WICI Call for Proposals

The Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation invites applications for small grants to support development and submission of funding proposals to support complex systems research at the University of Waterloo ($5,000-$10,000, commensurate with the scope of the developed proposal).

Applications must have a substantive complex systems focus, but can be from any academic domain, and should clearly indicate how the work will lead to a novel direction.

Preference will be given to projects that have not received significant support from WICI in the past and that:

– Address frontiers in complex systems science;

– Involve small networks of complex systems scholars, potentially through the WICI membership networks;

– Have strong theoretical and empirical aspects (i.e. theory development and theory testing);

– Are relatively large in scale (budget);

– Provide substantive support for student researchers and other highly qualified personnel;

– Provide grant-related administrative and infrastructure support, as allowed by granting agencies, through WICI;

– Involve cross-departmental and cross-faculty collaborations;

– Build diversity in complex systems research, through personnel, outreach, topical area, or methodological focus.

Awardees would be eligible for WICI core membership. (Current core members are also eligible to apply). Grants are awarded to a lead PI, but can be used to support any aspect of proposal development—personnel support, workshops, planning meetings, etc. Grants must be submitted through WICI rather than the PI’s home unit. One half of the grant will be payable upon being awarded with the remaining half made available after the grant is submitted through the Office of Research.

To apply, please submit a proposal of no more than 2000 words (excluding a bibliography) and no more than 4 figures or tables, addressing the following points:

– A clear statement of the proposed area of inquiry, with a well defined research question;

– Clear scientific justification for the proposed research, including complex systems aspects;

– A statement of research objectives;

– A statement of supporting proposed activities, including a mention of project personnel if appropriate;

– A statement of potential research contributions and broader impacts, including how the proposed research builds on, and can contribute to, WICI activities and resources

– Information about the granting agency, program that will be targeted and timeline for grant application.

Proposals for infrastructure/centre support are also welcome. The format of such proposals should be modified as appropriate, although complex systems aspects and potential fit with criteria should be clearly addressed.

A detailed CV for the PI should also be included, with a short (500) word statement of the PI’s prior involvement with complex systems research, and any other information that the PI would like the review committee to consider.

Proposals should be double spaced in 12-point font, with the word count noted at the start of the proposal. Non-conforming proposals will not be reviewed.

Proposals should be e-mailed to info@wici.ca, with a subject header “Application: proposal development grant, . Review of applications will begin on August 15, 2016 and will continue until all of the funds have been allocated. Release of funds is contingent on approval of WICI’s 2017-18 budget.