Sage's Concept Grant program aims to fund innovative software solutions that enhance social science education and research. We are currently seeking proposals for new technological solutions that support the role of professors and lecturers in social science education, facilitate student learning, and advance research software designed for academic research in social sciences.
Program Overview:
This year, we have expanded the program's focus to include technology-driven tools for teaching and learning within the social sciences, in response to the increasing number of applications in this area.
Funding Structure:
We have updated our funding structure to offer three awards, each valued at £8,000 or its equivalent in other currencies. The program remains open to applicants from nearly all countries.
Award Categories:
The three awards are designed to support innovative solutions across these areas:
Enhancing the role of professors and lecturers in teaching social sciences by providing support and facilitation tools.
Improving the learning experience of students in social science courses and throughout their social science degree programs.
Developing advanced research software tailored for academic research in the social sciences.
Application Guidelines:
Before applying, please review the past winners for inspiration. While previous winners primarily focused on research software in the social sciences, this year's scope also includes projects that enhance teaching and learning within the social sciences.
Application Criteria:
To qualify for the awards, your proposal must meet the following criteria:
You must have identified a problem or challenge area within social science teaching, learning, or research, supported by evidence from market research, surveys, or similar methodologies. Clearly define this problem in your pitch.
You must have a prototype of your tool that works and can be tested. If your grant request includes making your prototype available outside a local host, please include a link to a 3-minute recorded demo.
Before applying, please note that we will NOT shortlist the following types of applications:
- Research project proposals.
Proposals for tools that are not usable by faculty/students/researchers beyond you/your team and/or project.
Proposals for tools in biology, chemistry, physics, or any other discipline not within the social sciences. (We may consider, on a case-by-case basis, tools developed within other disciplines and where the applicant has made substantial progress in implementing them within a social science discipline).
Proposals for tools related to writing, citing, or publishing papers, peer-review, grant finding, application submission, collaboration finding, research dissemination, or any other task outside the primary research and analysis process. (If you are developing a tool in this space, we may be interested in hearing from you in another capacity: please contact us at researchmethodscommunity@sagepub.com).
Proposals for tools for bibliographic analysis or literature reviews.
Proposals for tools to manage, preserve, and archive data.
Additional Information:
We will give preference to ideas with wide-scale applicability within the social sciences. Proposals that do not align with the teaching, learning, and research remit will not be considered. If you are unsure whether your proposal qualifies, please contact us at researchmethodscommunity@sagepub.com.
Application Deadline:
The deadline for applications is 16 June 2024, 11:59 pm PDT.
