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Call for Proposals
The Community Scholars Program invites applications from eligible individuals for the Research Preparation and Reciprocity Grant. These grants (2 grants valued at $6000.00 each) are intended to support the activities of and capacity for research preparation and/or research reciprocity within Indigenous-led/Indigenous-serving organizations.
We are using the phrase research preparation to indicate activities that lay the ground work for original research. Examples of these activities include: conversations, consultations, or sharing circles; creation of culturally appropriate objects necessary for research; review and synthesis of existing information.
We are using the phrase research reciprocity to indicate activities that contribute to the exchange of research knowledge. Examples of these activities include: conversations and sharing circles; conference presentations; creation of texts or other media that convey the knowledge.
The examples given above are meant to be illustrative but not exhaustive and should not be taken as limitations on the scope of activity.
Information Session
Please join the Community Scholars Program grant administration team for an information session (via zoom) about this grant opportunity.
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
noon-1pm PST
(session has passed -- notes are available here)
Background
Since 2017, the Community Scholars Program has heard consistently that the urgency of other duties has been an impediment to engaging as deeply with research as desired.
In 2023, we offered 2 x $6000 grants as Information Research Grants to eligible Community Scholars.
Since that time, the Community Scholars Program’s understanding of eligibility for the program has expanded to include individuals affiliated with Indigenous communities, collectives, and organizations. With this expanded scope, we have shifted the nature of this current grant offering to better support the research practices and intentions of Community Scholars affiliated with Indigenous-led/Indigenous-serving organizations in BC, and are offering this grant opportunity specifically to those individuals.
Eligibility
Individuals registered in the Community Scholars Program by virtue of their formal affiliation with an Indigenous-led, Indigenous-serving organization, community, or collective in British Columbia are eligible to apply.
Eligible expenses may include honoraria, wages, conference fees, event food, and other expenses consistent with activities of research preparation and reciprocity.
Grant
In addition to the monetary award of $6000, grantees will have the support of the Community Scholars Program (which may include the creation of additional enrolments in the CSP, consultation and/or workshops with CSP librarians) as well as opportunities for sharing the knowledge generated during the grant process as may be appropriate.
The CSP team and both grant recipients will form a “mini-cohort” and meet (by zoom) periodically for check-ins over the course of the grant period. The schedule and nature of the check-ins will be co-created among participants.
Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated for completeness, value, and feasibility.
Strong proposals will:
- Address an important issue for the organization, the sector, or the area of practice.
- Facilitate action on other activities of importance to the organization (ie does it make possible something that would otherwise be difficult or impossible?).
- Grow capacity within the organization.
- Have impact beyond the individual organization.
- Contribute to larger goals or frameworks that the organization is operating within.
- Align with CSP approach —while acknowledging that some proposals may be concerned with sensitive or community-held information that requires particular contexts or supports for sharing, if sharing may be appropriate --
- values knowledge exchange;
- promotes (open) access to academic research;
- encourages and strengthens community/university connections;
- is relational and grounded in context;
- values diverse ways of knowing and learning
Funded proposals must agree to:
- Pay staff (at minimum) a living wage.
- Participate in mini-cohort activities (check-ins) with Community Scholars librarians and other grantees (on a schedule to be collaboratively determined) and a post-grant evaluation conversation with Community Scholars librarians. Please allow 5 hours for these activities in the budget.
- Share outputs of the research with participants in the Community Scholars Program and with a broader research community. This sharing may be about such matters as the processes, purposes, or outcomes of the research activity and does not need to disclose particulars of research activity that may be sensitive.
- Share reflections on the process and experience of participating in this grant with participants in the Community Scholars Program and with a broader research community. This could include, for example, a feature in a newsletter or on a blog, an opportunity to speak at an event, or to be interviewed. Specific opportunities can be determined collaboratively post-grant.
Time required for cohort activities and knowledge-sharing activities should be accommodated for in the budget proposal.
Timeline
December 2024 - announcement of grant, announcement of information session
January 21, 2025 - information session - (summary document)
EXTENDED -- February 28, 2025 - applications close
April 2025 - decision and notification (was March; adjusted due to extended application period)
December 2025 - conclusion of grant cycle
Application
The application deadline has passed.
Contact
Heather De Forest, SFU Community Scholars Program librarian.
Sponsors
Thank you to the sponsors of this grant: Asha Fraser, SFU Library, SFU's Community Engagement Initiative Fund, and Trojman Corporation.
