UChicago Center in Beijing Programming Grants

On behalf of the faculty steering committee of the University of Chicago Center in Beijing, I am pleased to invite a new round of proposals for programs and academic events at the Center in Beijing.  In addition to being home for study-abroad programs and internships, the Center supports a range of activities organized around three broad and intersecting themes:  Business, Economics, and Policy; Culture, Society, and the Arts; and Science, Medicine, and Public Health (with recognition that some activities straddle these thematic areas).
We encourage the submission of innovative ideas/proposals that will help foster global initiatives and facilitate collaboration with scholars and institutions in China the East Asia region. 

For the 2014–15 academic year, support is available for activities such as the following:

·         Conferences and workshops to promote the sharing of ideas among scholars/researchers, policy makers, and industry leaders from China, the United States, and beyond; particularly welcome are planning and brainstorming workshops to facilitate the development of NIH, NSF, and/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 professionals, government officials, and practitioners in China and the region.

·         Residencies and fellowships for faculty and graduate students conducting research in China. Graduate and undergraduate student proposals should include proof of endorsement from a faculty member. We especially encourage programs or initiatives that involve both faculty and students.

The Center in Beijing also welcomes faculty and student initiatives that require no Center funding and can provide logistical and staff support.

Information about past and upcoming activities at the Center can be found at www.uchicago.cn. 

In the past three cycles award amounts have varied from several thousand dollars to cover international travel and lodging for a faculty resident fellow to US$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.

Proposal Format: Each proposal or letter of intent should include: names and affiliations of main organizers/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/budgeting can be obtained upon request from beijingcenter@uchicago.edu).

The proposal should be emailed to BeijingCenter@uchicago.edu in MS Word, by November 20, 2013, and Committee decisions about funding will be made at the end of the Fall Quarter or early in the Winter Quarter.  (Proposals submitted by the deadline will receive priority consideration, but the Center welcomes inquiries at any time of the year subject to fund availability.)  Once projects have been approved and funded, staff at the Center in Beijing will provide planning and logistical support.

--The Center in Beijing--

Located in the heart of Beijing’s University District, the Center in Beijing offers a home for University of Chicago faculty, research staff, and students to engage in a broad spectrum of intellectual activities across the disciplines.  Its 23,000 square feet of space includes office space for visiting faculty and students, state of the art classrooms and meeting rooms in a range of sizes, exhibition space, and convivial areas for informal meetings.  There are several comfortable hotels and very convenient public transportation nearby.  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 China. In addition to the activities outlined above, the Center in Beijing is also available to faculty and members of the University community traveling in China.  If you will be in China and wish to visit the Center, participate in lectures or other programs, or otherwise make use of the Center, please contact the Center in Beijing staff at BeijingCenter@uchicago.edu.