Strategic Working Groups

The Strategic Working Group program (SWG) at the Townsend Center is designed to concentrate on foundational questions and emerging conditions in the humanities. The expectation is to reconnect the fundamental questions of the humanistic disciplines with changing historical circumstances and emerging areas of knowledge; to bring basic humanistic questions to bear on a world shaped by new social and scientific developments; and to explore the ways in which dynamic historical forces in turn compel humanists to re-think fundamental questions.

Proposals may come from any two ladder faculty who will act as conveners for the group (one of the two will be charged with the group’s internal administrative responsibilities), with preference given to proposals originating among humanities faculty. Conveners must be from different departments.

Each proposal will be evaluated on the basis of its intellectual quality and adherence to the guidelines of the program. Once the proposal submitted by the conveners gains approval, a call will be sent to the entire Berkeley faculty to solicit applications for participation. Up to five additional ladder faculty participants will be chosen based on their intellectual strength, their ability to contribute openly to a collaborative process, their representation of different relevant disciplines, and their commitment to the program’s intellectual goals. The Center encourages the inclusion of one or more non-humanities faculty among the participants in each group.

The amount of one (1) course buyout at the Assistant Professor II level (currently $13,050) will be awarded to each participant’s department to be applied toward relief of teaching burdens, which we recognize are considerably higher at Berkeley than at many other comparable institutions. Groups will also be awarded $6,000 for graduate research assistance and $2,500 for visiting speakers or other events. Funding for this program is provided by The Andrew M. Mellon Foundation.

The responsibilities of the conveners and their chosen participants will be twofold. The Center will require a final report on the activities of the group, including a detailed breakdown of their readings, discussions, and talks, and an evaluative assessment of the success of the group vis-à-vis the program goals.

In addition, the Center will require a commitment from the conveners to offer a new Townsend-sponsored graduate course on a topic emerging from the activities of the group within two years of their award. We strongly encourage that this course be team-taught. The Center will provide institutional support for the course, assist with the course-approval process, and supply basic technological assistance in cases where this may be necessary for instruction.

Download the 2010-2011 Strategic Working Group guidelines and application:
PDF
Microsoft Word

The Extended application deadline for 2010-2011 is Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 5:00pm.

For questions about the program, please contact Fellowships Coordinator Bridgette Lehrer at blehrer@berkeley.edu.