Application for Research Working Groups
Purpose
ICSR’s Research Working Groups provide a structure to support faculty, staff, and
graduate students to sustain critical research on citizenship, social responsibility,
community engagement, and social justice- broadly defined. Working groups strive to
create productive intellectual exchange among members, facilitate deeper
understanding of the identified research topic, and create innovative ideas related to the
topic of research.
Composition
Each Research Working Group should be composed of at least five members. Groups
can be comprised of faculty, staff, and/or graduate students, but must be at least 50%
faculty or staff. Working Groups must be lead by a WKU faculty or staff member. In
addition to the list above, ICSR welcomes the recruitment and inclusion of members
from academic institutions in the area (WKU Regional Campuses, Vanderbilt
University, Eastern Kentucky University, University of Kentucky, etc.), as well as
community members with local expertise and/or a dedication to the research topic. At
least half of the Working Group members must have a WKU affiliation.
Application Process
To apply to be an ICSR Working Group, interested parties should:
1. Recruit at least five group members and determine meeting frequency. A WKU
faculty or staff person must serve as group organizer or leader.
2. Work out a budget proposal. Groups can apply for funds up to $800 per semester (for
a total of 2 semesters).
3. Complete the ICSR application (last page of this form) and submit it as a single PDF.
Deadline
Applications for the Spring 2016 semester are due by Jan. 15, 2016. Applicants will be
notified of decisions the first week of the spring semester.
ICSR Provisions
Research Working Group grants may include support for expenses such as copies,
refreshments, purchase of materials or books, mileage reimbursement for members
traveling a distance, and modest honoraria for a speaker. Financial support will be
provided via an internal transfer to the group leader’s department. ICSR support can
also include assistance in providing space for group meetings.
To this end, groups can apply for funding up to $800 per semester. Budget proposals
must include a detailed description of how requested funds will be used. ICSR may not
be able to cover all budget items requested and groups are encouraged to be creative in
meeting their resource needs.
Research Working Group Requirements
Ideally, a Research Working Group should gather two times a month for a minimum of
one semester. At minimum, a group should meet once a month. Groups may reapply
for a second semester of support but will reenter the pool with all new applicants.
Working Groups are valued for generating debate and research about citizenship, social
responsibility, community engagement, and social justice, among other related topics or
issues. It is also necessary for ICSR to share tangible examples of group work. With
that in mind, we will ask Working Groups to submit the following materials at the end
of the semester:

A one-page report detailing the group’s goals, discussions, and conclusions. This
report should be appropriate for posting on the ICSR website.

A one-page analysis reflecting on the group’s progress, which includes answers to
the following questions:
o Did you accomplish your stated (in the application) goal? Why or why not?
o How did the group evolve? Do you have future plans?
o What did you find most beneficial about the group?
o What did you find most difficult about the group?
These questions will aid the ICSR in analyzing and improving our Research Working
Group program.
For questions or comments please email icsr@wku.edu.
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Project Grants
A Research Working Group is eligible to apply for a Project Grant after meeting for one
semester. Due to their broader scope, Project Grants are awarded in the fall and issued
for an academic year. They can include but are not limited to:

Working Papers: a series of papers that revolve around particular themes and also
might make recommendations. These can be distributed to appropriate agencies or
organizations and will be stored in the ICSR, benefiting the WKU community and
working groups that include local community members.

Symposia: Intended as an outreach towards the greater campus community,
symposia can be daylong events in which the work of the Working Group will be
presented and discussed. Presentations will be captured electronically and made
available through ICSR for use in classes and/or by community groups.

Workshops: Some of the Working Groups might be able to facilitate workshops that
educate members of both campus and community on how to conduct research,
apply for grants, or articulate the complex nature of citizenship, social responsibility,
or social justice. Workshops are particularly appropriate for academic–community–
activist collaborations.

Visual Arts/Performances: Any group focused on creative projects, such as an art
exhibit, dance performance, theater production, installations, etc., can be provided
with staff support in order to complete their projects. Small amounts of direct
financial assistance may be possible for such creative projects.
Successful Working Groups who desire to create a project in the 2016-2017 academic
year can submit a separate application by Aug. 1, 2016.



The Project Grant application should include the following items:
A detailed budget proposal
A detailed time line of the project
A two-page report that highlights the goals of the project, and explains how the
project will be beneficial in the long run. Examples of this include: archiving the
working papers in the ICSR, producing a write-up of a conference for the ICSR
web site, scheduling periodical follow-up with symposia participants, etc.
For questions or comments please email icsr@wku.edu.
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Application for Research Working Groups
Working Group Name: _________________________________________ Date:
Primary Contact Details:
Name:
Email:
Dept.:
Phone Number:
Mailing
Address:
Answer the following questions in a separate document
1. Describe the group’s themes and goals; what do you hope to achieve or provide through
discussions? (300-500 words)
2. How does your proposed Research Working Group engage with critical research on
citizenship, social responsibility, community engagement, and/or social justice?
3. What is the anticipated composition of your working group? (Ex: faculty, staff, faculty
from neighboring institutions, graduate students, community members, etc. Please be as
specific as possible)
4. How often will you meet during this semester? Are you interested in meeting in the ICSR
space (TPH 110)?
5. What budget are you proposing for your Working Group? Please list proposed expenses
and give a brief narrative explanation. If you are receiving other funding, please include
this information in your budget.
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2016
Email your application as a single PDF to icsr@wku.edu