Objective

Library & Information Technology Summer Research Grants support faculty interested in utilizing digital tools and methods to further their research. These grants are aligned with the University’s digital scholarship initiative, whereby research is enhanced, extended, or reconsidered through application of technology and furthers the goal of engaging students in digital scholarship outside of the classroom. Proposals should focus on a faculty member’s professional research; student participants should engage in digital forms of analysis and/or publication that contribute to the larger research project.

These grants are competitive; thus submission of a proposal does not insure an award. Awards will be given for either new initiatives or digital projects underway. Priority will be given to those who have not received outside grant funds or previous Bucknell funds to support this digital scholarship work. Faculty receive a stipend per university guidelines. Students will be employed at the standard Bucknell University student pay rate for 10 weeks over the summer and are provided on-campus housing; they also agree to work an average of at least 20 hours a week on the project. All funded projects will involve collaboration with a Digital Pedagogy & Scholarship staff member.

Eligibility

Untenured and tenured faculty are eligible. Faculty in the last year of an appointment are not eligible. One may apply for a digital summer research project grant in addition to another type of scholarly development grant (e.g. FDC, Summer Research Session), with the understanding that each of these is competitive.

Application Guidelines

To apply for this grant, please submit the following information by Friday, March 1, 2024. Each application must include all components described below, assembled into a single .pdf file and emailed as an attachment to Todd Suomela (todd.suomela@bucknell.edu). 

Please review your application carefully prior to submission. Applications that do not include all information requested below will not be considered. Potential applicants are required to consult with an Digital Pedagogy & Scholarship Staff member prior to finalizing the proposal. Address questions regarding expectations of the proposal to a staff member.

1. A Cover Sheet that asks for the following information:
   • Title or short description of your project
   • Expected outcomes (digital artifact, research article, book, conference presentation, work of art, etc.)
   • List of previous Bucknell grants applied for, including year of application and whether the proposal was funded
   • List of any previous or upcoming sabbaticals or UTFLs
   • List of other internal and/or external funding sources you currently have available, or for which you are applying
     
     
2. A Project Proposal. Limit the body of the proposal to four single-spaced pages (12-point font, reasonable margins), although appendices may be included when appropriate. The proposal must include the following subsections:
   • Project Description: Describe the content of the current or planned project. The description should include a description of the proposed practices and tool-use that will develop through this iterative development process.
   • Rationale: Clearly identify how you will define learning outcomes for the student researcher working on the project. What kind of information literacy and/or technological competency will the student researcher develop through collaborating with you on your research project. Include a statement about how you imagine using the completed project in your own scholarship or teaching.
   • Work Plan: Include an estimate of the number of days or weeks you expect to devote to this project during the summer, details about the scope of student researcher work and a projected schedule or timeline, and outline a work plan that includes regular meetings with an DP&S staff member.
   • Other Summer Professional Commitments: Your commitment to the research project is essential to its success. Include a description of your other summer professional commitments (summer teaching duties, summer chair duties, research projects, consulting obligations, independent study supervision, etc.) and the amount of your time each commitment is expected to take.
     
     
3. Chair’s letter of endorsement. As part of the application process, your department chair or program director will submit a letter of endorsement. To be helpful to the Selection Committee, the letter of endorsement should explain why the proposed project is significant and provide the Committee with a context within which to evaluate the proposals. Department chairs/Program directors who are themselves applying should ask a colleague to write this letter. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the proposal to the chair/director (or faculty member writing this letter) at least five working days before the deadline so that they may write an informed letter of endorsement. Chairs/Directors will submit the letter no later than the proposal deadline.

Evaluation of Proposals

Proposals will be will be evaluated L&IT in consultation with CLIR. Applicants will be notified before spring break. In evaluating the merit of proposals, the Committee will consider first and foremost the quality of the proposal. The Committee will also consider time demands associated with other summer commitments and the impact those time demands may have on the ability to complete the project within the two-month period. Potential applicants are required to consult with an Digital Pedagogy & Scholarship staff member if in need of guidance in writing the proposal.

Expectations and Outcomes

• Faculty and student will be on campus during the summer to work with members of L&IT on a regular basis, including weekly work sessions
• Faculty and student will present project work in progress over the summer and coming academic year (including but not limited to The Susquehanna Valley Undergraduate Symposium, The Bucknell Digital Scholarship Conference, The Kalman Undergraduate Research Symposium, and/or an L&IT sponsored event).
• Faculty member will provide a written assessment of the completed summer research project to be posted publicly on a public-facing L&IT report.

For examples of past summer research grant projects, please see the Digital Pedagogy & Scholarship showcase.