with the wider public and helps us emphasize the importance and relevance of humanities-focused projects.
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