Deadlines

Eligibility

Projects must include at least two co-organizers

1. The lead co-organizer(s) should be affiliated with an incorporated community- or place-based nonprofit organization. Note: The definition and boundaries of a community and membership are at the applicants’ discretion. The grant review committee recognizes and respects the historical and political complexities of community and identity. We kindly ask the applying organization to explicitly identify the community they belong to.
2. The secondary co-organizer must be a student or full-time employee (faculty, administrator, postdoc, researcher, undergraduate or graduate students) at Columbia University, Teachers College, or Barnard College.

Amount

Up to two awards are available in amounts up to $10,000. Funds will be directly awarded to the community partner organization, which will oversee the distribution and administration of the grant. 

Funds can only support direct costs. Funds can be used to cover informal and formal community-building costs. The outside co-organizer, community-based organization staff, or other parties outside of Columbia University are eligible for honorariums. Honorariums cannot be provided to any Columbia University faculty, student, or staff. Funds cannot be used for lobbying or political activities. 

Description

The Co-Production of Knowledge Initiative at the Center for Science and Society is accepting applications for projects led by community groups in collaboration with Columbia University affiliates. This Initiative intends to help overturn hierarchies of knowledge and extractive relationships through which communities may have been exploited for their local and experiential knowledge by researchers. By centering the needs of community organizations and placing Columbia affiliates in a supporting role, this grant program looks to redistribute power and resources to counteract historically unequal research dynamics.

The Co-Production Initiative recognizes that developing and sustaining equal and respectful collaborations takes time and commitment; as such, in this inaugural year of the grant program, the Initiative is more interested in the process of co-producing knowledge than in any products resulting from the collaborations. Examples of projects include advocacy efforts, community-building, digital projects, events, pilot studies, or training development (not a comprehensive list). Any discipline, subject, and topic area will be considered, though projects engaged in environmental and epistemic justice are of particular interest. 

Apply

Prospective applicants are encouraged to email [email protected] with any questions or to receive assistance in formulating a project idea. The Center is unable to respond to requests after August 6, 2024. 

To apply, please submit the following as a single PDF document by 11:59PM ET on September 6, 2024 to [email protected] with “Co-Production of Knowledge Grant” in the subject line of the email: 

• Cover page including (1) title of proposal, (2) applicants and their affiliations and email addresses, (3) an executive summary or abstract of the project, and (4) the total funding amount sought.
• Proposal narrative of no more than two pages (single-spaced, 12-point font). The narrative should include:
  • A description of the project and how it furthers co-production of knowledge and efforts to redistribute power and resources. Note: There is no singular definition of co-production of knowledge; we are looking to learn more about applicants’ viewpoints and understandings of this method to produce knowledge collaboratively.
  • Project’s broader impact and how both co-organizers would define success. Note: applicants are encouraged to think beyond the traditional academic and metric-driven definition of impact.
• Timeline of research and/or activities
• Budget with a line-by-line breakdown and justification of all expenses and list of any outside support (if applicable)
• Participant section, which should include:
  • CVs or short biographies including relevant professional, academic, and lived experiences (no more than a paragraph each) for co-organizers and other major participants.
  • A brief summary of the organization’s mission, goals, relevant activities, and the date of incorporation. Please include a website link, if available.
  • The reciprocally beneficial responsibilities and impacts expected through the activities of the grant for each collaborator (no more than two paragraphs).