Call for Applications: National and International Security Course Development Funds

The Center for Slavic and East European Studies (CSEES) seeks to support the development of new, interdisciplinary courses that address topics and issues related to international or national security in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. In particular, CSEES wishes to support courses at the 4000- or 5000-level that will be geared towards upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and/or professional students, including MA students in Slavic and East European studies. Potential topics addressing national and international security are broadly defined, meaning that courses do not need to be restricted to the social sciences. For example, a course could address questions related to climate change, language change and adaptations, migration, cross-border public health crises and responses, food security, or economic interdependence, and be housed in any division within the College of Arts and Sciences or another college or school within the university. At least 25% of required course readings, lectures, other content, or assignments as outlined in the syllabus must specifically focus on Eastern Europe and/or Eurasia to be eligible. Comparative courses that aim to explore a topic across regions are welcome as long as this minimum area studies threshold is reached.

Budget: CSEES seeks to fund one - two applications over the summer of 2021 with a maximum of $4,500 being awarded for each course. Funds can be requested for supplemental compensation, off-duty pay, research travel support (in accordance with any university policy restricting or permitting travel), or curriculum materials. All activities must take place and funds be used by August 14, 2021. Please provide a draft budget and brief narrative outlining the funds requested, rationale, proposed dates and locations of associated activities, and any other matching or additional sources of funding (matching funding not required). If requesting funds for salary costs, you should clearly describe how many hours you anticipate spending on the project, or if requesting travel, how the travel will connect with research and teaching related to Eastern Europe/Eurasia. Before any award is finalized, CSEES staff will work with you, your home department, and the Office of Sponsored Programs to make sure the proposed activities and budget are feasible. Funds are coming from CSEES’ Title VI Comprehensive National Resource Grant and as such, funds cannot be transferred to another unit.   

Application Process: Faculty who wish to apply should submit to Eileen Kunkler (kunkler.10@osu.edu) by Friday, May 14 a complete application. A complete application consists of a one - two page narrative and budget that describes the course and how it addresses the criteria outlined below. Dr. Angela Brintlinger, the director of CSEES, will review all applications received and announce funding decisions by Wednesday, May 26.

Funding Criteria: Applicants should address in their narrative the following criteria that will be used to make funding decisions. Additionally, applications will be assessed based on how much funding they have requested and whether it is proportionate to the activities described and Eastern European/Eurasian content in the final course. 

1. Interdisciplinarity: address how the course will integrate theories, conceptual frameworks, content, and scholarship from at least two different fields of study;
2. Potential demand: articulate the potential audiences for this course at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and evidence to support that there is demand for the course;
3. Home department: outline which department would be the home unit for this course, potential cross-listings if applicable, and supporting documentation from the department(s) that this course will be offered. An email from the department chair is sufficient stating that the department agrees to submit the course for curriculum review, oversee the review process, and that the faculty member who applied for the funding will offer the course within one-year of the course receiving curriculum approval; and
4. Eastern European/Eurasian content: describe how the course will cover Eastern Europe/Eurasia and the approximate final percentage of the course content that will relate to the region.  

Expected Deliverables: If selected for funding, CSEES expects to receive a final draft of the syllabus for the new course by August 14, 2021. The draft syllabus should be sufficiently complete that it would be considered ready to submit to the relevant curriculum committee for review. To ensure that this is received, CSEES will not process the final payments (either final travel reimbursements or pay) until a syllabus is provided.

This funding opportunity is limited to faculty at The Ohio State University!