Initial Call for Proposals--University of Chicago Center in Delhi

On behalf of the Faculty Steering Committee of the University of Chicago Center in Delhi, I am pleased to invite the initial round of proposals for programs and academic events at the Center in Delhi.  The Center hopes to expand opportunities for collaboration with Indian universities, research institutes, and cultural organizations, to serve as a focal point for engaging alumni in India and South Asia, and to contribute to cooperation among the several international centers of the University.

The Center in Delhi will entertain faculty proposals for activities organized around three broad and intersecting areas of scholarship, recognizing that some activities will straddle these thematic areas:

• Business, Economics, Law, and Policy
• Culture, Society, Religion, and the Arts
• Science, Energy, Medicine, and Public Health

We welcome the submission of innovative ideas and proposals that will help foster global initiatives and facilitate collaboration with scholars and institutions in India and throughout the region of South Asia. The Center hopes to promote the travel of ideas, scholars, and students in both directions between Chicago and South Asia.  Proposals that include more than one area of scholarship are encouraged.

A limited budget is available for feasible projects starting during the remainder of the current academic year.  The Center is scheduled to have its official opening on March 28, 2014.  Proposals for activitiesbeginning in the current academic year should be submitted by January 31, 2014.  For projects beginning in the 2014–2015 academic year, a further call for proposals will be issued in the spring, but preliminary proposals are welcome at any time.  Support will available for activities such as these:

• Conferences and workshops to promote the sharing of ideas among scholars and researchers, policy makers, and industry leaders from India, the United States, and beyond, including especially planning and brainstorming workshops to facilitate the development of NIH, NSF, or other grant proposals for collaborative international projects.
• Lectures and events, including arts programs, to engage scholars, alumni, and the public.
• Professional development programs for faculty and for  professionals, government officials, and practitioners in India and the region of South Asia.
• Workshops in Delhi or in Chicago aimed at encouraging the work of recent graduates and young scholars in India.
• Collaborative projects involving data collection or data analysis related to India and the region of South Asia, including comparative research with other parts of the world.
• Residencies, fellowships, and post-doctoral exchanges for faculty and graduate students conducting research in India or at the University of Chicago. Graduate and undergraduate student proposal should include proof of endorsement from a faculty member. We especially encourage programs or initiatives that involve both faculty and students.

The Center in Delhi also welcomes faculty and student initiatives that require no Center funding but for which the Center can provide logistical and staff support.

Information about past and upcoming activities at the Center can be found at http://www.uchicago.in.

For subsequent years we envision the distribution of amounts varying from several thousand dollars to cover international travel and lodging for a faculty resident fellow to USD 30,000 for major conferences. For conferences, cost sharing with in-country partners and local collaborating institutions is generally expected.  Conference proposals should include discussion of the potential for future collaboration.

Proposals should be sponsored by at least one person holding a current academic appointment at the University of Chicago.  Each proposal or letter of intent should include the names and affiliations of the main organizers and participants (from the University and other institutions); discussion of aims, significance, and rationale (no more than 4 pages); preferred timing; and preliminary budget (guidelines for conference proposals and budgeting can be obtained upon request from delhicenter@uchicago.edu).  Once projects have been approved and funded, staff at the Center in Delhi will provide planning and logistical support.

The Center in Delhi

Located near New Delhi's vibrant Connaught Place, the Center in Delhi offers an intellectual destination for University of Chicago faculty, research staff, and students to engage in a broad spectrum of intellectual activities across the disciplines.  Its 17,500 square feet of space includes office space for visiting faculty and students, state of the art classroom, meeting, and lecture rooms in a range of sizes, exhibition space, and convivial areas for informal meetings.

Staff based at the Center are available to facilitate conferences, workshops, and other activities at the Center and to provide support for faculty and others conducting work in India. In addition to theactivities outlined above, the Center in Delhi is also available to faculty and members of the University community traveling in India.  If you will be in South Asia and wish to visit the Center, participate in lectures or other programs, or otherwise make use of the Center, please contact the Center staff at delhicenter@uchicago.edu.

The Faculty Steering Committee overseeing the academic programs of the Center consists of ten members of the University of Chicago faculty drawn from across the spectrum of disciplines, divisions, and schools. See the website at http://uchicago.in for further details on faculty members associated with the activities of the Center.

Yours,
Gary Tubb.