2. Today’s Agenda KIAS Vision KIAS: A Brief History KIAS Governance KIAS Themes (2011-2013) KIAS Programs
3. KIAS Vision To foster an innovative intellectual environment for the interdisciplinary study of major modern and historical, political, social, economic, and cultural issues and, therein, advance society and global polity in a manner consistent with the high humanitarian ideals of the founding benefactors, Drs. Peter and Doris Kule.
4. KIAS: A Brief History June 2008: Recommendation of “Arts in the 21st Century” Committee to establish a Centenary Institute for the Arts September 2008: Commitment of President Samarasekera at Arts Faculty Council to support a Research Institute for the SSHRC disciplines in a major donor could be found November 2009: President Samarasekera announces the Kule endowment gift of $4 million
5. KIAS: A Brief History April 2010: KIAS is approved by Academic Programs Committee July 2010: KIAS formally established Fall 2010: consultation on KIAS’s research themes and programs November 2010: formal launch of KIAS, Faculty Club January 2011: KIAS Administrative Board approves research themes and programs (2011-2013) February-October 2011: roll-out of KIAS’s programs
6. KIAS Governance Administrative Board, chaired by Provost Amrhein Advisory Council, chaired by Provost’s delegate, Ernie Ingles, Head Librarian Research Committee, chaired by KIAS Director, Jerry Varsava
7. Theme Preamble Fall 2010, KIAS engaged in an extensive consultation of undergraduates and graduate students, faculty, and research administrators, in an effort to identify topics of major local, national, and global consequence that, consistent with the Institute’s mandate, could be explored from a socially-engaged, interdisciplinary standpoint by researchers and creative artists in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Fine Arts. Administrative Board approved the topics on January 11, 2011 and therein set the research agenda for KIAS for the next three years (2011-2013). The three focal topics provide direction to researchers and creative artists seeking KIAS sponsorship of their work, but also breadth and latitude to allow a full play of imaginative and analytical energies in the research and creative enterprise.
8. KIAS Themes (2011-2013) Stewardship of the Planet Place, Belonging, and Otherness Culture, Media, Technology
9. 1. Stewardship of the Planet What defines ethical environmental stewardship? What are the ethical limits of development? What roles should Albertans assume as informed environmental citizens? What does environmental sustainability mean as the global population approaches seven billion? How can responsible, sustainable development occur in an increasingly interdependent world where competitive demands for such things as energy, metals, minerals, food, fiber, and water are accelerating? How can these demands be mitigated, reduced, or eliminated?
10. …continued What are the social, political, economic, and cultural implications of the potential crisis in global food supply that may arise from climate change and other factors? What are the environmental implications of gas and oil development and the pursuit of affordable energy in a climate-change world? How has the politics of food been used in the past to advance political objectives?
11. 2. Place, Belonging, and Otherness What is the meaning of place, and how has it been constructed historically? How is it being constructed today? What is the social and political force of narratives of belonging and otherness? How has the movement of peoples, especially during periods of great social duress (e.g., war, revolutions, and natural disasters), affected notions of place and belonging? How do borders and boundaries constrain, or produce, notions of personal and group identity?
12. …continued How do place and belonging influence spirituality? How do borders and boundaries affect diasporic and minority communities in Alberta and beyond? How do they affect people with disabilities? How do they affect indigenous peoples in Canada? How has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms shaped notions of place and belonging in Canadian society? (2012 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Charter’s passage into law.)
13. 3. Culture, Media, Technology How will live theatre and music performance as well as traditional approaches to presentation of the visual arts evolve as technology increases its hold on our discretionary ‘free’ time? What strategies can be employed to ensure the preservation of live cultural interaction? How will print-based literary works evolve in a time of technological change and multi-media representations? How will the folkloric arts? How have evolving social patterns and economic models affected artistic creations?
14. …continued How are the arts making use of new technologies to develop innovative and novel artistic forms and expressions? How can education in the arts, and through the arts, influence the quality of life within and beyond the borders of Alberta? How has the critical intelligence of media theorist, and Edmonton native, Marshall McLuhan, advanced our understanding of the power of the media in our everyday lives? (2011 marks the one-hundredth anniversary of McLuhan’s birth.)
15. Overview of Programs All continuing University of Alberta faculty members, full or part-time, doing research and/or creative activity in the Fine Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences, and resident in SSHRC-discipline Faculties and Schools Faculty members are restricted to one application per competition, and one course per application. One may serve as Principal Investigator on one grant, and also be a member of another grant team as collaborator. N.B. Consistent with SSHRC policy, KIAS does not provide support to health-related areas. SSHRC Faculties & Schools Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences Arts Augustana Business Campus Saint Jean Education Extension Law Library and Information Studies Native Studies Physical Education and Recreation
19. Tomorrow’s Ideas, Now May 9, 2011 – Abstracts due KIAS International Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Student Conference August 17 to 20, 2011 A limited number of accommodation and travel grants available on a competitive basis
20. Overview of Programs Kule Dialogues Small grants for local dissemination Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowships (tentative deadline: June 1, 2011) 4 grants @$6,000 must work in a KIAS-mandated area of research firm expectation of completing a doctoral program within 12 months following tenure PDF Research Grants (tentative deadline: September 15, 2011) 4 to 6 grants @$2,000 to $4,000 grants for Killam, SSHRC, other PDFs designation as KIAS Research Fellow must contribute to the intellectual life of University through lectures, classes, etc.
21. Research Clusters Goals The KIAS Research Cluster Grants Program seeks to bring together researchers—continuing faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, Postdoctoral Fellows—with a commitment to the interdisciplinary study of major issues of social important in order to facilitate impactful research. The Program is not meant to replace other sources of research funding such as SSHRC grants, but rather to advance research projects whether at a gestational, developed, or concluding phase of development. Holders of Cluster Grants will be provided support for local dissemination of research and creative activity under the auspices of the Kule Dialogues Program upon separate post-award application. Value up to $15,000 Duration 12 or 18 months
22. Research Clusters Adjudication Criteria Alignment with KIAS’s themes Interdisciplinarity Preference given to projects involving interdepartmental and/or inter-Faculty collaboration Preference given to projects with undergraduate and/or graduate student participation and full involvement in project Preference given to projects with clear dissemination plan Research or creative record, with activity contextualized within applicant’s seniority
23. InterD Seminars Goals to integrate the Institute’s research mission with the strategic objective of the University of Alberta to provide structured opportunities to develop undergraduate inquiry and research skills to enhance the research acumen of graduate students to bring together instructors and students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds in order to develop novel ways of understanding one or more of KIAS’s focus themes Value Up to six Seminars to be funded, @$8,000 per course, buy-out to Department or Faculty; possibility of supplementary $1,000 grant Duration One half-course equivalent course (9 cwts.) to be delivered in either 2011 Fall or 2012 Winter
24. InterD Seminars Adjudication Criteria Alignment with KIAS’s themes Interdisciplinarity Strength of research component Seminars may be co- or team-taught with advance approval of concerned Chair(s) or Dean(s) Preference given to Seminars likely to attract senior undergraduate and graduate students from diverse disciplines, and likely to have enrolments of 8 or more students N.B. Seminars may be co- or team-taught with advance approval of concerned Chair(s) or Dean(s).Seminars can be cross-listed within departments as, for example, 4XX/5XX; further, they may be cross-listed between departments and/or Faculties, subject to advance approval of concerned Chair(s) or Dean(s)
25. External Research Collaboration Grants of up to $5,000 to holders of Research Cluster Grants, subject to matching by external partner Applicants encouraged to consider collaborators from among preferred partners, such as members of World Universities Network (WUN) http://www.wun.ac.uk/ Tentative deadline: October 21, 2011
26. Kule Dialogues Small grants for dissemination locally through lectures, lunch talks, workshops, colloquia Cluster Grant holders are obliged to participate in this program and have first call Others may apply for funds, subject to availability (beginning Fall 2011)
27. More information? Jerry Varsava, 492-6781 jerry.varsava@ualberta.ca Gillian Edwards, 492-6436 gillian.edwards@ualberta.ca 3-22 Arts Building www.kias.ualberta.ca
