2019-2020 Sciences Po Collaboration Grants

Request for Proposals

Social Science Matrix, the University of California, Berkeley’s flagship center for cross-disciplinary social science research, is partnering with Sciences Po, a premier university based in Paris, France, to provide seed funding for collaborative partnerships between scholars from the two universities. Each institution has committed to create a pool of funding for grants that will enable faculty members to work together on a cross-institutional basis.

Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), UC Berkeley faculty members are invited to submit applications for Matrix/Sciences Po Collaboration Grants, to be used to fund activities that will support this program’s goals. Proposals are due on March 31, 2019 by 11:59pm PST.

BACKGROUND AND GOALS

The primary goal of this initiative is to support collaborations between two of the world’s premier centers for social science research: UC Berkeley and Sciences Po, which is based in Paris and has campuses in multiple locations across France. Social Science Matrix has a mission to support groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary social science research, and we are committed to extending this mission beyond the campus through meaningful partnerships with institutions around the world. Sciences Po has a similarly global outlook, and is one of the world’s leading centers for the study of important global challenges like public health, urban development, security, environmental policy, and other topics. The partnership has potential to lead to valuable research that will have an impact on important 21st-century issues.

We anticipate awarding Seed Grants of up to $5,000 for each project, to support collaborations starting as early as July 2019. Eligible projects may vary in timeframe and scope (though funds must be used by June 30, 2020); we encourage applicants to seek complementary funding if needed, for example from the France-Berkeley Fund. Applicants are asked to elaborate the best method for collaboration and exchange according to their respective discipline, theme, or the constituency the grant will serve. These activities may include but are not limited to:

  • Faculty exchanges 

  • Research seminars designed to generate new research strategies 

  • Workshops for faculty and students

In addition to receiving funding, UC Berkeley faculty members who spend time in France through this initiative will be provided with meeting and office space at their chosen location. Matrix will also provide administrative support and help publicize the work of a project team if desired. 


GRANT CONDITIONS

  • Initiatives should promote collaboration between one or more faculty members from UC Berkeley with one or more faculty members from Sciences Po. Collaborations may be brand new, or they may be new initiatives launched by past collaborators. 

  • Proposals will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary committee and judged for scientific promise, contribution to the program goals, and long-term potential impact. Proposals will also be reviewed jointly by representatives from UC Berkeley and Sciences Po.
  • Projects may focus on any social science research question. Priority is given to proposals that focus on real-world challenges and/or have the potential to make a meaningful, longer-term impact. This RFP is not restricted to any one discipline or methodology. 

  • Successful applicants are required to prepare a one- to two-page project report at the end of the funding period, highlighting in particular the intellectual output of the project, including any grant applications for future work. 

  • Successful applicants should provide acknowledgement of support from Social Science Matrix and Sciences Po in any publications, presentations, articles, or interviews, and other means of disseminating research results.

PROPOSAL CONTENTS 


The proposal body should not exceed four single-spaced pages. Applicants must provide the following information in their proposals:

  • A title and short description of the project; 

  • The name and contact information of collaborating faculty members from UC Berkeley 
and Sciences Po, with email addresses, departmental affiliations, disciplinary backgrounds, and 
brief biographies; 

  • Background on the collaborators’ past relationship and a summary of why this collaboration 
will be useful or productive; 

  • A description of the research topic to be investigated, including a concise statement of 
its interdisciplinary nature and significance; 

  • An outline of near- and long-term goals and expected outcomes for the initiative, as well as a 
proposed timeline; 

  • A summary of potential opportunities for future partnerships/collaborations (if any); 

  • An explanation of how the exchanges between Sciences Po and Matrix will contribute to one 
or more UC Berkeley departments, schools, or programs; 

  • A summary of how the partnership may create opportunities for graduate students to 
participate; 

  • The amount of funding requested, along with a brief budget detailing how funds would be 
used. (Please note that due to budgetary restrictions, funded proposals may receive less 
funding than requested.) 

  • For faculty exchanges, a letter of support from the director of the Sciences Po research unit 
where the UC Berkeley applicant intends to work. 


SUBMISSION PROCESS 


Please download the application guidelines and submit proposals through this form.

Proposals are due on March 31, 2019 by 11:59pm PDT. Applicants will be notified of results in April. If you have questions, please contact Jessica Stewart, Associate Director of Programs for Social Science Matrix, at jsart@berkeley.edu or Vincent Morandi, Sciences Po head of Research office, at vincent.morandi@sciencespo.fr. 
To learn more about Social Science Matrix, please visit http://matrix.berkeley.edu. For more about Sciences Po, visit http://www.sciencespo.fr/recherche/en.