Competition deadlines are November 1 (Phase 1) and June 15 (Phase 2) or the first working day thereafter. The application must be received by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the deadline. E-mail your application to the HRI (hri@brocku.ca). Only electronic applications will be accepted.
The HRI 5×5 Incubator Grants are intended to foster collaborative transdisciplinary research and creative activity within and beyond Brock’s Faculty of Humanities. The grants will bring together diverse faculty to explore big issues, including (but not restricted to) sustainability, health and wellbeing, climate and environment, and human rights.
These collaborations may lead to further exploration of a research area through new research and creative projects, such as symposia, conferences, exhibits, performances, publications, or external grant applications.
The goals of the 5×5 Incubator Grants are to:
- Facilitate collaborative scholarship in the Humanities;
- Encourage transdisciplinary research beyond the Faculty of Humanities;
- Support innovative, high-risk, high-reward (HRHR) research led by Humanities faculty.
The HRI will fund a maximum of five 5×5 Incubator Grants (Phase 1) and a maximum of five 5×5 Incubator Grants (Phase 2) per year.
Phase 1 ($500 per group)
Any HRI faculty associate can propose a research group on any topic. Each 5×5 group must have five members, and will normally include at least three tenured or tenure track faculty, and at least one researcher from outside the Faculty of Humanities. Groups can also include sessional instructors, librarians, curators, archivists, post-doctoral scholars, and other university scholars. No more than two participants should come from the same department/discipline. (Please note that 5×5 is not open to graduate students.)
The group’s lead faculty member will apply to the HRI for the grant. The group will meet five times over the course of two terms. The group will decide what they will do at each meeting – this could include discussing current events and issues, sharing recent scholarship, reading and discussing a specific book or selection of articles, or engaging in and reflecting on a cultural activity together.
Bringing in a graduate student whose research relates to the topic is up to the discretion of the group, but we encourage the group to instead hire graduate students as RAs should the project continue onto the next phase so their participation is adequately remunerated.
At the end of five meetings, the group lead will submit a report to the Director of the HRI. This report will include summaries of each meeting and the group’s next steps. If the group determines that there are no research opportunities for them as a group, they may decide to end the group.
After submission of the final report, the lead organizer will receive $500 to compensate for any expenses the group has incurred (e.g. meals, cultural activities, etc.).
Groups wishing to continue their work may choose to apply for a Phase 2 grant.
Phase 2 ($1000 per group)
Group members who wish to develop their collaboration into a research project may apply for a second round of funding. This $1,000 seed grant can help support
- An academic conference, symposium, or discussion panel;
- An exhibition, performance, or public event;
- A group publication;
- A Tri-Agency or other external grant application for further research.
These funds will be distributed to the group lead on June 30 for immediate use.
Notes
- Graduate students cannot be group members, but they may be hired to work on the project.
- Incubator team members need to be Brock faculty or staff. Projects that arise out of the incubator may include whoever is relevant, such as faculty from other institutions, community members, etc.
- To encourage exploration of ideas in a low-stakes environment, there are no defined outcomes or parameters for discussion, aside from the final summary on the discussions. Meetings may include discussion of current events and issues, recent scholarship, cultural activities, reading groups.
- If this incubator leads to further grant applications, members are still eligible to apply for additional HRI funding.
September: Call for participants is circulated to HRI members.
November 1 (or first business day after): Online applications are due. Submissions are adjudicated by the HRI advisory board and groups are notified by November 15.
November to May: Groups meet at least five times on their own schedule.
June 15 (or first business day after): Final report is due to the HRI Director; Phase 2 online application (if applicable) is due .
June 30: Payment is received by the lead organizer.
- Diversity of group members (areas of research, career stages, racialized or marginalized communities)
- Topic of discussion and its connection to larger themes/big issues
- Applications for round two funding will also take into consideration
- the report provided by the lead after round one
- the project’s opportunity to involve stakeholders at Brock and beyond (e.g. hiring grad students, working with community groups, involving researchers from other universities, etc.)