Digital Scholars Grant Program 2019-2020
Application deadline passed - please look for opportunities to participate in the upcoming year.
Call for Proposals
The University Library Committee invites ACU faculty to apply for a new Digital Scholars Program for the 2019-2020 (FY20) year. Applications are due April 8, and awards are expected to be announced in April. Please see the information below on eligibility and application process.
Purpose
ACU’s Scholars Lab is a digital scholarship center supporting computer-enabled research and digital publication by ACU faculty and students.
This program seeks to expand the practice of digital scholarship--discovery and dissemination--across campus and may or may not utilize Scholars Lab resources, which include specialized software, office space in the library, a large touch-screen display for presentations and visualizations, VR equipment, video-conferencing capability, and consultation with Scholars Lab staff.
Scope
The University Library Committee will consider applications for projects in any one of the three categories, further defined below: (1) faculty research, (2) faculty expertise, and (3) faculty-driven mentoring in support of student research or course-based research.
Faculty Research
- Successful applications to this program for faculty research will plan to utilize computer-enabled methods and have the potential for significant research and/or creative impact in the faculty member’s field. This may include the use of computer-enabled tools or methods for discovery, innovative methods of dissemination, or both.
Example: Faculty member wishes to utilize the exploration of molecules in a VR environment for Chemistry research. The applicant needs funding for access to equipment and software and to pay an author fee to publish in an open access journal.
Faculty Expertise
- Successful applications to this program for faculty expertise may propose one of the following:
- Intent to significantly gain new (or expand existing) expertise with a specific digital tool or a specific type of computer-enhanced research method and to share experiences with other faculty.
- Intent to become the “go-to” person on campus for consultation with a specific digital tool or type of computer-enhanced research in order to enhance research skills and support on campus.
- Successful applications to this program for faculty expertise may propose one of the following:
Example: Faculty member wishes to become a campus expert in SPSS and help other faculty and students learn how to use the program. The applicant needs funding for training.
Mentoring Student Research or Course-Based Research
- Successful applications to this program for mentoring student research or course-based research may propose one of the following:
- Faculty-driven mentoring of student research utilizing computer-enabled methods.
- Course-based research by a faculty member involving computer-enabled research.
- Successful applications to this program for mentoring student research or course-based research may propose one of the following:
Example: Faculty member has identified the results of an undergraduate student’s assigned project as having potential to expand to significant computer-enabled research. The applicant needs funding for specialized equipment and training.
Budget
The Digital Scholars award may provide funding in lieu of, or supplementary to, college/departmental funds available to a faculty member in order to complete the desired project. Applicants should describe all other funding sources (secured or requested) for the particular project.
Categories of expenses for which funding may be available, depending on the nature of the proposal, include the following:
- Purchase of software and/or hardware
- The Scholars Lab may request to retain ownership of software or hardware purchased after the duration of the project
- In the case that a one-seat software license is purchased and may be of use to other researchers, the purchased software will be retained on a computer in the Scholars Lab to be available to the broader campus
- Requests for ongoing or subscription access to software may be funded for a single pilot year but does not represent an ongoing commitment to fund the subscription in the future
- Training
- Author fees for open access publication or other innovative digital means of dissemination
- Faculty and/or student travel directly related to digital scholarship/dissemination
Other categories of support for projects relating directly to digital scholarship may be available, depending on the nature of the proposal.
Additional support available to successful applicants through the Scholars Lab includes the following:
- Specialized software
- Consultation from library staff
- Large touch-screen display for presentations and visualizations
- VR equipment
- Video-conferencing capability
- Dedicated office space in the library (up to two awardees may be eligible for office space)
Successful applicants will be eligible for awards in amounts up to $2,500, generally in amounts of $500, $1,500, or $2,500.
Outcomes
Examples of possible outcomes
- Faculty Research
- Presentation of research findings or experience with innovative form of dissemination to the ACU campus through on-campus presentation on digital data analysis, visualization, etc.
- Presentation of research findings or experience with innovative form of dissemination to the ACU campus through on-campus presentation on digital data analysis, visualization, etc.
- Faculty Expertise
- Willingness to be advertised as campus expert available for consultation and Adams Center presentation(s) or instructional video tutorials
- Willingness to be advertised as campus expert available for consultation and Adams Center presentation(s) or instructional video tutorials
- Mentoring Student Research or Course-Based Research
- Student-authored publication or conference presentation directly related to digital scholarship or presentation of findings/experience in course-based project directly related to digital scholarship
Projects should be completed during a single fiscal year and must produce a tangible scholarly product or a scheduled presentation to instruct or to report to other faculty the results of the project.
Criteria
All full-time faculty working at ACU’s Abilene campus are eligible to apply. Grants will be awarded, based on a competitive selection process, to proposals that comply with one of the three categories in the “Scope” section of this document.
The faculty Library Committee will judge proposals based on the following criteria:
- Worth and value to the discipline, researcher, or the university
- Clear goals, objectives, and outcomes directly related to digital scholarship
- Use of sound, clearly explained methodology, pedagogy, or training goals
- Likelihood of successful completion in a reasonable time
- Expected outcome of project (see “Outcomes” section above)
- Potential for impact to campus community
Submit your application form here.
Email scholarslab@acu.edu with questions.
University Library Committee (2018-2019)
- Lisa Merchant (chair)
- Timothy Kennedy
- Kathleen Lee
- Dennis Marquardt
- Dana Mayhall
- Dawne Meeks
- David Perkins
- Stephanie Talley
- John Weaver
- Avery Weems