The Carsey-Wolf Center invites proposals from one or more UCSB faculty members for support for research projects that engage with one or more of the following research initiatives:

• Global Media
• Information Media
• Media and Democracy
• Media and the Environment
• Media Industries
  

Up to $5000 in support may be requested. Possible proposals may include:

• Funding for conferences, symposia and workshops
• New teaching initiatives
• Summer graduate student research assistance for faculty projects
• Seed funding for new research initiatives, either individual or collaborative
• Proposals for hybrid events that involve a public screening at the Pollock Theater and a research-focused session with one or more visiting scholars

Funding priority will be given to projects that will result in a publication or other deliverable outcome. Applications will be adjudicated by the Carsey-Wolf Center’s Research Advisory Board, which has a rotating membership drawn from the UCSB faculty. Successful proposals will receive administrative and publicity support from the Carsey-Wolf Center.

Please note that this award does not fund faculty release time. Graduate students at UCSB are encouraged to apply as part of a team with faculty members, but a graduate student cannot apply as a single PI.

Proposals for Pollock Theater events follow a different evaluation process. Please visit this page for instructions for proposing a Pollock Theater event.

Application materials:

• A cover sheet (download form)
• A project description (5 pages, double-spaced, see instructions below)
• A preliminary budget, including any committed or planned requests for cosponsorship by campus units, UC-wide funding opportunities or extramural grants
• A brief CV of the principal investigator(s)

Project Description Guidelines

The project description should:

• State the objectives and methodology of the project
• Discuss the project’s significance and potential future impact with respect to current media studies scholarship or to the cognate concerns of media studies
• For collaborative proposals, state the particular expertise and potential contribution of each participant
• Include a timetable and work plan, specifying project activities in the proposed award period; for seed grants, outline plans for future funding for the endeavor
• If your project involves human subjects, please visit the Office of Research’s Human Subjects page for information about proper review procedures; indicate in your application your timeline for following these procedures
• Define the project’s target audience(s) and the form(s) in which the research will eventually be disseminated (e.g. book, article, art exhibit, performance etc.); priority will be given to projects that will result in a publication or other outcome

Deadlines:

There are two rounds of competition each year; deadlines are November 1 and April 15.  If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, applications are due the first business day following the deadline.

Application procedure:

Please send all required application materials as a single PDF to carseywolfresearch@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation email within one business day. For further information, contact Carsey-Wolf Center Associate Director Emily Zinn at ezinn@carseywolf.ucsb.edu.

CWC Faculty Research Support Grant recipients

Spring 2024:

Fall 2023:

Spring 2023:

Fall 2022:

Fall 2021:

Spring 2021:

Fall 2020:

Spring 2020:

Fall 2019:

Spring 2019:

Fall 2018: