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Civic Engagement Research Fund

The Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) announces the availability of funding to support research projects centered on civic engagement. The Institute works to enhance civic engagement through research, public discourse, and education while promoting the use of technology to enhance civic engagement and improve government in the United States. In particular IPCE is looking to support research that furthers understanding about effective strategies or tools that help:

  1. citizens better understand the policymaking process;
  2. citizens become more involved in policy debate or deliberation;
  3. government become more responsive to citizens;
  4. government, non profits, and civic institutions use technology to engage and connect citizens with government and/or improve service delivery;
  5. increase access to technology of populations that have disproportionately lower access than the public at large; or
  6. community development efforts or local community change initiatives use civic engagement to enhance effectiveness or increase the overall impact of programs.

Awards

The Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Civic Engagement Research awards for 2010-2011.

Civic Engagement Research Fund Awards 2010-2011:

Kheir Al-Kodmany, Associate Professor, Urban Planning and Policy, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. Project Title: "Becoming Citizens: Youth e-Engagement in Civic and Public Policy".

Nilda Flores-Gonzalez, Associate Professor, Sociology and Latin American and Latino Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Project Title: "The Interplay between Public and Private Actors in Shaping Local Immigration Policy".

Anna Guevarra, Assistant Professor, Sociology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Project Title: "Civic and Community Engagement of Filipinos in Chicago".

Leilah Lyons, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, College of Engineering. Project Title: "CoCensus: Collaborative Exploration of Social Data in Social Spaces".

Sarah Parker, Assistant Professor, Disability and Human Development, College of Applied Health Sciences. Project Title: "Civic Engagement and Disability: Using Advocacy and Technology to Advance the Political Participation of People with Disabilities".

The Civic Engagement Research is awarded annually to faculty or staff of UIC research centers whose work furthers our understanding of civic engagement theory, the practice of facilitating engagement, or provides tools that enhance the efforts of civic engagement in community change initiatives. Each recipient is awarded up to $25,000.

Civic Engagement Research Fund Information

Eligibility

All UIC faculty and research staff of research institutes or centers are eligible to apply. Applicants must have pre-approval of their application via signature of their department head.

Criteria

IPCE is interested in supporting research on strategies or tools for civic engagement that further knowledge and practice in the six areas of focus outlined above. Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria:

  • relevance to the areas of focus and the mission of the institute;
  • the likelihood that the researcher can complete the project prior to June 30, 2011;
  • the potential for the research to produce new knowledge about civic engagement theory or practice;
  • the potential for the project to generate practical knowledge or tools that enhance civic engagement; and
  • the involvement of community based organizations, civic groups, or government agencies as partners engaged directly in the project or as consumers or users of the research outcomes.

The use of technology to enhance civic engagement is also a key focus of the institute, but having a technology focus is not a necessary requirement for winning an award.

Application

All applications [Click here for Application] must be submitted electronically via email to jhoereth@uic.edu by October 22, 2010. Awards will be announced by November 15, 2010. For fullest consideration, applications must be complete, and include the signature of a department head or director if the application is from research center/institute.

Your application should include the following:

  1. Application form. (Print and scan signed copy)
  2. Project description, background and workplan: 5 pages maximum.
  3. Budget in EXCEL.
  4. Itemized budget justification: 1 page.
  5. Information critical to evaluation of the proposal such as copies of survey instruments or letters from collaborators may be submitted.
  6. Short vita and list of relevant publications and grants: 2 pages.

Number all pages consecutively following the above list. Please do not exceed the allowable number of pages.

If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Stauffer at (312) 355-0111.