(CLOSED) COVID-Affected Research Agenda (CARA) Grants – Fall 2020

The PublicsLab is pleased to announce our second round of COVID-Affected Research Agenda (CARA) Grants for students impacted by the coronavirus. If your research has been disrupted, or you have had to make alternate plans, we are here to help!

The CARA Grants are available to currently-enrolled doctoral students at The Graduate Center who do public or public-facing scholarship. Students can apply for up to $2,000.

Per The Graduate Center’s guidelines for 2020–21, we will not fund travel. We will only fund membership dues to professional or scholarly associations if the applicant justifies it specifically as part of COVID-related changes to their research plan.

Applicants will be asked about the following on the application:

  • Describe your work and how it is public. Tip: We recommend against saying that your work is “inherently public” or anything similar. A successful applicant will reflect on how their work serves the public and explain it in greater detail.
  • How has your work been disrupted by COVID-19? What changes are you planning/hoping to make?
  • Applicants will need to attach an estimated budget. Please view our sample budget as a template.

Students can apply with this Google form. The deadline for applications is 15 October 2020. The PublicsLab will also be providing additional help and support to grantees as they navigate use of the funds they have been awarded. You’re not in this alone!

For help in thinking through adjustments to your research plans, we recommend consulting this guide by Professor Laura Duquette-Rury of Wayne State University: Conducting Social Science Research During Crisis. Although written for the social sciences, Professor Duquette-Rury’s guiding questions are useful for researchers in all disciplines.

If you are unsure about your plans, or want to clarify any questions you might have about the grants, please feel free to reach out to the director of the PublicsLab, Dr. Stacy Hartman, at shartman2@gc.cuny.edu.