CREECA
Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia

CREECA Graduate Student Short-term Research Awards

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PURPOSE

CREECA Graduate Student Short-Term Research Awards provide support to UW-Madison graduate and professional students of any discipline to conduct fieldwork and research pertaining to the study of Russia, Eastern/Central Europe, and/or Central Asia/Eurasia.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility Criteria: All applicants must be masters, doctoral or professional school students in good standing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the current academic year. The competition is open to US citizens and international students.

AWARD DETAILS

  • CREECA Graduate Student Research awards are available for fieldwork and research conducted in Russia, Eastern/Central Europe, and/or Central Asia/Eurasia and range from $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the duration of the project. Starting in spring 2020, proposals will also be considered for graduate research projects not involving travel.
  • Awards can be made only for travel or other expenses related to the approved research proposal. The payment of CREECA awards to students must be made in compliance with the new (October 2018) UW-Madison “Student Payment Guidelines.” In general, this means that the awards will be paid as a “scholarship” (through SIS) to U.S. citizens and permanent residents and as a “lump-sum payment” (through payroll) to non-resident aliens. There may be tax implications for these awards. Because payments are made directly to students, travel need not be booked through Concur or Fox World Travel.
  • Allowable expenses in the budget may include such items as international airfare, per diem for meals and incidentals, accommodations, and ground transportation. Starting in spring 2020, proposals will also be considered for graduate research projects not involving travel, and so other allowable expenses could include surveys, database purchases, access to archives, etc.
  • In compliance with UW-Madison policy, students conducting research in any country that is under a U.S. Department of State “travel warning” must have their proposed travel approved by the University International Travel Committee. Please contact Ron Machoian for more information about this policy.
  • Students whose research travel is fully funded through other sources (e.g. a fellowship, grant, or department funds) are not eligible to apply for CREECA funds.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

CREECA now considers applications on a rolling basis, throughout the academic year. Requests for funding should be made well in advance of the travel, and at least 30 days before the trip. During the 2019-2020 academic year, applications will be reviewed monthly, on the 15th of each month. (When the 15th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, applications will be reviewed on the first Monday after the 15th.) Please note that beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year, we will be moving to one fall deadline (October 15; for travel and/or projects commencing no sooner than December of that year) and one spring deadline (Feb. 15; for travel and/or projects commencing no sooner than May of that year).

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

A complete application will include all of the following:

  • Copy of applicant’s CV or resume
  • Proposal narrative providing the following information (the information below should be included in a single document):
    1. Research Project Title
    2. Research Project Abstract
    3. Description of how this paper/project relates to your larger academic plans/professional advancement
    4. Explanation of the significance and contribution of this research to your discipline
    5. Proposed Fieldwork Site (if applicable)
    6. Proposed Travel Dates (if applicable)
    7. Details of Fieldwork Plans (library and archive visits, interviews, etc.) or Data Acquisition Plans (for surveys, database purchase, etc.)
  • Completed project budget (see Excel template CREECAgradawardworksheet)
  • Budget support documentation. Applicants must submit budget support documentation, which should include price quotes and other specific information from vendors, travel agents, hotels, or institutions to justify the budgeted amounts for each line in the proposed budget. You must document all proposed expenses by submitting budget support documents (quotes) with your proposal. Support documents may include: screenshots of airfare or train fare from online travel vendors; emails from vendors with vendor information, service descriptions, and price or rates, etc. Please combine the quotes into one PDF document and submit it with your proposal.

Submit the above-listed items in PDF format to russiaproject@creeca.wisc.edu. Be sure to put “CREECA Graduate Travel Award” in the subject line of your message.

Lastly, applicants should arrange for one letter of recommendation to be sent from an advisor. It is the applicant’s responsibility to request letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be addressed to “CREECA Graduate Travel Award Review Committee” and should be on letterhead and signed. Letters should be in PDF format and sent as email attachments directly from the recommender to russiaproject@creeca.wisc.edu. Please put “CREECA Graduate Travel Award” in the subject line.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Awardees will be selected on the basis of academic merit, feasibility of the proposed project and budget, and the projected impact of the applicant’s research on the field.

Read the full article at: https://creeca.wisc.edu/funding/creeca-graduate-student-summer-fieldwork-awards/