The Humanities Without Walls consortium invites applications for funding from cross-institutional teams of faculty and graduate students wishing to collaboratively pursue research topics related to “The Global Midwest.”

This initiative aims to reveal and rethink the Midwest as a major force in the formation of a global economy and culture—both now and in the past. Projects may focus directly on the Midwest or examine the ways locations far from the Midwest have shaped and continue to influence the region’s past, present, and future. Some projects may take the form of “applied humanities” research created through collaborations of artists, scholars in the humanities, and/or scientists (both social and natural); Others may follow more traditional forms of research, yet all studies must be conducted through cross-institutional collaboration. Successful proposals will advance innovative and experimental research and new pedagogical practices. The size of this consortium offers the opportunity to test ideas at scale if appropriate to a project’s goals. Teams are encouraged to consider the ways their various institutional resources—including special collections, archives, digital humanities resources, museums—can be utilized to best advance new knowledge. Potential audiences for Global Midwest studies include humanities scholars, policy-makers, government officials, social scientists, artists, and an enlightened public. The theme is intentionally abstract in order to allow scholars to help define this emerging area of study.

The Humanities Without Walls consortium aims to assemble a broad portfolio of projects that will illuminate various dimensions of the Global Midwest. We encourage teams of scholars to imagine their work as a contribution to a larger intellectual mosaic that will emerge as a result of this initiative. We thus seek to support a wide and varied range of projects and subject areas.

If you plan to submit a Global Midwest research proposal, please contact your Humanities Center Director [the Franke Institute, in this case, but please contact Courtney Guerra to initiate this discussion] to determine your university’s policies, if any, regarding proposals for external support. You should contact your center director no later than ten business days before the research proposal submission deadline. You may also need to inform your department chair and/or college dean. Finally, you will want to review the FAQ to verify that your proposal meets all grant-specific guidelines. 

Read full RFP with detailed eligibility requirements and application guidelines at http://www.humanitieswithoutwalls.illinois.edu/global-midwest-form.html

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found at http://www.humanitieswithoutwalls.illinois.edu/faq.html#GlobalMidwest

Application Deadline: October 30, 2014, 5:00 p.m. Central Time. 

Applications must be submitted online at https://my.atlas.illinois.edu/submit/go.asp?id=820. Applications must be submitted through the online application system. No paper or e-mailed applications (or letters of support) will be accepted.