Request for 2017-2018 Bass Connections Project Proposals
Proposals accepted September 12–November 4, 2016
Opportunity
Bass Connections provides up to $25,000 for team-based projects that engage faculty, undergraduates and graduate/professional students together and integrate disciplinary approaches around societal questions and challenges.
Bass Connections visION and Goals
Predicated on collaborative and interdisciplinary inquiry,Bass Connectionsprovides a distinctive new model for education that engages students in the exploration of big, unanswered questions about major societal challenges.
Bass Connections project teamsseek to establish three core connections:
- between the academy and the broader world
- across areas of disciplinary expertise
- across learner levels.
For some faculty, Bass Connections is an opportunity to gain funding for a seed or pilot research project, which can then lead to additional external funding opportunities. For other faculty, Bass Connections offers an innovative teaching model and an opportunity to mentor students in a small group atmosphere. For still other faculty, Bass Connections is an opportunity to initiate or deepen engagement with a community or other collaborators outside of Duke, who can provide input into the construction of research questions and translate research findings into action.
Project teams are expected to be more than a collection of individuals working in parallel. Instead, theyshould fosterdynamic collaboration in which all members are exposed to the diverse aspects of each project, and work together toward shared goals.
A major educational goal of the program is to providestudents and faculty the opportunity to struggle collectively with a real, complex problem and produce meaningful, deliverable products.The chosen issue should have a scale and scope large enough so the solution will make a significant impact and yet not be so large as to be overwhelming.Deliverable products may take several forms; published reports, curated exhibitions, marketable services or commodities, or strategic solutions for community needs are just a few examples.
Projectsthat are situated in an organizational setting or acommunity context, or that have an external client element,offer rewarding challenges and give students a glimpse into the world of professional practice.
The current themes within Bass Connections are Brain & Society; Information, Society & Culture; Global Health; Education & Human Development; and Energy.
Bass Connections offers a collection of evidence-based resources and materials for teams in ourTeam Resource Center including: a template forteam charters and guidance on project managerroles within teams; guidelines for teams on travel and transportation away from campus; and guidance around ways for students and teams to engage in reflection as part of the team experience.
PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA
- Projects should align with the mission of Bass Connections, in particular withthe three core connections(listed above) and a focus on collaborative learning.
- Preference will be given to projects that embody the values of Bass Connections in terms of disciplinary diversity(both in leadership and students).
- An ideal team includesparticipants at multiple educational levelswho work toward shared goals and outputs. Project teams must include opportunities for undergraduates to participate as team members, and should proposeopportunities for participation at additional learner levels (e.g.,master’s or Ph.D. students, professional students, residents, post-docs).
Special Funding Opportunities
For 2017-18, we have funding available to support proposals that take advantage of the opportunitiesdescribed below:
- Humanities connections: The Franklin Humanities Instituteoffers additional support for projects that feature historical perspectives, diverse language processes and products, or the aesthetic dimensions of reflection. Applicants from any field are encouraged to develop humanities-related connections, regardless of departmental home. The FHI will facilitate connecting with potential partners to constitute interdisciplinary teams with a humanities dimension.Seepreviously-selected projects.
- For proposals submitted to the Education &Human Development theme:Supplemental funding may be available from the Education Human Development Incubator to enhance projects conducting research in one or more priority areas: 1) state and local community engagement; 2) higher education and the transition to adulthood; 3) educational inequality; and 4) child mental health, physical health and social adjustment. For questions or more information, please contact theme leader Tom Nechyba.
New this year:We will consider funding projects thatare proposed by graduate students,post-docs or trainees/fellows (all projects should have significant faculty leadership and involvement and advisor/DGS approval).
Note: TheBass Connections proposal and selection process is separatefrom the Bass Chairs/Bass Society of Fellows.
project selection timing
- Applications will be accepted beginning September 12, 2016.
- Proposals must be submitted by November 4, 2016.
- Proposals will be reviewed and refined as needed,and selections will be made by December 9, 2016.
- Projects selected may begin as early as Summer 2017 and must begin in the 2017-2018 academic year.
Bass Connections Project Proposal Application
Please use this document for your application. Save a copy, add your last name to the file name, complete the following sections and submit your applicationas a Word document(not a PDF) through the Bass Connections website at
1 Project description
Please include adescription of the project (up to 2 pages)that includes the following:
Project title [please limit to 100 characters]
Brief background/context[a couple of sentences]
Project goals and objectives[a couple of paragraphs describing the project]
Anticipated outcomes [publication, website, app, symposium, other product, etc.]
Project’s relevance to the selected Bass Connections theme(s) and connection to Bass Connectionskey goals (that is,fostering collaboration across educational levels and across disciplinesand having an impact on a relevant societal issue)
Project approach [how you will facilitate collaborative learning, as compared to traditional classroom-based learning; how often and in what format your team will meet, etc.]
Related course(s) [if applicable]
Student opportunities [what students could expect to get out of their participation (e.g., using language skills, conducting research directly with subjects, contributing to publications); unique and differentiated learning opportunities available for graduate students; learning objectives, if known;specific backgrounds and skills desired]
Connection to team leaders’ other projects [to what extent is the proposed project anextension of existing work or a new endeavor?]
Plan to evaluate team progress and performance [mode(s) and criteria for evaluation and assessment; one possible mechanism for student evaluation is the assignment of a grade and course credit]
For follow-on projects (projects that were selected as 2016-2017 Bass Connections projects), identify what differentiates this proposalfrom the proposal submitted last yearand note the most important outcomes of your project so far
2 Timeline and Milestones
Identify the timelinefor the project including start, completion and major project milestones.
3Project leaders
Identify the name and contact information of the project leader(s) and contributors, as defined below. At least oneof the project leaders must be a faculty member.Projects with multiple team leaders from different disciplines will receive preference.Graduate students and post-docs are welcome to propose projects, but all projects must have significant faculty leadership and involvement.
- Team leadersare actively engaged in the project and regularly attend team meetings (most teams have 2-3 co-leaders).
- Team contributorssupport the team as needed and occasionally attend team meetings.
Name / Title/Rank / Team Leader or Contributor? / Department(s) / Email / Led a Bass Connections team before (if yes, how many)?
[Insert additional rows as needed]
4 Team CompositioN
Identify the ideal composition of team members for your project, includingnumber of students, levels of participants(undergraduate, graduate/professional, post-doc), what majors, disciplines, skills, backgrounds or perspectives you see as most relevant. We encourage you to consider creating project management and mentorship roles for graduate students.
Project teams must include opportunities for undergraduates to participate as team members, and should propose opportunities for participation at additional learner levels(e.g., master’s or Ph.D. students, professional students, residents, post-docs).
Please include any external organizations or individuals that you plan to engage as partners, clients, study subjects, beneficiaries of the work, etc., and a brief description of how you will engage with them.
5Budget Estimate
Estimate a budget, including the primary categories of support (student support,materials, travel, data collection, other), as well as the units or people who would be responsible for administering the project funds (e.g., business managers).Thebudget template below providessome suggested items that can be included.For reference, budgets for most selected projects have fallen in the range of $15,000-$25,000.
Projects that leverage or match funds are strongly encouraged, and these funds (both awarded and currently proposed) should be noted so that we understand the comprehensive outlay for the project.
Please also note whether your project is a one-year project or has the potential to be a multiyear project, if funds were to be available.Multiyear thinking for project scopes is encouraged, but funding will be awarded for one year at a time, so proposals should be framed in one-year increments. Fundsare expected to be expended within the proposed project timeline.
Bass Connections Project Budget Template
Cost Category / Bass Connections Project Funding Request for 2017-2018 / Notes (e.g., name of personnel, activities supported)Payroll-allowable Categories
GRADUATE OR RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP (PHD) (suggested range: $15-18/hour; note: RAships for students in the Graduate School should include costs for tuition remission and fees) / $
RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP (Masters/Professional) (suggested range: $12-15/hour) / $
INSTRUCTION (Teaching) - PHD STUDENT / $
POST-DOCTORAL OR STAFF EFFORT / $
NON-REG RANK FACULTY EFFORT / $
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT STIPEND OR WORK STUDY (suggested range: $11-14/hour) / $
Supplies & Materials
INSTRUCTIONAL, RESEARCH OR OFFICE SUPPLIES / $
COMPUTERS AND MINOR EQUIPMENT / $
Travel Expenses
TRAVEL – DOMESTIC / $
TRAVEL – INTERNATIONAL / $
General Operating & Other Costs
ADVERTISING AND PUBLICITY / $
CONTRACT WORK / $
PUBLIC RELATIONS / $
MEETINGS – BUSINESS / $
OTHER – MISC. / $
TOTAL Bass Connections Request / $
Other Sources of Project Funds (Projects that leverage or match funds are strongly encouraged and these funds [both awarded and currently proposed] should be noted so that we understand the comprehensive outlay for the project.)
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