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Democracy Initiative Funding Opportunity

Democracy Catalyst Funds

Request for Applications for Academic Years 24/25, 25/26, & 26/27

Democracy Catalyst Funds will support any recognized unit within the Notre Dame community creating new projects that closely align with the mission of the University of Notre Dame's Democracy Initiative. Fund terms can be for one to three years beginning in AY 2024–25. Project funding requests can range from $5,000 to $50,000 and can be for up to 3 years. Application deadline is October 18, 2024.

Purpose of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative

The Notre Dame Democracy Initiative will establish Notre Dame as a leader in the study of democracy both in the U.S. and worldwide, as a convenor for conversations about and actions to preserve democracy, and as a model for the formation of civically engaged citizens and public servants.

Democracy Catalyst Fund Overview

The Notre Dame Democracy Initiative solicits proposals from across the university related to the study of democracy, including thematic areas of Democracy & Culture, Democratic Institutions, and Democracy & Religion. This can include research projects, programming and events, and new course development. The funding is explicitly aimed at catalyzing new areas of inquiry and formation and will not fund ongoing extant projects. Examples of the types of projects funded include:

Research

  • Data gathering and field work (all levels of scholarship)

  • Research assistants (both graduate and undergraduate)

  • Surveys and experiments

  • Graduate research projects (e.g. dissertation grants, thesis field work)

  • Seed funding for larger grant-funded projects

Education and Formation

  • Course development (limited to $5,000)

  • Student club or residence hall support for events / speakers / programming

  • Graduate student stipend enhancements for newly admitted students (Department applicants only)

  • Graduate student research cohorts/reading/writing groups around themes related to democracy studies

Convenings

  • Workshops

  • Conferences

  • Speaker Honoraria

Submission and Review Process

Timeline

Announced: August 26, 2024

Full Proposal Due: October 18, 2024

Notice of Award: November 22, 2024

Eligibility

Proposals must be tied to the mission of the Democracy Initiative and can come from any unit within the University, including recognized student groups, members of the regular faculty (as defined by Academic Articles: Article IV/Section 1/Subsection (a)), or a school, college, department, University Institute or a University Center. Applications with non-Notre Dame personnel, subcontracts, or groups outside of campus are not eligible. 

Pre-Proposal Questions / Clarification

Send clarifying questions and inquiries to Joel Day, Managing Director of the Democracy Initiative at jday5@nd.edu.

Proposal Submission

Proposals must contain the following four components and can be submitted at the link below. 

Submit your Democracy Catalyst Funding proposal by October 18

  1. Executive Summary: 250 words stating the nature of the project, how the project relates to the Democracy Initiative, and an overview of the resources required to carry out the project. Research projects should clearly identify the research question. Formation/education/convening projects must identify the gap that exists in the curriculum or in extant campus programming.

  1. Narrative: No more than 5 pages addressing each of the following:

    1. Activities and Significance: Provide an overview of the research to be conducted or convening planned and why those activities are important to advance the study of democracy at Notre Dame.

    2. Impact of Investment: The Notre Dame Democracy Initiative aims to advance research, education, or policy work across multiple units and extend beyond campus to policymakers and federal agencies in Washington, D.C. How does your proposal address these goals? What impact will your project have on how democracy is understood or practiced? How is this an innovative and new project?

    3. Funding Need Statement: Why is this funding uniquely necessary to start this project? Describe other potential funding resources.

    4. Timeline: Provide a timeline for the entirety of the project. If Catalyst funds are for a portion of a broader project, provide a separate timeline for those activities.

    5. Research Team Bios: Provide a short bio for the project lead and introduce all collaborators noting how they enhance the project.

    6. Sustainability: These catalyst funds are intended to start ongoing projects that will sustain themselves or continue their impact after this round of funding ends. This can be through permanent artifacts such as publications, video footage, artistic production, symposium white papers, etc. or through evidence of ongoing funding strategies.

  1. Budget: Budgets can be from one to three years beginning AY 24-25. Certain activities may be so straightforward as to not require a budget (e.g. course development grant) — please inquire with Joel Day (jday5@ND.edu).

Unallowable expenses include the following:

    • Faculty salary support, including summer salary

    • Course buyouts

    • Fringe benefits

    • Office space or furnishing

    • Any items not directly related to the mission of the Democracy Initiative

  1. Metrics: What will change because of your project? If your project is successful, in what ways could one measure that success? What measurable outcomes will this produce? The Democracy Initiative aims to elevate Notre Dame as the leading voice in the field and is particularly interested in projects that accomplish this through research and public impact.

Review Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed by an internal review committee. The following criteria will be considered:

  • Novelty or originality of research approach/program/class

  • Potential for impact in policy community beyond Notre Dame

  • Potential for impact at Notre Dame beyond the proposed unit

  • Qualifications of proposal team

  • The potential to position Notre Dame as a leader in Democracy studies and promotion

  • Potential for ongoing external support/sustainability

  • Realistic and appropriate budget

  • Clearly defined and ambitious metrics

Submit your Democracy Catalyst Funding proposal by October 18

For further questions, visit the FAQ page or reach out to Democracy Initiative Managing Director Joel Day.