Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies

All thematic program applicants must be UBC Vancouver faculty. UBC Okanagan faculty can apply as part of a UBC main campus team. For further eligibility requirements, please refer to individual program descriptions.

The Institute is looking for proposals that have the following characteristics:

• new, exciting research,
• truly interdisciplinary focus,
• strong basic research component,
• high quality research with major potential impact,
• clear and appropriate research questions and methods,
• overall coherence,
• excellent, broadly-based UBC team and external scholars,
• high degree of commitment,
• lack of fit with alternative funding sources, and
• appropriate budget.

For the Major Thematic Grant, these characteristics should be demonstrated and documented; for the Exploratory Workshop Grant, the potential will be judged.

To reflect the interdisciplinary nature of our awards, ideally the UBC core participants will represent multiple disciplines. For the competitive programs, while some of the participants will be less involved, it is expected that there will be a core team (usually of 5-10 faculty) who will be centrally committed to the project. The application should include for each member of the core team evidence of expertise in the area and perceived role in the project.

Except in the case of the Theme Development Workshop, it is expected that every application will bring distinguished scholars with an international reputation to campus. Each application should identify the most outstanding scholars in the general thematic area and plan to invite their participation. It is highly desirable to arrange for a way for the University community in general to benefit from the presence of these visitors.

Some of the planned sessions of the Exploratory Workshops should be open to participation by interested scholars across the campus, and, if feasible, a broader community. Such sessions should be widely publicized. For other sessions, it may be desirable to have more limited accessibility so that the evolving core group of scholars can begin to advance the research agenda.

Sessions should be planned for the Institute's facilities on the west side of the top floor of the University Centre. There are two conference rooms that can be used separately or jointly. In addition to the conference facilities, the Institute also offers accommodation in its guest wing. At the planning stage, applicants should consult the Institute to tentatively hold conference space and accommodation and consult other facilities to book additional rooms.

External funding is not required for any of the Institute's programs but it is highly desirable. For the Major Thematic Grant, use of funds from standard sources such as MRC, NSERC and SSHRC is encouraged.

Please check the individual grants for their respective submission requirements. There are no formal applications for a Colloquium or Theme Development Workshop; simply describe the proposal in the form of a memo to the Director of the Institute.

All applicants considering a submission are encouraged to contact the Director of the Institute as early in the process as possible for advice concerning proposals, especially in the case of Major Thematic Grants.

Please refer to individual program descriptions or consult the summary table for deadlines. Exploratory Workshops may take place at any time of the year but must be initiated within 12 months of a grant being awarded. Major Thematic Grant projects must begin within six months of approval.

The proposals for the adjudicated competitions will be evaluated by the Institute's Adjudication Committee composed of distinguished senior researchers from various faculties on campus. Major Thematic Grant applications will, in addition, have international reviewers.

An important part of bringing together outstanding researchers around a theme is the development of a website. The site should be used as a focal point for UBC and external participants as well as communicating the project to a broader audience. The site will be created and hosted by the Institute.

Final reports are required of all thematic programs.