EvoS as an Institute for Advanced Studies
Binghamton University maintains a number of Organized Research Centers (ORC) and Institutes for Advanced Studies (IAS) to facilitate research in key subject areas. While an ORC is focused on a specific subject area, an IAS “is a unit established for the coordination and promotion of research organized around a broad subject area. Normally, the breath of the subject will be reflected in research projects and programs that cut across departments, schools, colleges or even campus boundaries. Public service activities and programs stemming from research conducted within an institute may also be undertaken. The creation of an institute should include clear and strong evidence that long-range needs and interests on the part of the faculty will be served.”
EvoS perfectly fits this description, so it is gratifying to be given formal status as an IAS in August 2007. Our official name will be The Institute for Evolutionary Studies with the same abbreviation (EvoS) as the general program.
Introducing the EvoS Small Grants Program for Pilot Research and New Directions in Evolutionary Studies
Click here for a pdf file of this announcement
In its capacity as an Institute for Advanced Studies, EvoS is establishing a small grants program for facilitating research in any area of evolutionary studies. Proposals can take one of two forms:
1) Pilot research grants for specific projects. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: a) scientific merit; b) likelihood that the pilot research will lead to long term external funding; and c) facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations.
2) New direction grants to explore how EvoS can be expanded as a campus-wide program. Potential examples include community-based research, the humanities, environmental research, clinical psychology, K-12 education, and a multi-institution consortium of EvoS programs. Funds will be used to facilitate the efforts of core faculty groups to develop their ideas toward implementation and external funding. Facilitation can include consultation with a wider group of faculty, assistance finding the most likely funding sources, assistance describing EvoS as a strong component of the proposal, and start-up funds from the IAS budget. EvoS faculty who wish to submit a new direction proposal should first try to assemble a core group of faculty, which can include people who are not currently EvoS participants. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: a) its contribution to the basic mission of EvoS as a campus-wide program, and b) likelihood that the initiative will lead to long-term external funding.
Who can apply: PIs must include one or more EvoS faculty participants but can also include EvoS students and non-EvoS faculty. We appreciate that EvoS graduate and advanced undergraduate students often play a vital role in developing new research projects and new directions. At the same time, it is important for the pilot research to lead to long-term research that continues after any particular student graduates.
Proposals should be a maximum of 1500 words in length and clearly address the criteria outlined above.
The budget should be described on a single page (in addition to the 1500 word proposal) and should be a maximum of $1000. Please keep in mind that our IAS funds are limited and that we want to promote as many worthy initiatives as possible. In addition to drawing upon our own budget, we will attempt to provide assistance finding additional funding sources for proposals.
Proposal deadline: December 15.
Submit to: David Sloan Wilson at dwilson@binghamton.edu
Proposals will be evaluated by the EvoS executive committee and awards will be made by the start of the spring semester.
