Call for Proposals
Proposals of a wide variety of forms that seek support from the Darfur Action and Education Fund are encouraged. We require only that proposals be headed by a member of the University of Chicago community, that they lie within the general educational spirit of the University, and that they have a connection, direct or indirect, to the issues surrounding Darfur. Some proposed activities may be short-term, limited in scope and of modest cost, such as support for a particular speaker or workshop in one academic quarter; others may be longer-term spanning several quarters, such as support for developing and implementing a new course dealing with aspects of human rights in modern Africa or with root causes of genocide, or for internships. Research programs might, for example, explore a greater understanding of genocidal behavior, its biological or political bases, and its eradication; or the efficacy of divestment as a lever for international political change; or the study of rogue states and the impact on them of possible legal, diplomatic, economic or military interventions. Educational programs could offer workshops, courses, lectures or seminars aimed at enhancing our understanding of such areas, or of global human rights initiatives. Action-based proposals might, for example, include an internship with a non-governmental organization carrying out relief work with refugees from Darfur. All action-based proposals must include an on-campus educational component that could, for example, take the form of a report back to the University community, a paper or senior thesis, or a round-table discussion or workshop.
We welcome proposals from our faculty, departments or centers, registered student organizations (RSOs), and other organizations involved in campus life.
Proposals must:
- come from university-based or -affiliated organizations or units; and
- have a Project Leader who is a University of Chicago student, staff or faculty member and who agrees to take responsibility for the conduct of the project.
There is no limit to the number of proposals an organization may submit. Individual students needing help in finding an organization or department to partner with should contact Bill Michel: wmichel@uchicago.edu.
Grants will range from $500 upwards. If you intend to submit a proposal whose budget exceeds $25,000, it would be helpful to discuss your plans in advance with a member of the Committee.
Proposals must have:
- an educational purpose consistent with the broadly-defined mission of the University; and
- a connection, which can be direct or indirect, to issues surrounding Darfur.
We do not have preconceived ideas of what types of proposals are preferred. Rather, creativity in the development of proposals will be highly prized. We do anticipate that, since time is short, proposals submitted for the first deadline (see below) are likely to request support for short-term or one-off activities with a limited budget; proposals submitted for later deadlines may be for either short-term or longer-term activities with a more substantial budget.
Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals well in advance of the date of any activity, since we may not be able to consider funding activities that will occur shortly after the notification date. Applicants may be contacted by the Committee regarding their proposals.
Proposals will be received and reviewed quarterly until all funds have been committed. All funds must be expended by June 30, 2009.
The Project Leader and the sponsoring organization are required to submit a brief Final Report documenting and evaluating the project, consisting of up to two pages of text and a final budget report that identifies how the allocated funds were spent. Additional documentation could, if desired, take the form of:
- photographs or video of an event
- copies of publicity, publications, press releases and news stories
Proposal Submission Deadlines:
- Noon, Friday, November 9, 2007: Fill out on-line Application Form. This includes only the Project Title and names of key people.
- When the Application Form is a submitted, an acknowledgement page will appear. Copy this page and paste it onto the first page of the actual proposal. Start a new page for the Narrative.
- Noon, Monday November 12, 2007: Submit proposal by e-mail as a MSWord or PDF document
An Information Meeting will be held Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007 at 12.00 in Pick 105