Funding for Workshops
EESI will provide funding for short focused workshops to enable groups of researchers to interact to move key ideas forward to increase the impact of research programs or to position research programs to lead in emerging areas of interdisciplinary environmental science. In its role as a leading environmental institute, EESI is well-positioned to facilitate workshops that support the research programs of our EESI Associates and Affiliates.
Workshop structure:
EESI seeks proposals from EESI Associates to run small workshops to support their research programs. Workshop proposals can fall into one of three categories:
- Proposals for scientific workshops that are tightly focused. Topics should be both timely and of interest to a group of EESI Associates and Affiliates that reside in different academic units at Penn State, and to scientists at other institutions.
- Proposals for workshops designed to bring together a group of prospective PIs to develop multi-disciplinary research proposals.
- Proposals for workshops supported by extramural funds that will utilize EESI facilities or EESI staff.
Considerable flexibility is given to how the workshops will be run. Workshops with the following characteristics are especially encouraged:
- limited duration (likely 1 – 1.5 days)
- focused on a disciplinary or topical area consistent with EESIs mission
- limited size (~20 or fewer participants)
- inclusive of junior researchers (senior graduate students and postdocs) as well as a diversity of groups
A steering committee of at least 3 people is expected to participate in developing and running proposed workshops.
EESI can fund one workshop per calendar year and any EESI Associate is eligible to submit a proposal. Proposals will be evaluated by the EESI Advisory Committee. Individuals are encouraged to contact alan Taylor (aht1@psu.edu) to discuss their workshop idea before developing a proposal. Proposals that further EESI strategic goals as summarized in the Strategic Plan, proposals that involve multiple EESI Associates, and proposals that are co-sponsored by other units on campus are particularly encouraged.
Proposals are limited to five pages and they should include:
- A narrative describing the goal and objectives of the workshop
- A specific description of workshop deliverables (proposal, review article, etc.)
- A list of attending members and their affiliation
- The members of workshop steering committee
- The venue (EESI or other space) and proposed use of EESI staff for workshop support
- A timeline with milestones for workshop preparation, delivery, and follow-up
- A budget not to exceed $5K unless additional funds are provided by co-sponsors