ISS Theme Projects
Call for 2010-2013 Preproposals

The Institute for the Social Sciences (ISS) is now accepting preproposals for its 2010-2013 theme project.

The ISS theme project allows Cornell faculty members to work in-residence at the Institute to collaborate on a common interdisciplinary topic. Lasting three years, at the core of each project is social science research that will attract attention from national and international academic communities as well as private and government funding agencies.

Each theme project should challenge those within and beyond Cornell to look anew at critical issues in the social sciences and reconsider their own social worlds. For faculty, it offers opportunities for sustained discussion of a core subject and its implications. For students, the project offers stimulating courses and opportunities for collaborative research.

In the first year of each theme project, the institute recruits up to 10 faculty members from Cornell as core participants. These team members spend time planning the events of year 2, which may include weekly seminars, workshops, conferences, courses, and collaborative research. During the first year, they learn how to work as a team and also may recruit post-docs. The year culminates with a major public lecture by the project leader and team members that makes the case for the theme project and previews its activities.

The second year of the project is the most active, as core team members lead activities that engage the campus and the community. In year 2, core team members have offices at ISS, and are expected to devote at least 50 percent of their time and energy to the theme project in exchange for partial course and administrative relief.

In the third year, each theme project focuses on completing a set of substantive scholarly outputs, as well as establishing a legacy for the project at Cornell. This can be broadly defined, and might include a series of journal articles, an edited volume, a major grant proposal, or the building of a research center or institute.

All tenure-track Cornell faculty are invited to propose theme projects. Interested faculty are encouraged to discuss their ideas with the ISS Director, before submitting a preproposal. Please contact Anneliese Truame (607-255-3304) to make an appointment.

Interested tenure-track faculty should email a 3-page, double-spaced preproposal and a curriculum vita to socialsciences@cornell.edu by Monday, October 12, 2009 (Deadline now extended to Monday, October 19, 2009). The preproposal should describe the theme, argue for its importance, and provide a list of relevant Cornell faculty and outside experts. By mid-November, a small number of finalists will be announced, each of whom will be invited to submit full, 20-page, double-spaced final proposals that describe the theme and associated participants and activities in greater detail (Feb. 14, 2010 deadline). For more details, see FAQ, final proposal guidelines, and an example of a successful final proposal.

Contact

socialsciences@cornell.edu

607-255-3304