Request for Proposals: UBC Ambassadors and Subventions programs, Congress 2019
Dear colleagues,
I am writing as the Academic Convenor for Congress 2019, to be held at UBC from June 1-7, 2019. Working with a team at UBC and with the Federation of the Social Sciences and Humanities, I am in charge of academic and cultural programming for the Congress. The theme of this conference is “Circles of Conversation.” The conference will showcase creative critical engagements in literature, visual arts, theatre, and music. Particular attention will be focused on productive scholarly relations with Indigenous communities.
Our objective is to have a range of critical and cultural programming that highlights the research being done at UBC in the humanities and social sciences, and with ties to the local community. There will also be programming targeted at families of delegates.
To this end, I am reaching out to colleagues in the faculties of Arts and Education to ask for your input and to invite you to consider applying for two initiatives we have created.
UBC 2019 Ambassadors ($1000) at Congress 2018 in Regina
The first initiative is to create a community of UBC 2019 Ambassadors. UBC 2019 will provide some financial support (up to $1000 each) to a group of UBC faculty and graduate students who are (already) planning to attend Congress 2018 in Regina. These ambassadors will promote Congress 2019 to their associations while in Regina and will then come back to Vancouver and work with the organizing team for 2019. The immediate commitment would be one meeting pre-Regina and two after Congress 2018. The Ambassadors may become (but are not restricted to) the Local Area Coordinators (LACs). The idea is to build a team of people committed to Congress 2019 in time for Congress 2018. There will be swag. This is open to faculty, continuing adjunct faculty, and graduate students.
Application: Send us (info.Congress2019@ubc.ca) a paragraph (500 words max) outlining your area of expertise and your department and association affiliations, why you would like to be considered for the UBC Ambassador program, and what kind of contribution you might like to make to Congress 2019. Please attach a copy of your accepted presentation confirmation for 2018. Deadline March 31, 2018.
UBC Subventions (up to $5000) for Congress-related events, projects, or exhibitions
The second initiative is to provide generous financial support (“subventions”) for a number of parallel events or exhibitions that showcase the (often interdisciplinary work) we do at UBC. The events may be scheduled under UBC Programming (for research and creative work) or Career Corner (related to pedagogy or the profession). We will provide financial support (up to $5000) to individuals or groups working in the social sciences and humanities at UBC to create an event or installation to be presented at Congress, preferably in conjunction (or conversation) with an association or community group. These events will supplement the work being done at the association meetings. The subventions may be used for speakers (fees and travel) to speak in collaboration with UBC researchers, performers, materials for installations/ compositions, production costs, or other directly-related expenses. The funds are not meant for salaries, operating equipment, or research assistance. Projects with a legacy potential (ie. that can be shown to have a lasting impact on/ at UBC) will be given priority. For example, a short colloquium could be presented in conjunction with an exhibition and the exhibition could form the basis of a future collection to be housed at UBC.
Application materials: Send us (info.Congress2019@ubc.ca) a two page proposal with an event title, a description of the event, and the central research questions it addresses. The proposal should include a statement of connection to associations or community groups, if applicable, and a description of the organizer/ organizing team. A summary budget (1 page max) and complete contact information are also required. Deadline: June 15, 2018.
Note also: Family programming: The Nest will be the central hub of Congress (registration, book fair, and career corner events). The Nest will also serve as a meeting point for family events. These might include guided walks in Pacific Spirit Park, free yoga classes, group trips to the beach, or coordinated visits to the Museum of Anthropology. There will be daycare on site and UBC camps will be run camps for older children. Suggestions welcome.
Please contact us (info.Congress2019@ubc.ca) if you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, or concerns about Congress 2019. We would love to hear from you. We are particularly interested in discussing collaborative initiatives. I look forward to working with you to make Congress 2019 memorable for all the right reasons.
Sincerely,
Laura Moss, Ph.D.
Academic Convenor, Congress 2019
Associate Professor in the Department of English
Editor, Canadian Literature: A Quarterly of Criticism and Review
University of British Columbia, Canada.