Call for Proposals

The 2016 presidential campaign and election have generated intense popular and scholarly interest.  We are fortunate to be at a thriving university where conversations about the campaign, the election results and the policies of President Trump should be and are important topics of research and teaching.  Faculty and graduate students in the Division of Social Sciences come from diverse methodological and disciplinary traditions and, to be sure, have diverse viewpoints about the election and what it portends.  They are uniquely positioned to lead these conversations among undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science.

In that spirit, I am seeking proposals for the Social Sciences Dean’s Fund for Programs & Teaching Related to the 2016 Presidential Election.  The fund will provide two kinds of support in order to enhance students’ understanding of and engagement with the campaign and election: (i) funding for one-time programs aimed at undergraduate students in Winter Quarter 2017 (open to faculty and graduate students), and (ii) supplemental funding for new courses in the Fiat Lux Seminar Program in Spring Quarter 2017 (open to ladder faculty exclusively).  See below for details, eligibility and proposal deadlines.

Program Funding

We welcome proposals from faculty and graduate students to fund one-time programs aimed at an audience of undergraduate students.  Up to $1,000 may be awarded, but we anticipate most awards will be less than $500.  This conceives broadly of programs including, for example, discussions, guest speakers, film screenings, teach-ins and the like.  Those submitting proposals are encouraged to partner with student organizations. 

  • Programs must occur during Winter Quarter 2017;
  • Programs must be held on the UCLA campus;
  • Only programs held outside of class sessions will be funded (this is not a fund for guest lecturers in a class or other in-class activities);
  • Proposals co-sponsored by departments, student organizations or residential life are welcome;
  • Eligibility: graduate students, instructors with active appointments in Winter Quarter or ladder faculty in departments or interdepartmental programs in the Division of Social Sciences;
  • Two deadlines for proposal submission:
    • For programs to be held before February 3, 2017, proposal deadline is noon, Wednesday, December 14, 2016.
    • For programs to be held between February 4 and March 13, 2017, proposal deadline is noon, Friday, January 20, 2017.

Fiat Lux Seminar Program

Last year more than 200 1-unit courses were offered in UCLA’s Fiat Lux Seminar Program.  In order to incentivize Spring Quarter Fiat Lux seminar offerings related to the 2016 presidential campaign and/or election, ladder faculty are eligible for an additional research award of $1,000 per course (please see the Fiat Lux website for details on faculty compensation they provide).

  • Deadline for proposal submission is Friday, January 6, 2017 at noon; notification within one week in order to allow for submission to Fiat Lux Seminar Program by February 6 deadline.
  • Eligibility: ladder faculty with appointments in departments or interdepartmental programs in the Division of Social Sciences.
  • For information about the Fiat Lux Seminar Program, please go to Fiat Lux (hyperlink to http://www.uei.ucla.edu/fiatluxapply.htm).  For questions specific about Fiat Lux seminars, please contact Ms. Beserat Hagos (Director of Fiat Lux Programs) directly (bhagos@college.ucla.edu).

Proposal Application Must Include the Following:

  1. Applicant’s name, departmental affiliation, and contact information.
  2. Name and contact information of the department manager who will be managing the funds if awarded.
  3. Title and description of proposed program or course (250-500 words).
  4. For programs only, details regarding program format, location, goals, and the intended audience must be specified.
  5. For programs only, a budget specifying the amount requested with any necessary detail. In the budget section, list any other funding received or requested (suggested for ambitious, expensive programs).

For questions/submissions, please email Amanda McAlpin (amcalpin@college.ucla.edu).