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The Obermann Center, in association with the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of the Provost, is pleased to invite UI tenured fulltime faculty members in all fields to submit proposals to design and direct the next Obermann Interdisciplinary Research Semester.

Held at the Obermann Center, Interdisciplinary Research Semesters are designed to encourage fruitful interaction among four−six UI scholars working on independent research, scholarship, or creative projects related to the Research Semester’s topic.

The application process will be two-fold. First, through this announcement, the Obermann Center invites all tenured UI faculty members to submit a letter proposing a compelling broad-based topic for a semester-long gathering of UI researchers during Fall 2007 or Spring 2008. A review committee will judge applications and select one. Following the selection of the Research Semester director and topic, a second campus-wide call will be sent out in early Fall 2006 announcing the topic and inviting all UI faculty and eligible staff members to submit proposals to participate in that Semester.

The convener and each participant will receive, contingent on department and college approvals, a one-course reduction, supported by funding up to $10,000 to the participant’s department/college. In addition, each participant will receive a $1500 discretionary research allowance to be used during or after the Semester. Finally, funds will be set aside should the Semester participants plan a speaker series or symposium.

The convener and participants will agree to arrange their schedules so that each can be in residence at the Obermann Center throughout the Research Semester at least two weekdays per week and meet formally as a group at least once a week. Through these formal and informal interactions, Semester participants will discuss their work, report scholarly developments on the Semester topic in their respective disciplines, and explore possibilities for strengthening, expanding, or institutionalizing their research interactions.

All participants will be provided private offices, computers with Internet access, and access to Obermann Center staff, services, and facilities.

The Interdisciplinary Research Semester is funded by the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, the C. Esco and Avalon L. Obermann Endowment, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the Office of the Provost. See reverse side for application guidelines.

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Guidelines for Preparing Letters of Application
Design and Direct an Interdisciplinary Research Semester

Applicants are asked to submit ideas for interdisciplinary topics that will allow individuals from various disciplines to work independently on scholarly or creative projects and to significantly benefit from interaction with one another. Our hope and expectation is that participants’ publications or creative works will be informed and strengthened by one another’s knowledge and perspective.

The Obermann Center invites any and all topics. Previous topics have been: “Sexuality as a Social Phenomenon,” “Sounding the Voice,” and “Articulating the Animal.”

Letters will be judged by the following criteria:

• scholarly importance of the topic;
• potential for attracting strong UI researchers, scholars, or creative or performing artists from several disciplines;
• likelihood that the Semester will result in each participant producing publishable works informed by participation in the Semester;
• the applicant’s record of scholarly work on the topic and experience, if any, with seminars or symposia or other collaborative ventures.

If an applicant previously received a grant from the Obermann Center, the results of that grant may also be taken into consideration.

Letter: In a letter (2-3 pages, single spaced), please:

• • state the proposed Semester topic;
  • state which semester you wish to convene the Interdisciplinary Research Semester (i.e., Fall 2007 or Spring 2008);
  • describe the importance of the topic in terms of recent research on the topic and potential for broad interdisciplinary appeal;
  • pose some interesting and important cross-cutting questions that participants from disparate disciplines might address, and/or give at least one hypothetical example of how a participant in one discipline might inform the work of a participant from another discipline;
  • identify a few distinguished people in the field who might be invited as visiting speakers;
  • describe your own work on the proposed topic and indicate what project you would undertake during the Research Semester;
  • finally, briefly describe your experience, if any, directing or participating in collaborative ventures.

CV: Clip to the letter a curriculum vitae (3 pages maximum), which includes your current position, dates of appointment, degrees, and relevant publications, grants, and courses. If you received any Obermann grants in the past, be sure to list them on your CV and to circle publications or creative work that resulted from those grants.

Signatures:
The applicant’s departmental executive officer and dean should sign the letter or sign an attached sheet.

The DEO and dean signature should appear above this typed statement:

“This signature endorses this proposal and reflects my willingness, if this application is selected, to consider the feasibility of a one-course reduction for the applicant and to discuss compensation to the department/college from the Obermann Center to help ameliorate the instructional loss derived from the reduced teaching load.”

Please send one copy of the letter/CV to:

Deadline for applications: Monday, April 3, 2006.

To discuss proposal preparation, contact Jay Semel (335-4034, jay-semel@uiowa.edu).