2004-2005

GREAT CITIES INSTITUTE FACULTY SCHOLAR COMPETITION 2004-2005

GREAT CITIES INSTITUTE FACULTY SCHOLAR COMPETITION 2004-2005

Introduction
The Great Cities Institute focuses on a particular kind of urban study: engaged research that will advance our understanding of cities and has relevance to urban issues in Chicago and in urban settings throughout the world. Ideally, engaged research will meet the highest levels of three distinct criteria:
(i) partnership
(ii) interdisciplinary
(iii) impact.
These guidelines define criteria and procedures for application and acceptance as a Faculty Scholar in the Institute. When preparing research proposals for GCI, therefore, three questions should be kept in mind:
(i) How and in what ways is the course of study built on partnerships between traditional (academic) and non-traditional sites of knowledge?
(ii) Is the work interdisciplinary, either in its production or in the way it will be used or read?
(iii) What will the impact of the research be on
(a) the construction and advance of new knowledge and teaching of students and
(b) on the great cities of the world, of which Chicago is one?

The Great Cities Institute is a unit within the College of Urban Planning and Pubic Affairs but plays a campus-wide role. Since its inception in 1995, the Institute has appointed 77 Scholars from 26 different departments at UIC. Currently, the Institute has openings for 5 new Faculty Scholars. Terms for appointment are for one full academic year beginning Fall, 2004.

Eligible Applicants
All full-time tenured, tenure-track and clinical faculty at the rank of assistant professor and above and academic professionals are eligible to apply for this award.

Work at the Institute
Institute Scholars are expected to pursue their research and participate in the development of the Institute. They will be released from formal teaching and administrative obligations during their appointment at the Institute. The Institute will provide Faculty Scholars with research and administrative support.

Scholars are expected to be involved in the following activities:
Implement their own research/ demonstration/policy projects and publications,
Develop and submit grant proposals, including ones that involve other scholars,
Actively participate in the development of the Great Cities Institute,
Participate in the Honors College course-Great Cities: UIC's Metropolitan Commitment,
Participate in the Great Cities Institute Lecture Series,
Contribute to the Institute’s Working Paper Series.

Topics
The Institute will support meritorious projects on topics covering the broadest range of engaged research on the urban including, but not limited to the following topical areas:
Housing and economic development policy
Community development
K-12 education
Urban governance
University-community partnerships
Citizenship, political participation and culture
Digital divide
Immigration and the city
Metropolitan growth, collaboration and regionalism
Workforce development
Urban finance
International urban research collaborations
Domestic violence
Societal violence and prevention
Urban environmental issues
Global economic restructuring
Community-based art

GCI and its Objectives
The Institute houses the UIC Neighborhoods Initiative program, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program to address urban issues in partnership with groups and organizations in the neighborhoods around the university, specifically, Pilsen and the Near West Side. Proposals that involve partnerships in either community would be of great interest to the Institute (for further information on the UIC Neighborhoods Initiative, please contact Dr. Cynthia Barnes-Boyd, Director (312-996-7963 or cboyd@uic.edu) or Mr. Atanacio Gonzalez, Coordinator (312-996-7194 or nacho@uic.edu)

The Institute is particularly interested in projects that build on the work of current Scholars or have the potential to become lasting areas of specialization for the Institute.

The Institute gives priority to projects that are significantly involved with external constituencies and have clear implications for urban policy and a clear Chicago focus.

The hallmark of the Institute is the engaged research, partnership and student learning approach. Thus, all projects need to reflect an interdisciplinary approach.

Schedule, Deadlines
Completed applications are due by 4:00 p.m., Friday, January 16, 2004.
Decisions are expected to be made at the beginning of April, 2004. Faculty Scholar appointments for academic year 2004-2005 begin in the Fall semester 2004 and continue through the Spring semester 2005.

Completed applications should be delivered to the Great Cities Institute Faculty Scholar Competition, Great Cities Institute, 412 South Peoria, Suite 400. Please submit an ORIGINAL application and TWELVE COPIES.

Answers to most commonly asked questions
Department heads and deans must sign the application cover sheet.
Summer salary is not included in the appointment. If you intend to work during the summer, you will need to find another means of support. Office space is generally available during the summer.
For grant applications initiated by the Institute, ICR distribution is negotiated. It is the intention of the Institute to be as liberal as possible in allowing the home units of Scholars to receive credit for faculty activities.
Departments will be compensated for the cost of covering courses normally taught by the Institute Scholars at the rate of $4,000 per course. Therefore, a full-time appointment is generally reimbursed at $16,000 per academic year. In exceptional circumstances, this rate may be negotiated.

Proposal Guidelines
All full-time tenured, tenure-track and clinical faculty at the rank of assistant professor and above and academic professionals are eligible to apply for this award. The proposal will be subject to peer review by a committee composed of faculty from throughout UIC, past Faculty Scholars and representatives of GCI, who review and recommend scholars for the coming year.

Submit an ORIGINAL and TWELVE COPIES of:
1) the completed and signed cover sheet,
2) a 4-6 page summary of the research you expect to accomplish during your tenure as a Scholar that addresses the following:
a. Purpose and description of the research,
b. Your expertise or background in the proposed area or project,
c. Unique contributions of your proposed project to policy or practice,
d. External funding potential of the project,
e. Your expected contributions to the growth and development of the Institute.
3) a current CV and a bio-sketch no longer than one page.

Applications are due Friday, January 16, 2004 by 4:00 p.m. Deliver all copies to the Great Cities Institute, 412 South Peoria, Suite 400. Decisions are expected to be made at the beginning of April, 2004.