The research priority area (RPA) Global Digital Cultures critically explores how digitization is transforming cultural practices around the world, from friendship, intimacy and sexual relations, to the construction, targeting, and surveillance of publics. More information can be found here.
The RPA invites seed grant proposals that focus on questions of global digital cultures. Proposals should address questions and research agendas related to the three themes of Global Digital Cultures, including 1) consumption and participation, 2) production and labor, and 3) security and citizenship. This includes but is not limited to assessments of cultural, socio-economic, and political implications of these types of digitization, as well as a critical assessment of the agendas and efforts of Big Tech companies in these domains. For more information see our areas of inquiry.
Proposals need to be interdisciplinary and involve applicants of at least 2 different faculties at the UvA. To encourage collaboration between faculties we will offer matchmaking-meetings during our launch event on October 2. To participate you should send us a pitch (of max. 200 words) for a research project that can be developed with the seed funding. Please send it to gdc@uva.nl before Friday 25 September. This is aimed to help you establish cross-faculty connections and research projects, but participation in the sessions is not compulsory in order to apply for funding.
The grants have a duration of max 1 year and a value of max EUR 30.000. They can be used for example for data collection, research assistance, as well as extra research time for writing an article, book chapter, or interdisciplinary grant application (NWO, NIAS, KNAW, ERC). Extra research time can lead to a temporary reduction in teaching or to a temporary (additional) research appointment. The grants are available to all assistant, associate and full professors as well as postdocs. External PhD researchers already registered at the UvA may apply for temporary research time. At least one applicant must have a UvA position at the time of the application. The grants must lead to clearly specified results, for example, a grant application, a publication, a dataset, an exhibition or other results.
Application procedure:
- Applications are accepted until October 30th, 2020, via e-mail to gdc@uva.nl
- Applicants should use this application form
- Decisions are made by the RPA Coordinators, using the criteria below
- The grants will be allocated by the financial system SAP for the cost allocation.
- The research can start in January 2021.
Terms and conditions:
- Minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 researchers (Assistant/Associate/Full Professors or Post-Doc/PhD) with main affiliation at the UvA.
- Involvement of applicants of minimal 2 different faculties at the UvA.
- The grants have a maximum value of EUR 30.000 and max 25.000 per applicant per year (for example 2 x 15.000 = 30.000, or 1 x 25.000 + 2 x 2.500 = 30.000 etc. can be applied for).
- Applicants have to use standard FGW hourly rates as provided by the RPA. Please contact us for a table with the fixed hourly rates.
- Funding requested should be proportional to the objectives and projected output. The selection committee reserves the right to award less than the amount requested.
- Proposals that combine applying for a major grant with carrying out research activities leading to publications are also accepted.
- Extra research time can be applied for, with a maximum of 0,1fte for a full year. Applicants should make sure in advance that the time that will be applied for can be used in full for research activities, without requiring a 60/40 split between teaching and research.
- Successful applicants will be expected to report on the results achieved and to acknowledge Global Digital Cultures support explicitly in any publications resulting from the grant.
Evaluation criteria include:
- Quality, originality, and feasibility of the proposal
- Interdisciplinary nature of the research
- Added value to the applicant’s research
- Alignment with one of the three RPA domains
- Clear output (publication and grants) and outreach and contribution to the RPA Global Digital Cultures plan
- The committee may also apply additional macro criteria such as disciplinary, gender, thematic and programmatic diversity
