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The AHGS is a hub for arts and humanities faculty and staff at all stages of the grant cycle: the initial exploratory stage of researching grants opportunities; drafting granting proposals; executing grant projects; applying for the next, more ambitious second grant to grow their project. By offering such a wide array of services, we reach faculty at all stages of their career and are continually learning about the research interests across campus. 

We have aligned our work with our purpose in the form of four guiding values:

Sustained Attention

The artistic wisdom of practice is a cornerstone principle of our work. We prioritize weekly meetings with PIs and offer post-award support that builds in milestone reflections, not cutoff timelines. Our intent is to nurture dynamic trust with PIs that allows us to creatively respond to ongoing problems and seize new opportunities as they arise.

Transdisciplinary Collaboration

As Federal funding in the humanities dwindles and foundations move away from field-initiated research, competition for grants has increased. Interdisciplinary projects often have better chances at attracting interest. Transdisciplinary collaboration ensures that proposal narratives speak to a broader audience. To that end, our interdisciplinary team centers relationship building across difference in order to push projects to be more competitive and creative. The only way to solve the complex problems of our time is to harness knowledge across differences and divisions, so we’re committed to engaging in open dialogues across silos.

Evolving Outcomes

Successful awards are an investment in a team’s intention and trajectory. To that end, we focus on actualization and evolution, not parameters and rules. We keep an open-minded view that looks for new directions, adjusts with growing pains, weighs and revisits priorities. This makes for a grant team that embraces agile problem-solving and that prioritizes purpose over plans.

Good research doesn’t assume where knowledge (or power, or reward) comes from, so neither should we. For us that means focusing on audience and impact. Our team has built relationships between RD and collaborators, served as project troubleshooters, offered subject matter knowledge and consultations, and gone into the field with PIs. This gives us a deep knowing that makes us better partners in research.

Storytelling

Storytelling conveys the value of research more powerfully and effectively. In grant applications, evoking emotional connections and emphasizing real-life cases can leave a distinct impression on the reviewers. In ongoing projects, having a clear story can help propel relevance and offer evidence of your growth. Most importantly, storytelling can help you connect with, serve, and grow your audience.

Our team takes to heart the importance of designing with sense of story. We try to help PIs brand each project in a way that fits the voice and purpose of the work. We also encourage taking photos, collecting qualitative data, and seeking press opportunities. These are all important to documenting a project’s growth and can be instrumental in helping find other collaborators, opportunities, or funders.