CEAR Research Project Support – Large-Scale Projects
Large-scale projects are more open-ended than small-scale projects, at least initially, and designed to fill a gap in large-scale funding opportunities generally available. Funding can be in the range of $50,000 to $200,000, and it is expected that there will only be one such project every few years. They are expected to evolve from several meetings of CEAR workshops, probably over 2 or 3 years, and to involve several CEAR-affiliated researchers. They will provide a focus for some of the activities expected in CEAR workshops, where specialist researchers come together and realize that they have shared interests in some field project. In this sense, the project will be defined by the discussions that CEAR scholars will have at CEAR workshops: prior to being approved for funding they will be far less open-ended. One possibility is for the funding to cover core costs of an “omnibus” survey or field project which covers the “fixed cost” of getting into the field, and then individual researchers or small groups of researchers focus on specific issues around that general structure.
The possibility of a large-scale project should be discussed with the CEAR Director, and as it evolves the formal proposal requirements can be tailored to the exercise. The potential for high impact in terms of the mission of CEAR is a necessity.