The Critical Digital Humanities Initiative (CDHI) is pleased to announce new grants to support critical digital humanities (DH) research, focusing on funding qualified graduate students registered in any program at the University of Toronto. The program embeds graduate student researchers within existing critical digital humanities research projects at U of T, many of which are also collaborations with librarians and/or community organizations. This call supports grad researchers for the period between February 15, 2022 and August 31, 2022. U of T graduate students at registered in any program, along with a faculty member and/or librarian co-lead, are invited to apply to the program.  

DH projects unfold over many years and crafting a specific piece of these projects as a specific, discrete outcome can be challenging. As a result, grad students often complete their time with a DH project without a research outcome for which they can claim lead author status. This funding opportunity is designed to encourage faculty/librarian-grad student DH collaboration and research publication, however defined, foregrounding the role of the grad student.  

This funding opportunity supports grad students as research associates within a critical DH research project. Eligible project proposals must include a distinct deliverable that the graduate student will complete by 31 August 2022. This might include a digital exhibit, a scholarly article, an app, a map, a podcast episode, or any other research outcome that contributes to the broader research project as well as the student’s research profile. The challenge here is to identify and achieve a specific outcome by the end of the summer that the student can claim credit for as research lead. Graduate students will also give a presentation about their work at the CDHI International Conference in late September 2022. 

The graduate student must be supervised on a specific faculty-led or librarian-led research project. Research teams that include not only faculty members but also librarians and/or community partners will be prioritized. 

While all DH scholars are encouraged to apply, we will also prioritize research projects engaged in critical digital humanities: research that emphasizes questions of power, social justice, and critical theory in making and analyzing digital technologies. We also encourage applications for critical digital humanities projects that foreground creative praxis, co-creation, public engagement, and community-based research. 

Fellowship expectations 

The grants will fund graduate students’ work with research teams for 312 hours. The work can be conducted at any time between February 15 and August 31, 2021 on a schedule agreed upon by the student and faculty and/or librarian supervisor. The student’s work plan will be mutually designed by the student and the research team. The graduate student’s work must also result in a distinct deliverable for which the student can legitimately claim as lead author/maker. Students will give a presentation about their work conducted during the period of the grant at the CDHI International Conference in late September 2022. Students and the faculty and/or library supervisors will complete a brief report to the CDHI by 6 September 2022. 

Compensation 

The grants will fund 312 hours of work, conducted between February 15 and August 31, 2022. The total fellowship value is $10,000 (312 hours at approximately $32/hr). 

Eligibility 

For students: Any graduate students registered in any program at U of T may participate, including pre-comps PhD students and MA students completing their studies in 2022. For supervisors: Any U of T faculty member or librarian leading a digital humanities research project/team.  

Application process 

Each application must have one grad student and one faculty member/librarian as co-leads. The two co-leads are encouraged to collaborate on this proposal together. Either lead can submit the application. Project leads will submit applications via email to dhn.admin@utoronto.ca by January 28, 2022 at 11:59pm EST. 

Using language appropriate to a multi-disciplinary audience, please include a two-page project description that addresses the following: 
 

• Name, title, department and email of the two co-leads.  
• A brief bio of the graduate student (c. 100 words). 
• An explanation of the overall faculty research project, including research questions (c. 300 words) 
• A clear articulation of the research work that the grad student will be undertaking over the course of the fellowship and how it relates to the grad student’s own research program (c. 150 words) 
• A description of what specific research outcome the student will complete by August 31, 2022, and a specific plan/timeline for the research outcome with milestones (c. 200 words). 

• A brief description of how the student will be trained and/or mentored over the course of the fellowship (c. 150 words) 
• If applicable, a discussion of how the project addresses CDHI goals of research that emphasizes questions of power, social justice, and critical theory in making and analyzing digital technologies. If applicable, discuss how your work foregrounds creative praxis, co-creation, public engagement, and community-based research (c. 100 words) 
• A brief description of the overall project team. 

Deadline

Applications are due January 28, 2022 (11:59 pm) via email to dhn.admin@utoronto.ca Results of the competition will be communicated by February 5, 2022.  

Evaluation

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria: 

• Ability to clearly articulate the research work to be conducted by the graduate student, including research outcome 

• Clear demonstration of training and/or mentorship the student will receive 
• Clear demonstration of how the proposed research and training emphasizes questions of power, social justice, and critical theory in making and analyzing digital technologies  
• The extent to which the research includes team members based in a variety of locations, including diverse disciplines, library, departments, and community organizations.  

Adjudication  

An interdisciplinary adjudication committee, drawn from faculty and librarians from across the tri-campus, will be responsible for adjudicating applications.  

How to Reach Us  

To contact the Managing Director, Dr. Danielle Tascherau Mamers, please write: d.taschereau@utoronto.ca. To reach the Faculty Director, Prof. Elspeth Brown, please write: dhn.director@utoronto.ca.

To submit application materials, to reach the CDHI team, or to join the CDHI listserv, please write: dhn.admin@utoronto.ca.

To subscribe to the CDHI’s biweekly newsletter, please follow this link and complete our sign-up form. Follow us on Twitter at @UofTDHN. Explore our website at: https://dhn.utoronto.ca/.