New ISLS Grants Program: Regional and Affinity Outreach & Engagement

Call for Proposals

Grants Program for Regional and Affinity Outreach & Engagement
Promoting the Learning Sciences

While we see many Learning Sciences researchers around the world come to present their studies and discuss new ideas intensively at our annual conferences (ICLS and CSCL), we also recognize that more researchers are interested in the field but cannot be at our annual conference for financial reasons and we receive many requests of support for regional or affinity group activities. There are also scientists that do research having affinity to ours, but are not aware of ISLS.

This is a call for proposals for support for interested regional and affinity outreach and engagement activities to take place during 2019. It is our hope that the accepted projects will lead to sustainable collaboration and engagement with ISLS in future years. Preference will be given to proposals for new programs, but proposals for support of ongoing programs will be considered. Proposals are due December 31st, 2018. January 7, 2019.

Guidelines for applicants for funds to support ISLS 2019 regional and affinity outreach projects:

  1. Proposal: Clearly but briefly state your plans in NO MORE THAN two single-spaced pages.
  2. Provide the following information in your proposals (Bullet points): (1) the importance of the proposed regional or affinity outreach projects to the community, (2) any activities related to the Learning Sciences in the previous years, (3) the planned regional or affinity outreach/engagement activities with the funding, (4) a plan of assessing success and impact, and (5) future plans after funding (including how the proposed initiative will build connections with ISLS in the future). Applicants should also submit any additional evidence for reviewers to evaluate their proposals with their application forms, such as their activity programs or proceedings in the previous years.
  3. Amounts requested may be up to US$5,000. Include a short justification for the use of the funds. Indicate any additional matching funds or in-kind contributions, and include letters of commitment from collaborative partners.
  4. List of program organizers should be provided in the proposal together with the recent academic publications of each member. We expect at least three active ISLS members in the list. If fewer than 3, the proposal must address why this criterion cannot be met, e.g., financial reasons, travel possibilities to main conferences, etc.
  5. An interim and final report will be required. By the end of May, 2019, the funded groups are required to submit an interim report on their activities as they have progressed to date (in one single-spaced page or less). The interim report will be used to provide an update to the Board at their annual meeting. By the end of January, 2020, each funded group should submit a summative final report (two single-spaced pages) of the events to the Grant Program Committee .
  6. Send your application by email attachment (subject heading ‘ISLS Regional or Affinity Outreach 2018’) to Dimitra Tsovaltzi, [email protected] no later than December 31st, 2018January 7, 2019.

Applications will be ranked by the Grant Program Committee working group according to the following criteria

  1. Clarity and quality of the proposed activity;
  2. Expected impact in terms of reaching a critical or broad audience;
  3. Evidence, in the form of matching funds or in-kind contributions, of partnership outside of your immediate academic department;
  4. Indication as to how the project might lead to new or ongoing successful outreach, engagement, or collaborations, as well as how the project will encourage new connections with the Society.

We expect to fund up to three applications, with announcement of awards to take place by January 31st, 2019.

We are looking forward to your applications!

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