CFPs: Micro-grants Program to support Digital Scholarship

Computational research and public humanities projects are the core exercises of digital scholarship. The production of digital scholarship projects in the Caribbean region and/or by Caribbean Studies scholars needs to overcome five common obstacles: lack of funds, lack of training, lack of guidance, lack of teams, and lack of time. To foster the work of digital scholarship in the Caribbean from independent groups, the CDSC offers micro-grants to support a wide range of projects that can elevate Caribbean digital scholarship, including online catalogs, digitized collections, apps and digital tools, pedagogical platforms, spatial analysis, textual analysis, e-learning, and public outreach efforts, among others.

The CDSC welcomes applications from original humanities and digital scholarship projects at any stage, from inception to currently in development.

Funding Information

• The CDSC will support at least five projects from January to December 2024, offering grants ranging from USD $1,000 to $20,000. The length of the proposed project and deliverables should be completed within 12 months. Applicants need to apply for a micro-grant in one of three tiers:
  • TIER 1 ($12,500 – $20,000) | One prize max:: medium to large projects that require significant expenses. For example, projects that imagine creating an artisanal tech solution that does not exist yet, such as an original cartographic interface or visualization, or projects with expensive labor and technology requirements
  • TIER 2 ($5,000 – $12,500) | Two prizes max: small to medium-sized projects with readily available technology. For example, digital archives, exhibits built with Omeka or Wax, or maps created with Carto or Google Map, which need funds to pay for data curation, management, and training.
  • TIER 3 (less than $5,000): one or two individuals as they pursue small to medium-sized digital scholarship, pedagogical, or public humanities projects that they are developing themselves. Projects in Tier 3 are usually at their early stages and require further funding to come to fruition or grow in scale later.

Eligibility Criteria

• Individuals and groups from educational, research, and community organizations working in Caribbean Studies and based anywhere in the world.
• Independent scholars anywhere in the world working in Caribbean Studies.
• Caribbean-based scholars who are working on any area related to Digital Scholarship.
• The CDSC will prioritize individuals, groups and/or work representing the Caribbean regions and its global diasporas.

General Requirements 

• Applicants must submit a proposal explaining the project scope; intellectual contributions; engagement with digital methods and tools to advance research, teaching, learning, and/or public engagement; a plan of execution; and projected deliverables. Applicants will also need to submit an itemized budget and budget rationale. The length of the proposed project and deliverables should be completed within 12 months.

For more information, visit CDSC.