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FOCUS
The Game Research
and Virtual Environment Lab is an interdisciplinary project
at the University of Minnesota co-sponsored by the Institute
for New Media Studies, the Digital Technology Center, and
the Digital Media Center. The Lab’s mission is to promote
and support exploration into the structure of game and virtual
reality environments to advance research and to better understand
the cultural, communicative, aesthetic, technical, and social
implications and opportunities these structures provide.
The purpose of the
seed grant program is to help develop promising research
ideas which explore some aspect of digital game, simulation,
or virtual reality development, usage, utility, social implications,
or innovative applications. The goal of the grant program
is to nurture an idea to the point of a fully-realized proposal
which can be submitted for larger funding or to design a
method for conducting a fuller examination of the aspect
the research project addresses.
GRAVEL SEED
GRANT PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS
In addition to helping
fund development of a game research or virtual environment
research idea, the goal of the seed grant program is to build
the GRAVEL research community. Seed grant recipients will
be asked to attend two brainstorming sessions in Spring 2005
in order to help steer the research directions in which the
GRAVEL project might go.
Recipients will
be asked to give a talk about their research project at a
GRAVEL Grant program in Fall 2005. In addition, GRAVEL members
will help to identify potential opportunities for further
funding of the research idea in order to help take it from
a proposal to a fully realized project.
The Seed Grant Proposal,
up to 5 pages long (not counting cover or signature pages),
must contain the following:
- Description
of the project idea: What aspect of game or
virtual environments are you intending to examine or
develop a new application for? Describe how this research
idea fits in with your own research background and interests.
- Description
of broader potential of the idea: How might
this idea, fully developed, lead to a new application,
new understanding, or an on-going research angle about
digital games or virtual environments. What discipline
areas might be impacted by the project you are proposing?
- Idea
development team: If you are a faculty member,
identify a graduate student(s) with whom you might work
in developing the idea. Describe their background and
research interests. If you are a graduate student, identify
a faculty mentor with whom you will work.
- Budget:
The seed grant funds (up to $2,500 each) can be used to
support graduate research assistance, software purchases,
or other expenses related to developing the prototype,
proof of concept, or theoretical framework for your research
project.
- Cover
page: The cover page should include your name,
department affiliation / major, position, email address,
street address, telephone number.
- Signature
page: For faculty submissions, the signature
of your department head must accompany the proposal.
For graduate student, civil service, and P&A submissions,
the signature of the faculty member on your idea development
team must accompany the proposal.
SUBMISSION
DEADLINES AND PROCESS
Proposals are due
by 4:30 pm, Friday, January 14. They should be sent as an
email attachment to npaul@umn.edu with
the subject line: GRAVEL Seed Grant Proposal. In addition,
a printed version including the signature page accompanying
the proposal should be mailed to INMS – 313 Murphy
Hall – 200 Church St. SE.
Proposals will be
reviewed by affiliated members of the GRAVEL project and
winners will be announced by January 21, 2005. Grant recipients
will be asked to attend brainstorming sessions with the GRAVEL
steering committee on Feb. 11 and April 22. The presentation
of the research project will be in the Fall of 2005 when
a final report will also be due.
QUESTIONS
Contact
Nora Paul, Director of the Institute for New Media Studies, npaul@umn.edu – 612-624-8593 – with
questions.
TIMETABLE
- Call for proposals
issued: Nov. 16, 2004
- Deadline for
proposals: January 14, 2005
- Notification
of award: January 21, 2005
- First meeting
of award recipients for discussion: February 11, 2005
- Second meeting
of award recipients for discussion: April 22, 2005
- Continue work
on the project idea Summer 2005
- Presentation
of projects and next call for proposals: Fall 2005
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