Global Studies invites faculty proposals for research initiatives under the umbrella theme of “Human Networks in a Global World.” Grants ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 will be awarded to initiate new projects or to build upon existing ones. Projects may address a range of topics such as environment, education, culture, media, labor, public policy, health, or human rights, to name a few. We are especially interested in research that takes stock of and analyzes intellectual, social, and institutional alliances and associations that characterize and create a globally connected yet diverse world. Research funded under this initiative should contribute to Global Studies during the first half of the 2009 calendar year, and all funds must be spent prior to August 31, 2009. Global Studies furthermore seeks to identify projects that might be eligible for ongoing support as part of our next round of Title VI funding (2010-2014).
Our theme of “Human Networks” addresses two important dimensions of Global Studies. First, we emphasize the constantly changing connections that are shaped by communities, groups, and individuals. These human networks operate within and also expand beyond nation-state and traditional regional boundaries. They reflect central, often competing, understandings of collective well-being and human security, and they find expression in such varied forms as the arts, sciences, and humanities, as well as in business, popular culture, and schools and universities. Questions of networks therefore emerge at numerous locations. Accordingly, this call will support micro as well as macro analyses of historical and contemporary trends, institutions, and processes.
The second dimension of our theme clarifies the notion of human networks. Human security and global sustainability are integrally related. Likewise, human security, human development, and human cultural and capital networks are fundamentally entwined. From this perspective the study of human networks engages issues and analytic paradigms that transcend professional and disciplinary borders. This call will support proposals that advance a more critically informed framework for understanding how human networks respond to and shape global conditions and geopolitical realities.
As a complement to the area studies programs of the UW-Madison International Institute, Global Studies focuses on phenomena that exceed the boundaries of national and area studies models of research. Thus we invite applications from scholars who are engaged with growing research literatures on global connections and conditions. Applicants may propose a variety of activities, including lectures, workshops, conferences, speaker series, cultural activities, campus visitors, and field research. Requests that leverage other sources of funding or are intended to lead to broader projects are encouraged. Awards will be administered through Global Studies to pay for specific items along the lines listed above. This call is open to UW-Madison faculty at the assistant, associate, and full professor level in any department or college. Interdisciplinary and cross-departmental proposals are encouraged. Awards may not be used for capital expenses, entertainment, graduate assistantships, or student travel. Any international travel must be approved by the US Department of Education.