Campus & Community

Harvard China Fund accepting 2010 proposals

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The Harvard China Fund, under the Office of the Provost, has announced its fiscal year 2010 grants program for Harvard faculty, programs, and Schools. The purpose of the fund is to support interdisciplinary research and teaching in and about China, focus Harvard’s considerable strengths toward tackling the challenges that China faces, and improve communication and collaboration between Harvard’s faculty and Schools, and Chinese universities and research institutes.

Proposals may be in any field, but preference will be given to interdisciplinary and novel projects, as well projects that advance the research goals of Harvard faculty or improve the education of Harvard students. Collaborative projects that have the potential to be supported financially by Chinese universities or other relevant institutions are welcome.

Proposals will be judged on the basis of academic excellence, innovation, feasibility, organizational support, and the potential to make an impact in China. In this phase of the program, the Harvard China Fund expects to fund several proposals in the $150,000 to $250,000 range, encouraging applicants to consider the support as seed money or to seek matching funds.

Course development grants

After two successful years supporting faculty research projects, the Harvard China Fund is launching a second grant program to support the development of new curriculum that focuses on China. Proposals may be in any field, but preference will be given to areas where Harvard’s China curriculum needs strengthening. During this phase of the program, the Harvard China Fund expects to fund one or two faculty members for summer research in China and encourages applicants from all Schools, departments, and disciplines. These course development grants will offer support for summer salary and other research and travel expenses as appropriate. The grants may also be used to support the teaching of a Harvard course in China.

For both types of grants, preference may be given to proposed projects for which funding might not be otherwise available from traditional sources. All proposals will be reviewed by the Harvard China Fund Steering Committee. Final proposals will be subject to external peer reviews by readers familiar with the proposed field of work.

The program is open to all Harvard faculty at the assistant, associate, and full professorial rank for those who will be continuing at the University in the same capacity for the duration of the research project/course development phase, and who can demonstrate the endorsement of their School, department, or program for this project. Projects may include other researchers or participants, but these individuals may not serve as the principal applicant.

Applicants interested in submitting proposals should e-mail a one-page abstract including a list of key participants and a one-page preliminary budget to jdowning@fas.harvard.edu by Dec. 1. Following a review of the proposed projects, finalists will be asked to submit a formal proposal by Feb. 6, 2009. Final decisions will be announced on May 1, 2009. Potential applicants are also welcome to contact the Harvard China Fund to discuss their ideas further. For more information, visit http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~hcf.