DePaul Community-based Research Faculty Fellowship

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Deadline: June 1, 2011

The Steans Center will fund up to two Community-based Research Faculty Fellow during
the 2011-2012 academic year. Each Fellow will receive a $3000 stipend and a funded
research assistant. Additional funds will be provided for the Fellow and research
assistant to present their research at an academic conference of their choice.

A fellowship can be proposed by any DePaul University faculty member who seeks to
conduct research in partnership with one or more community-based organization and
who incorporates undergraduate and/or graduate student research linked to a course
curriculum (minimum 1 course during the fellowship year). All projects must in some
way aim at improving the quality of life for residents of Chicago and must be driven by the
interests of a community partner(s). Fellowship applications are encouraged from any
topic area.

Funding Criteria:
• The research project is community-based in nature (i.e., at minimum research questions are
defined in partnership with a non-profit community-based organization in Chicago; relevant
community participation in the research process is strongly encouraged).
• The research project is integrated into at least one course during the 2011-2012 academic year.
This means that some component of the research—from literature review to dissemination of
findings—should be integrated with curriculum for undergraduates and/or graduate students;
• The research assistant is a DePaul student from the faculty member’s department.
• The fellow is expected to develop a research report or working paper that will be submitted to the
community-based organization and archived at the Steans Center for Community-based Service
Learning;
• The faculty fellow and or her/his research assistant will make a presentation based on the
research at the 4th Annual Services Speaks Conference (May 2012) sponsored by the Steans
Center.
• The fellow is expected to submit a paper proposal based on the research at an academic
conference of their choice (the Steans Center will fund reasonable expenses for conference
attendance for both the Fellow and the student research assistant) within a year of completion of
the project. The Fellow is strongly encouraged to include the student research assistant as co-
presenter.
• The fellow is expected to submit an article based on the research to a peer-reviewed journal of
their choice within two years of completing the project. The Fellow is strongly encouraged to
include the student research assistant as co-author on the article.
• Once the above requirements of the fellowship are met, fellows are encouraged to again submit a
proposal for subsequent academic years.

Application Process:
Proposals should be sent in MS Word format electronically to Howard Rosing, Executive Director,
Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning at hrosing@depaul.edu. All proposals will be
reviewed by a faculty committee comprised of researchers experienced with community-based and
participatory methods. Candidates will receive a response to their proposals by early July 2011.

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Proposal Structure:

Project description should not exceed 5 double-spaced, typed pages and should include the following:

• project abstract;

• project rationale;

• research aims and goals;

• theoretical foundations;

• discussion of methodologies;

• brief description of how the project articulates with the goals and objectives of the community-
based organization partner;

• a brief description of at least one DePaul course that will involve student contributions to the
research during AY 11-12;

• research timeline;

• plans for submission of the research proposal to the University’s IRB

• a job description for the research assistant (undergraduate or graduate)

• a letter of support from the partnering community-based organization

• A short bibliography relevant to the research

For questions, please contact Howard Rosing, hrosing@depaul.edu, 773-325-7463.