Please note: successful proposals will center their interdisciplinary work around a collaboration including at least two people from two different departments or disciplines.

BCIS Harvard Graduate Student Awards, academic year 2009-2010
Interdisciplinary research and activities grants 

Purpose:

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University seeks to understand the effects of the networked environment on our society, economy, and polity, and to protect and advance the public interest based upon that understanding. As a university-wide research center, we are eager to foster innovative and collaborative research on related questions, and develop a robust community of scholars working on these issues.

We are pleased to have the BCIS Harvard Graduate Student Awards for the 2009-2010 academic year, intended to help Harvard University graduate students take interdisciplinary approaches to exploring issues related to Internet and society. 

We seek to support two variations on interdisciplinary collaboration:

First, we hope to support collaborations including at least two people from two different departments or disciplines in their quests to initiate, continue, or complete interdisciplinary experimental, observational, and/or theoretical work. For example, a computer science student and an evolutionary biology student might collaborate on a computationally instantiated platform to study cooperation online; or a political science student and an anthropology student might work to analyze discourse in a given set of websites. 

Second, we aim to support individuals who seek to gain an interdisciplinary experience outside of their formal area of study and who aim to share their gained insights with others.  This can come via participation in a seminar or conference, through visitation at a department outside your own, or other cross-disciplinary actions.

The 2009-2010 awards will center on human cooperation and sociality, which reflects our growing sense of the centrality of social action as a core aspect of the Net.

Terms:

Financial awards of up to $5,000 will support research efforts/partnerships conducting work throughout the 2009-2010 academic year and the summer of 2010. We will support the travel, research, or equipment for new or ongoing projects in one of the major areas of concentration for the year.

Successful applicants will be expected to produce a short write up and presentation, commensurate in scope with the size of the grant, of the project, and/or team funded. 

Applicants funded at over $2,500 will be expected to participate in weekly workshops with the Cooperation Group on Monday evenings from 4-6 p.m. or with other regular Berkman seminars.  Awardees unable to attend the Cooperation or other evening meetings will be expected to join Berkman’s weekly luncheon series Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m.  Depending upon circumstances, this active Center-based involvement may take place either during or in the semester following the term of the project.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate program at Harvard University at the time of their application and throughout the term of their project.

If applying as a group, while at least two of the applicants must be Harvard graduate students from different disciplines or studies, we do not discount the involvement of additional partners from outside the University.

Deadlines:

Applications for the fall, spring and summer of 2009-2010 will be accepted on a rolling basis. 

Looking for a partner or team?:

If your research centers around an Internet and society issue, you hope to develop it into a project, and are looking for a collaborator, you are most welcome to join Berkman’s weekly Cooperation meetings, or any of Berkman’s other public events, to connect with others working in the space.

To apply:

Please find application materials online attached below.

Questions:

Please contact Becca Tabasky at HGSAwards@cyber.law.harvard.edu