Call for Applications
Call release date: October 20, 2023
Applications are due by November 20, 2023 at noon
About: The Institute for Diversity Science will fund two visiting scholars for the academic year 2024–2025. The goal of the visiting scholars program is to bring influential diversity science researchers from other universities to the UW–Madison campus. The typical length of stay for visiting scholars will be one academic year (9–12 months).
Eligibility: The visiting scholar needs to be a collaborator of an IDS affiliate, and the affiliate will need to submit the application on behalf of the visiting scholar (i.e., the IDS affiliate is the “PI”). Each affiliate can submit at most one application. Key criteria for selection are: (a) past accomplishments of the visiting scholar (are they a leader in their field?), (b) importance of the proposed collaborative research (and the extent to which the research qualifies as diversity science), and (c) the extent to which the visiting scholar will help IDS work toward its mission and goals.
The Fall Visiting Scholars Program targets senior researchers (post tenure) who have established themselves as leaders in the field. If none of the applications are retained for funding, there will be a Spring Visiting Scholars Program that targets junior faculty and post-docs.
Funding: Like UW–Madison, many universities across the country offer their faculty the choice between a one-semester sabbatical (with 100% of the salary) and a two-semester sabbatical (with a reduced salary). The visiting scholars program will cover (a) the difference between the reduced and the full salary, (b) moving costs ($20k), and (c) research funding (also $20k).
There are no restrictions on how the research funding ($20k) is spent, except it cannot be used for teaching buy-out for UW–Madison faculty, cannot be used to fund graduate students and postdocs at UW–Madison, and cannot be used for any salary other than for paying student hourlies.
The above-mentioned difference between the full and the reduced salary is capped at $65k. It can only be used for visiting scholars who are on sabbatical leave from their home institution. The visiting scholar is expected to establish residency in the Madison area and to spend the majority of their time at UW–Madison. They will be provided an office at the Institute for Diversity Science (700 Regent St.). The visiting scholar is further expected to actively participate in the scientific activities and social events of the IDS.
IDS will inform applicants of the funding decision by the middle of December. The awarded funds must be spent between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
Goals: The IDS Visiting Scholars Program aims to support innovative collaborations in the field of diversity science. The proposed research can be fundamental or applied, and it can advance knowledge on diversity, equity, and inclusion over the short or long term.
In the online form applicants will be asked to explain how their proposed research is related to diversity science. What is Diversity Science?
Please be aware that diversity science examines the barriers of numerous groups in our society. These groups are defined by dimensions such as gender identity, ethnic/racial identity, religious identity, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, age, socio-economic status, being a first-generation college student or not, being from a rural vs. urban background, political affiliation, weight, appearance, and physical and mental health. In case of a tie, preference will be given to projects on groups that have historically been the target of the most severe discrimination and for which the greatest disparities exist in the United States.
Application Deadline: November 20, 2023, at noon. Click the button to apply. You will be asked to provide the information listed below.
If you prefer to work on your answers in a Word document before entering them into the online form, you can download the questions here.
PI’s first and last name [only one PI is possible, and that PI needs to be an IDS affiliate member]
PI’s affiliation and email
Visiting scholar’s first and last name [only one visiting scholar is possible]
Visiting scholar’s affiliation and email
Co-investigators’ first names, last names, and affiliations (up to five Co-Is as long as they are actively involved in the research project described below)
Title of project (max. 40 words): The “project” refers to the research that the visiting scholar plans to conduct while being at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The project should be a collaborative research project with one or more IDS affiliates. The goal should be to produce one or more scientific publications on which the IDS affiliate member(s) is (are) co-author(s).
Abstract of project (max. 250, preferred: around 150 words): Your abstract should contain a summary of your research project including a description of the research question you plan to examine. It should be comprehensible for non-specialized audiences.
Description of the project (max. 1000 words, preferred: around 700 words): What is the theoretical and/or applied interest of the proposed research? Why is it important to study the research question you are proposing? What you are proposing to do (i.e., your Methods)? What data will you collect? How? From whom? Or are you going to use secondary data? Which ones? Describe how your project will provide an answer to the research question proposed above.
Relevance to diversity science (max. 200 words, preferred: around 100 words): Explain why your project qualifies as “diversity science.” See this website for a definition of diversity science. Note that diversity science usually involves data or information that can be quantified (e.g., 30 semi-structured interviews with individuals who do and do not belong to marginalized groups that are later content-coded). Diversity science also goes beyond the mere demonstration of bias or of disparities. It does so by either identifying factors that causally affect discrimination or group-based inequalities or by suggesting methods to reduce discrimination, promote inclusion, increase the success and well-being of members of marginalized groups, or remove systemic forms of injustice.
References (no word limit): List all references cited in the proposal.
Budget: Enter the total amount of money you are applying for in dollars (difference in salary only) [no decimals, no periods or commas]
Budget justification (max. 100 words, preferred: around 50 words): What is the visiting scholar’s full salary? What is their salary if they take a two-semester sabbatical leave? There is no need to justify the moving costs or the research funds.
Please choose one answer: I confirm that there is no substantial overlap between the current project and another project for which I have already obtained funding. Yes – No.
Please upload a recent CV or detailed Biosketch for the PI (the IDS affiliate)
Please upload a detailed, recent CV for the visiting scholar.
Please upload a letter by the visiting scholar confirming that they are eligible for a two-semester sabbatical leave in 2024-25. Furthermore, the letter should state that, if they are chosen as an IDS visiting scholar, (a) they intend to spend the entire academic year 2024-25 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, (b) they intend to move to Madison and spend the vast majority of their time there, (c) they plan on actively participating in the scientific activities and social events of the IDS.
Please upload two recent publications (5 years old or less) that illustrate the visiting scholar’s accomplishments in the field of diversity science. Papers that are currently in press or that are an invited resubmission are OK.