DKU Center for the Study of Contemporary China

Faculty Research Product Workshop (Max. 5,000 USD)

Submission Deadline: October 31, 2026 midnight China time

*This is a strict deadline. Late applications will not be considered.

Award Notification Date: December 1, 2026

Program Description

The CSCC Faculty Research Product Workshop Grant is provided by the DKU Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC) to support full-time DKU faculty members in transforming existing scholarly projects into published works, such as books, special issues, or a series of articles. 

This grant will provide funding of up to 5,000 USD to organize research product workshops. These workshops will invite 2-5 experts in the respective fields, and if applicable, an editor from a journal or press, to provide valuable insights and feedback on the manuscripts during in-person or Zoom workshops. The workshops will include presentations from the invited guests regarding their thoughts on the manuscript(s), responses from the author(s), and general discussions, all with the goal of enhancing the quality and impact of the research products. The research product can be either solo-authored or in collaboration with scholars at DKU, Duke University, or beyond. Proposals will be reviewed by a CSCC grant review committee, which makes funding recommendations to the CSCC Co-Directors. The funding term is maximum 24 months.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be employed full-time at DKU for the entire duration of the project.
• High-quality proposals by faculty who have not previously received this award will be prioritized. Faculty who received this grant in 2025 are not eligible to apply.
• Faculty may receive maximum one CSCC grant within one academic year.
• Projects without existing funding opportunities will be prioritized.

Application Material 

Proposals must be submitted as a single pdf file and include the following components

• Project Description: including product working title; research project background, rationale, and significance; research objectives; research methodology; tproduct description; research dissemination plan; list of references.
• Workshop Participants (1-2 single-spaced pages): A list of 2-5 experts in the relevant field, along with a rationale for their selection as workshop participants Timeline (1-2 pages): Description of the current status of the product and milestones towards publication and dissemination of the product.
• Workshop Agenda (1-2 single-spaced pages): Expected timing and format of the workshop
• Budget (maximum 1 page): A well-organized budget table that lists how the grant funds will be used (in both USD and RMB) along with an explanation of each budget item. Budget changes are only allowed for up to 10% of the total budget after project approval. If applicants have or are actively applying for other support for the project, they must mention this in their proposal. If the completion of the project requires more than the maximum amount that can be awarded via this grant, the applicants must demonstrate that other support is available to sustain the continuation of the work over the necessary timeframe.
• Sample Chapter or Working Paper: A sample chapter or working paper from the research project that provides a representative overview of the work.
• Up-to-date Curriculum Vitae of the applicant
• Correspondence with editors from potential presses or journals, if applicable.

Evaluation Criteria

Each proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance and Significance:
  • Does the project offer meaningful new insights into China’s society, politics, and economy and demonstrate scholarly, social, or policy relevance?
• Research Design:
  • Are the research objectives clearly articulated and appropriately matched with a rigorous and well-justified research methodology?
• Workshop Plan and Rationale:
  • Does the proposed workshop plan demonstrate a clear structure for feedback and discussion, and is the rationale for selecting the participants well-justified?
• Research Timeline and Readiness:
  • Are the research goals attainable within the proposed timeline, and is the research sufficiently advanced to benefit meaningfully from expert feedback through the workshop?
• Budget Justification:
  • Does the applicant clearly justify the need for the grant funds and propose a reasonable and realistic plan for how the funds will be used to achieve the project’s goals?

Grant Conditions for Awarded Projects

• All project outputs need to acknowledge the CSCC as funding source.
• After the workshop. grant recipients need to submit a final report.
• Reimbursement requests must follow DKU guidelines and include project proposal.
• Budget changes of more than 10% of total budget require pre-approval from CSCC.
• Projects involving human subjects require IRB approval before access to funds.

Questions

All grant proposals and inquiries should be sent to Chi Zhang, the program coordinator for the Center for the Studies of Contemporary China.

List of CSCC Research Grant for Faculty Research Product Workshop Projects