UC ACCORD Call for Proposals
Application Deadline: April 20, 2007
5:00 PM

PLEASE HAVE FACULTY LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION SENT DIRECTLY TO UC ACCORD VIA EMAIL AT accordproposal@gseis.ucla.edu OR BY MAIL TO:
ATTN: UC ACCORD, 1041 Moore Hall, Box 951521, Los Angeles, CA 90095

Please note that the process for applying has changed from previous years.

Click here to download this page as a PDF document (7pp, 76K)

Funding beginning July 1, 2007

UC ACCORD—The All Campus Consortium on Research for Diversity—announces a call for proposals in several categories. UC ACCORD was established to engage UC scholars in research that will support and inform Californians’ efforts to replace prevailing patterns of schooling inequality and disparities in access to higher education with equitable conditions and outcomes for children from all sectors of our diverse state. UC ACCORD is interested in increasing the number of graduate students and faculty within the UC system who are working in areas that inform its goals. It also supports scholars who have been working in this area for whom additional funding can support a better connection with UC ACCORD activities.

While UC ACCORD will consider all research proposals that are consistent with the goal of making a college education possible for all of California’s students, and increasing diversity within its institutions of higher education, this call focuses on three research categories.

1) Critical transitions in the lives of underrepresented students. There are critical transitions in the lives of all students as they move from family to school, elementary to middle to high school to college, and from school to work. These transitions are especially critical in the lives of low income and underrepresented students. Research is needed to describe these transitions and to test interventions that can facilitate smoother movement from one stage to another such that students’ chances of gaining access to higher education are enhanced.

2) Critical conditions for enhancing college opportunities for underrepresented students. UC ACCORD has identified several conditions that promote college-going among all youth, but that are especially important to develop within the schools and communities of underrepresented students. While we believe that these conditions are key to creating opportunity for students, we do not yet know how to produce these conditions across all schools and communities. Research that describes and analyzes conditions and resources, and tests interventions is necessary to further our goal of making college possible for every student. These conditions are:

3) Critical issues related to making higher education accessible to all Californian’s. The last few years have seen cutbacks in outreach and higher education funding throughout California, and an increased concern about the capacity of California's higher education system to accommodate all the students who seek admission to its four year colleges and universities. Moreover, to adhere to the California Master Plan of Higher Education’s mandate to educate the top 12.5% of California's high school graduates, UC admissions criteria have been further narrowed. And, while higher education policies have sought to shift more students to the community colleges, these institutions have not been funded at levels that allow them to adequately serve the students they are expected to educate. Given California's demographics and its heavy reliance on the community college system, especially by low income and students of color, these occurrences are virtually certain to exacerbate an already highly inequitable distribution of opportunity in the state. Therefore, UC ACCORD encourages proposals for research that focus on recent policies, demographic and fiscal circumstances, and other factors affecting the critical problem of equitable access to college in California and equitable distribution of opportunity within the post-secondary system.

ACCORD is also interested in the larger policy issues that affect these transitions and conditions. For example, the environment around college access is being shaped, in large part, by the impact of the new regime of test-based accountability on underrepresented students (e.g., the California High School Exit Exam, increasing emphasis on Advanced Placement courses, etc.). It is also being constrained by an era of limited resources. Scholars interested in investigating the impact of these and other relevant policy trends and issues are encouraged to propose work in this area.

Because access to college is affected by factors far beyond schools, UC ACCORD encourages proposals from scholars in disciplines and professional schools outside education, as well from scholars within the education departments and schools.

UC ACCORD is offering the following opportunities to join the UC ACCORD research community, fundable as early as July 1, 2007. The areas of funding may be augmented or replaced by other types of funding in the coming years.

General Application Procedures:

Applications will only be accepted online. Applicants must fill out the cover page and title sheet at: http://ucaccord.gseis.ucla.edu/rfp/

All other documents should be uploaded according to the directions on the site and labeled as defined within the guidelines for the specific fellowship. Online submission will open on April 2, 2007 and will close 5:00pm April 20, 2007.

Please be sure to have your department’s fiscal officers name and contact information in order to complete the online application form.

Proposal Checklist (please refer to the application procedures for the fellowship you are applying for specific guidelines):
All applicants:
• Coversheet
• Title sheet
• Project description
• Methods
• Curriculum vitae

Junior faculty and faculty seed grant applicants must also include:
• Budget
• Goals or planned products (not applicable to dissertation year fellows)

Please note that all applicants selected as finalists are required to interview with the UC ACCORD Executive Board on June 18, 2007. Applicants will be notified if they are selected as a finalist by June 1, 2007.

ONE YEAR DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS

POST DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS

FACULTY RESEARCH SEED GRANTS

ONE YEAR DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS

Awards: Awards will be made in the amount of $20,000 for the period of support. The specific intent of the award is to allow dissertation students the time to complete their research and write their dissertations.

Eligibility: Applicants must be currently enrolled as doctoral students at one of the University of California campuses. Applicants must be advanced to candidacy by the time they receive funding, and must have a letter of recommendation from their dissertation advisor that states they are likely to complete their dissertations within the period of the funding if provided support. Dissertation topics must be in areas that support the goals and mission of UC ACCORD. Individuals who have received funding from UC ACCORD in previous years are not eligible for the current funding cycle.

Evaluation and Selection: Proposals will be reviewed by both outside reviewers and members of the UC ACCORD Executive Board. Criteria will include (1) the potential contribution of the dissertation work to further the understanding of issues relevant to the goals of UC ACCORD; (2) the strength and appropriateness of the methods for the proposed work; (3) the strength of recommendations from two (2) faculty recommenders; (4) evidence that the doctoral student is well-prepared to undertake the research (e.g., background, experience, related work, grasp of the relevant literature).

Application Procedures: All applications for dissertation year support must include: (1)
A cover sheet and title page; (2) A brief rationale for the study including selected relevant literature, theoretical framework and an outline of the dissertation (no more than 4 pages); (3) proposed methods of study (no more than 2 pages); (4) a curriculum vitae for the doctoral student; and (5) two letters of recommendation: one from the students dissertation advisor and one from any faculty familiar with the student’s work (should be submitted electronically to accordproposal@gseis.ucla.edu in either Microsoft Word or PDF format).

Application Deadline: Please fill out the online application form and upload all files at http://ucaccord.gseis.ucla.edu/rfp/ by 5:00pm April 20, 2007. Please be sure to have your department’s fiscal officers name and contact information in order to complete the online application form.

Files should be titled and uploaded as follows:
Section: Rationale for study including relevant literature, theoretical framework and outline of dissertation AND methods
Title: First Initial Last Name-DissProposal
e.g. JBruin-DissProposal

Section: Curriculum vitae
Title: First Initial Last Name-DissCV
e.g. JBruin-DissCV

POST DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

UC ACCORD invites recent graduates (the ACCORD fellowship must begin within two years of the scholar's commencement) with terminal degrees from UC graduate and professional schools to apply for UC ACCORD fellowships. Fellowships will provide $40,000 in support for the fellow, $5,000 support for research and travel expenses, and $5,000 support for the Postdoctoral or Junior Faculty Fellow's faculty mentor. The UC mentor will provide intellectual support for the fellow and facilitate publication and/or dissemination of the completed fellowship product. It is anticipated that the mentor will be in regular contact with the fellow and will provide guidance in planning for the fellow's scholarship and career path beyond the mentorship year.

Awards: Awards for postdoctoral fellowships will normally be awarded for one year.

Eligibility: Recent graduates (within two years of the time of commencement of the fellowship) with terminal degrees from UC institutions. Candidates must desire to work in an area that supports the goals and mission of UC ACCORD and submit a proposal of work. Individuals who have received funding from UC ACCORD in previous years are not eligible for the current funding cycle.

Evaluation and Selection: Proposals for the post doctoral fellowships will be reviewed by both outside reviewers and members of the UC ACCORD Executive Board. Criteria will include: (1) the potential contribution of the proposed work to further the understanding of issues relevant to the goals of UC ACCORD; (2) evidence that the candidate is well-prepared to undertake the proposed work (e.g., background, experience, related work); (3) strength of recommendation and appropriateness of expertise of candidate’s mentor; (4) quality of the proposed work.

Application Procedures: All applications for must include: (1) A cover sheet and title page; (2) a brief description (no more than 5 pages) of the proposed work to be conducted during the fellowship period; (3) specific goals and/or research products for academic and policy/public audiences (e.g., publications, collaborations, program development); (4) a budget for the project; (5) a curriculum vitae for the candidate; and (6) a letter of support from the proposed mentor for the candidate (who must be a UC faculty member) which should be submitted electronically to accordproposal@gseis.ucla.edu in either Microsoft Word or PDF format). [Note: If the candidate does not have a mentor, UC ACCORD may be able to offer guidance. In this case, please contact gandara@gseis.ucla.edu BEFORE SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION.]

Application Deadline: Please fill out the online application form and upload all files at http://ucaccord.gseis.ucla.edu/rfp/ by 5:00pm April 20, 2007. Please be sure to have your department’s fiscal officers contact information in order to complete the online application form.

Section: project description, goals and/or research products and budget
Title: First Initial Last Name-PDApp
e.g. JBruin-PDApp

Section: Curriculum vitae
Title: First Initial Last Name-PDCV
e.g. JBruin-PDCV

JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS

UC ACCORD invites UC Assistant Professors to apply for UC ACCORD Junior Faculty Fellowships. Fellowships will provide $25,000 in support for research that can inform
practice and/or policy aligned to UC ACCORD goals.

Awards: Awards for junior faculty will normally be awarded for one year.

Eligibility: UC Assistant Professors within two years of their appointment as a UC faculty member and 5 years of their degree completion at the time of commencement of the fellowship. Candidates may hold appointments in any UC department or school, but they must desire to work in an area that supports the goals and mission of UC ACCORD and submit a proposal of work. Individuals who have received funding from UC ACCORD in previous years are not eligible for the current funding cycle.

Evaluation and Selection: All proposals will be reviewed by both outside reviewers and members of the UC ACCORD Executive Board. Criteria will include: (1) the potential contribution of the proposed work to further the understanding of issues relevant to the goals of UC ACCORD; (2) evidence that the candidate is well-prepared to undertake the proposed work (e.g., background, experience, related work); (3) quality of the proposed work; and (4) strength of recommendation.

Application Procedures: All applications for fellowships must include: (1) A cover sheet and title page; (2) a brief description (no more than 5 pages) of the proposed work to be conducted during the fellowship period; (3) specific goals and/or research products for academic and policy/public audiences (e.g., publications, collaborations, program development); (4) a budget for the project; (5) a curriculum vitae for the candidate; and (6) a letter of support from a UC faculty member (should be submitted electronically to accordproposal@gseis.ucla.edu in either Microsoft Word or PDF format).

Application Deadline: Please fill out the online application form and upload all files at http://ucaccord.gseis.ucla.edu/rfp/ by 5:00pm April 20, 2007. Please be sure to have your department’s fiscal officers name and contact information in order to complete the online application form.

Section: project description, goals and/or research products and budget
Title: First Initial Last Name-FacApp
e.g. JBruin-FacApp

Section: Curriculum vitae
Title: First Initial Last Name-FacCV
e.g. JBruin-FacCV

FACULTY RESEARCH SEED GRANTS

Awards: Grants in amounts up to $10,000 will be awarded to UC faculty who wish to develop a proposal or pilot for a longer-term study likely to lead to substantial advances in theory, policy, or practice, and whose initial grant proposal can be aided by such funding. As examples, seed grants might be used to develop proposals for studies that a) generate fundamental knowledge about some of the root causes of disparities in college access; b) examine whether, how, and why various Outreach strategies have particular effects on African American and Latino students; c) investigate how outreach strategies may be mediated by the social, political, racial, economic, and educational contexts in which they reside; d) design and test approaches to support students admitted to UC under new and proposed admissions policies such as the Eligibility in Local Context Program or the Dual Admissions Proposal; or e) study the impact of ethnic student organizations on increasing the number of underrepresented students on college campuses as well as on college student retention.

Eligibility: All UC senate faculty or UC faculty with SOE. Individuals who have received funding from UC ACCORD in previous years are not eligible for the current funding cycle.

Evaluation and Selection: All proposals will be reviewed by both outside reviewers and members of the UC ACCORD board. Criteria will include: (1) alignment of the proposed work with the goals and mission of UC ACCORD; (2) appropriate background and experience of the proposer(s); and (3) evidence of the viability of the proposed work to yield a successful fully developed and relevant research proposal to further the aims of UC ACCORD.

Application Procedure: Proposer(s) should submit (1) a cover sheet and title page; (2) a two page narrative description of the proposed activities; (3) specific goals and/or research products for academic and policy/public audiences (e.g., publications, collaborations, program development); (4) a budget for the project; (5) any evidence of the proposer(s’) past research in related areas; and (6) a curriculum vitae for the candidate.

Application Deadline: Please fill out the online application form and upload all files at http://ucaccord.gseis.ucla.edu/rfp/ by 5:00pm April 20, 2007. Please be sure to have your department’s fiscal officers name and contact information in order to complete the online application form.

Files should be titled and uploaded as follows:
Section: project description, goals and/or research products, budget, and evidence of past research
Title: First Initial Last Name-SeedApp
e.g. JBruin-SeedApp

Section: Curriculum Vitae
Title: First Initial Last Name-SeedCV
e.g. JBruin-SeedCV