Interdisciplinary Workshops

Program Overview

The Rackham School of Graduate Studies sponsors an ongoing program of interdisciplinary graduate student and faculty workshops. The groups to be supported should be self-organized by the participants, have an ongoing core membership, and meet regularly throughout the academic year. There should be an interdisciplinary goal or end product. As examples, you might consider increasing knowledge in a specific targeted area with the goal of developing a publishable paper, a conference, a grant proposal or a research project. We expect that most groups will discuss members' work in progress and published scholarship on relevant topics, and they may include discussion with invited visitors; other activities may be proposed as appropriate.

This program has two goals. First, it is designed to encourage exchange and collaboration among students and faculty who share intellectual interests -- but do not necessarily have an easily available forum in common, because they have different academic affiliations. Second, it is designed to help advanced doctoral students form working groups that support the development of research projects and dissertation-writing.

Faculty and graduate students interested in forming such groups may apply for up to $6000 to support Workshop activities and to compensate coordinators. Proposals may be submitted at any point during the year, and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Funding may begin as soon as the proposal has been approved and all arrangements for transfer and administration of Workshop funds have been made.

Funding is for one year only but continuing workshops may apply for renewal. Notice will be posted here if funds are exhausted and proposals are no longer being accepted.

Details on the nature of the activities to be supported through this program and the application process are given via the links above. Questions about the application process should be directed to Carol Acitelli (764-4400). Other questions should be directed to Associate Dean Toni Antonucci (764-4400).

Structure of the Program

Faculty and students wishing to form Workshops will be asked to describe both the specific topics to be addressed by the group and the distinctive nature and value of the interdisciplinary exchange that will be undertaken in the group (see “Application,” below). The groups to be supported should have an ongoing core membership, and meet regularly throughout the academic year. They must be self-organized by the participants—they may not be part of a credit-bearing course. We expect that most groups will discuss members' work in progress and published scholarship on relevant topics, and they may include discussion with invited visitors; other activities may be proposed as appropriate.

Groups may be composed of any combination of faculty and student participants or the group may be primarily graduate students with a faculty sponsor. (Faculty groups that exclude students, and student groups not affiliated with at least one faculty member, are not eligible for funding under this program.) One or more graduate students, and one or more faculty members, should apply on behalf of a group. Committed participants at the time of application must number at least six, with others joining as the group begins its activities. We expect that most groups will have from twelve to twenty-five participants, but smaller and larger groups may be proposed. Because Workshops are expected to require substantial commitment, joining more than one is discouraged.

The membership of a Workshop will in most cases be drawn from two or more academic units. The Graduate School recognizes, however, that disciplinary and departmental affiliations are not necessarily congruent, and that disciplinary and interdisciplinary dialogues are often intertwined. It is not required that the individuals submitting the application be from different units, nor is it expected that Workshop participants will be evenly or widely scattered across many units. Groups based in interdisciplinary units or strongly anchored in a discipline are eligible to apply so long as they will be open to individuals who are affiliated elsewhere. Established groups whose activities are appropriate for the program are eligible to apply. Groups that have sponsorship from other units may also apply for this program; any funding or other resources already allocated to the group, or applied for, should be specified in the proposal.

This program is designed to ease the isolation that can characterize dissertation work in some fields. However, we encourage proposals from those whose research takes place in a laboratory or other collaborative setting, as well, recognizing that they may benefit greatly from an alternative forum for discussion.

All groups should designate graduate student coordinators who have reached candidacy, and are in their 3rd through 6th years of study. Coordinators will:

  • collaborate with the faculty sponsor(s) to prepare the proposal, and plan the group's program,
  • manage the group's budget,
  • arrange and publicize meetings,
  • arrange for readings to be available,
  • establish and maintain the group's membership list and keep records of attendance and activities,
  • organize speakers' visits, if applicable,
  • create and maintain a Web page, linked to the Rackham site, for the group,
  • prepare the group's final report to Rackham, including a request for renewal of funds if appropriate.

See also, “Eligibility and Payment for Graduate Student Coordinators”.

Faculty sponsors should, minimally, collaborate in the planning of the Workshop, consult regularly with the coordinator about its activities, attend some meetings of the group, and review the final report before it is submitted. We hope that in most cases faculty organizers and other faculty members will also participate actively and consistently in Workshop meetings.

Each group must also designate an academic unit that will accept responsibility for administering the funds allocated (see “Administrative Contribution”).

Funding

A proposed budget must be submitted as part of the application. The limit for annual funding in this program is $6000; groups need not apply for the full amount.

Appropriate expenses include:

  • Reading materials.
  • Honoraria and travel for visiting speakers (if applicable).
  • Tickets for common activities such as exhibits and films.
  • Food & beverages for meetings, limited to $1000 for the year.

Any decision to purchase items for individual participants should be subjected to strict scrutiny; it must be clear that such purchases directly support Workshop activities.

Three items will appear on all budgets.

  • A stipend of up to $1500 per year for the graduate student coordinator or coordinators.
  • A payment of between $200 and $500 for administrative assistance.
  • A research account contribution of $500 for a faculty sponsor (or, two such contributions for two sponsors).

Application

Faculty and graduate students interested in forming such groups may apply for up to $6000 to support Workshop activities and to compensate coordinators. They need not apply for the full amount.

The application should consist of:

  • the attached cover sheet (available in PDF* or Word format on the RIW website),
  • a topic statement (no more than 500 words), and list or narrative of planned activities,
  • a proposed budget,
  • a preliminary list of participants, with affiliations,
  • Short CV's for the graduate student coordinator(s) and faculty sponsor(s).

The topic statement should explain both the distinctive nature and value of the interdisciplinary exchange that will be undertaken in the group, and the specific topics to be addressed by the group. It should explain the substance and innovative nature of its work in language that will be accessible to non-specialist evaluators. The information about planned activities should specify the extent of faculty members' involvement, indicate how often (and if possible where and when) the group will meet, and name faculty and graduate students who expect to make presentations and any proposed external visitors. Also, if more than one sponsor or more than one coordinator is proposed, please specify how work will be divided.

Applications should be addressed to Associate Dean Toni Antonucci and should be submitted to Carol Acitelli at Rackham. Please submit three copies of your application.

Review Process and Criteria

Proposals may be submitted at any point during the year, and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Funding may begin as soon as the proposal has been approved and all arrangements for transfer and administration of Workshop funds have been made.

The usual practice is for groups to submit proposals at the end of the Winter term or during Spring/Summer, with Workshops beginning activities the next academic year or, sometimes, right away. Groups are also frequently created during the Fall term. They may be created during the Winter, but proposals received after January 1 should not request more than $3000 for the current academic year. Occasionally, groups wishing to undertake activities late in the academic year have applied for and received a small grant for the current year together with full funding for the next academic year.

Proposals are reviewed by the Associate Deans at Rackham, in consultation with other faculty members and administrators as needed. If there are more applications that clearly fulfill the goals of the program than can be funded, the groups selected will be those to seem most likely to make a substantial contribution to the progress of the participating graduate students, and contribute to the development of innovative interdisciplinary dialogue.