These projects typically examine contemporary social science issues of common interest. Successful applications focus on projects that can address critical topics that build on core faculty or programmatic strengths and that can benefit immediately from an infusion of university resources. The overall goal is to build on nascent areas of faculty expertise and create new research synergies among faculty across campus. Some examples of timely topics could include work on national and international threats to democracy, inequality and its consequences, and implicit race and gender biases.

Prior to 2016, the CCSS supported Theme Projects, but the name was changed to Collaborative Projects to emphasize the CCSS’ interest in projects that are interdisciplinary or include members from multiple colleges on campus.