Research Partnerships

2022–23 CDH Research Partnerships

Deadline March 1, 2022

The Center for Digital Humanities seeks curious, experimental scholars to collaborate on our new Research Partnership grants. Princeton faculty from any discipline are welcome to propose small-scale projects that integrate methods, sources or critique from the humanities, the data-driven or computational sciences, and/or design.

Applicants must propose an idea, problem or provocation that can be explored over the course of approximately 6 months. Four weeks over the summer will be devoted to project planning, scoping, and (if relevant) data preparation, for which faculty will receive summer salary.

Types of projects may include:

• Data-driven projects that analyze, make arguments, or tell stories with data of any kind— textual, geo-spatial, network, image, audio, etc. We welcome projects that experiment with artificial intelligence (AI) methods, such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. Outcomes could be a custom data representation (such as visualization, sonification, or physicalization), a machine learning model, and/or an article (academic or for the general public). Please note that datasets must be ready for analysis at the time the collaboration starts. Data may be either custom-made or from an existing dataset. If the latter, any data-use agreements must be signed prior to the start of the project.
• Software engineering projects that would result in a reusable software module or tool to enable or advance a particular research argument.
• Humanistic critique or critical engagement with data-driven technologies, AI, or design. Examples include studies of data and visualizations used to promote misinformation on social media, or how the monetization of personal data should be seen as a form of colonialism. Outcomes would be an article or essay (academic or general public).
• We welcome other creative or boundary-pushing project ideas.

Please note that digitization, or creating a dataset or public-facing website, is out of scope for this cycle of the grant. Scholars who want to create datasets should apply for a Data Fellowship.

Faculty can apply as individuals or with a collaborator/team. Grantees will be matched with CDH staff with relevant technical, domain, or project management expertise. Visiting faculty are not eligible for Research Partnership grants.

Grantees are expected to actively collaborate with CDH staff during the course of the award. They must be available for four weeks over the summer for intensive project planning, and must be available for weekly or biweekly meetings (in person or Zoom) during active collaborative work.

In addition to $5,000 in summer salary, funds (up to $3,000) are available for student research assistants ($25/hour for graduate students; $15/hour for undergraduates). Funds will be transferred to home departments for administration.

Grantees will be required to submit a final report at the conclusion of their award, along with a spending report. Unused research funds will be returned to the CDH at the conclusion of the grant period.

Please submit a 1,000-word project proposal that includes:

• A clear statement of the concept or problem
• The desired outcomes or project goals
• A clear explanation of the project’s intervention in your field. How is the approach innovative or unique? Has this approach been tried before?
• If the project is data-driven, briefly describe the data. Please submit a data sample, and indicate that you have the rights to use or publish studies based on this data. Please consult staff at the Princeton Research Data Service if you are unsure
• The expertise needed from CDH staff
• An indication of your availability for approx. 4 weeks of project planning in the summer (June, July or August 2022), as well as possible and preferred start dates for the 6-month partnership (July 2022-December 2022)
• Funding request. Please indicate any other funding secured or requested for this project.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to the CDH for consultations and dataset review before submission by using our consultation form. Requests for grant consultations must be submitted by Feb 21, 2022 to ensure that we can meet with you.

Application material should be sent as a single PDF file to cdh-info@princeton.edu by 11:59pm EST Tuesday March 1, 2022 with the subject line “Research Partnership Application.” Applications will be reviewed by CDH’s Faculty Executive Committee, and notifications will be sent out by April 1, 2022.