Asian Initiatives

Faculty Research Grant

WMU professor posing for photo with two men, a woman and a young girl in China. — WMU Professor and grant recipient, Dr. Ann Veeck, (second from left) with a family in China.

The Light Center for Chinese Studies provides support to Western Michigan University faculty for research and creative activities related to the study of greater China. All board-appointed, full-time faculty are eligible to apply.

Timothy Light Center for Chinese Studies Research Grants are valued at up to $4,000 each. The deadline for submitting proposals will be Feb. 28 and Sep. 30, each year. One or two proposals will be funded each academic year. Awards will be announced within one month from the dates above. Funded projects must be completed within 12 months from the date the awards are announced. That is, award funds must be used within the one-year project period and cannot be carried forward beyond the project end date. Recipients will be required to submit a two-page project report within 30 days of the project end date. Recipients will also be required to give a public presentation of their research within a year of project end date, to be scheduled with the Center Director. 

Description

The Light Center for Chinese Studies provides support to Western Michigan University faculty for research and creative activities related to the study of greater China. Timothy Light Center for Chinese Studies Research Grants may only be used for expenses directly related to research, including:

Travel and subsistence costs directly related to the research.
Compensation for research assistants required to conduct the research overseas.
Consumable research supplies.
Subject or participant fees.
Other direct costs required to carry out the proposed research.
Purchase or access fees to secondary data or library sources.
Subvention for the publication of an academic book.

Applicant salary and research hardware are non-eligible expenses.

Applications

Applications should consist of the following:

Application cover page: project title, name, academic title and contact information (email, telephone, department, college).
Abstract of the research proposal (maximum 250 words).
Research proposal, including statement of purpose, importance of research, review of related studies, timeline and expected outcomes (maximum two pages, single-spaced).
A biographical statement that describes how the research will enhance Chinese studies at WMU (maximum one page, single-spaced).
Itemized budget.
Detailed description of funds currently available, applied for, or that will be requested from other sources (internal and external) for the same purpose.
Curriculum vitae.

Completed applications must be submitted electronically to hige-lightcenter@wmich.edu by Feb. 28 and Sep. 30.

SELECTION Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated by the Light Center for Chinese Studies Board of Advisors based on the following criteria:

Quality of proposal.
Importance of the proposed research to the field of Chinese studies.
Potential benefits of the proposed research to Chinese studies at WMU.
Competence of the applicant for proposed research as indicated by academic qualifications, research experience and language skills (when applicable).