Research Funding Announcement: nature of wild

Date: 
March 10, 2016

Six Royal Roads University students and/or alumni will be given $2,000 for a student- or alumni-led project blending ethnography, media, and the arts to tell a story about wilderness and wild places. Interested individual or team applicants should submit a 1000-word proposal by April 15, 2016. 

Funded projects will reach a broad public audience by making use of variable combinations of audio-visual media such as video, photography, and sound.  Phillip Vannini, Canada Research Chair in Innovative Learning and Public Ethnography, is encouraging and curating such projects to contribute to societal understanding of the meanings of wild. As more deeply articulated in the forthcoming book Wilderness (P. Vannini and A. Vannini, 2016, Routledge), even though wild areas around the globe are often thought of as devoid of humans and culture, these “natural” places actually come to life through the practices, experiences, and representations of diverse people. By highlighting how a single individual or a small group of people interact with a particular wild place, the projects will show not only the nature, but also the culture of wildness.

This new funding program will run for five years, beginning in 2016 and ending in 2020.  The Call for Short Projects will be issued annually on March 15 with a proposal submission deadline of April 15. Competition results will be announced by April 30. Final projects are to be submitted no later than October 30.

Call for Short Projects: A 1000-word proposal must outline the project idea, provide budget detail, and indicate:

(a)  how the project will align with Vannini’s work, as described here
(b) the experience the author(s) have with the subject matter under study and with the media they intend to utilize;
(c)  where and when the project will take place;
(d)  who the project will focus on (i.e. research participants);
(e)  what the precise focus of the project will be;
(f)   what final shape the project will take (e.g. short video, digital storytelling, etc.);
(g) any further details necessary for evaluating the intended project (e.g. availability of technical equipment, etc.).

Submit proposals by April 15, 2016 to .

Eligible candidates must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, or hold a valid employment visa or work permit issued by the Canadian Government.

The six projects will be selected by an evaluation committee comprised of a minimum of two RRU faculty. Each project will be given six months for completion and must be submitted by October 30. Funding will be disbursed upon submission of a satisfactory project. Should the project be completed by a team, the $2,000 will be evenly distributed to each team member listed on the original application.  Monthly check-ins with Phillip Vannini will be required to ensure the project is on track; Dr. Vannini will be available to provide advice, assistance and collaboration as needed.

For inquiries, please email .

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