Transcript A Cotlow Award… - GWU Anthropology

A Cotlow Award…
What is it?
How do I get one?
Cotlow awards are grants to
support student research
• On anthropological topics in any of the
four fields
• Awarded on a competitive basis each year
• For work usually done during the summer
It’s about anthropology
• The project you are proposing must make
sense in terms of anthropology
• You must have had enough courses in
anthropology so you can bring an
anthropological perspective to the project
• Take an anthropology research methods
course to help you strengthen your
proposal
Who is eligible to apply?
You must be a GW
student:
BA/BS
MA
PhD
What is anthropology?
• Archaeology
• Biological anthropology
• Cultural anthropology
• Linguistic anthropology
Four-field “Gateway” Faculty
But all regular faculty can be resources for Cotlow proposals
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Attiya Ahmad (cultural anthropology)
2112 G St., NW (Bldg. X) 102
[email protected]
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Alison Brooks (biological anthropology & archaeology)
2112 G St., NW (Bldg. X) 204
[email protected]
•
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Alexander Dent (linguistic & cultural anthropology)
2110 G St., NW (HAH) 302
[email protected]
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Shannon McFarlin (biological anthropology)
Science & Engineering Hall 6810
[email protected]
How to find a topic
• Inspiration (hard to explain!)
• Something from your background—been there, seen
something
• Something you heard about in a class
• An issue that is in the news
• A place you want to go
• Scan past Cotlow proposals (dept. website)
• Scan programs of professional anthropology
meetings, such as the American Anthropological
Association, etc.
• Talk with anthropology professors
Tips for success in topic
selection
• Work with your strengths: if you know
Spanish, don’t propose to do a project in
Russia
• Use your past experience and contacts to
increase the feasibility of the project
• Follow your heart
Is it “anthropological”?
• Talk to some professors to see how you
can shape it
• Read “the literature” (in anthropology)
• Think about methods—how would you
study it?
Seek faculty mentoring
• A side benefit of the Cotlow process is that
students and faculty get to know each
other
• So, if you are thinking of a project in South
America or about fossil hominins or about
rap music, talk to a professor who knows
that area/topic.
• On our website, faculty specialties can be
found by using the “search by tag” box.
Relevance to Anthropology
• Do preliminary library research on the topic
(start with Gelman electronic databases
such as AnthroSource and Anthropology
Plus)
• Find out about anthropologists who have
done related work and learn how they did it
(methods)
• Use the Gelman tool “Refworks” to keep
track of your sources
Proposals from Undergraduates
• Undergraduates do not have to major in
Anthropology, Archaeology, or Biological
Anthropology, but must have enough
background in the discipline to satisfy their
faculty mentor.
• The mentor, not the student, submits the
proposal form to a Gmail account.
The Cotlow Proposal Form
• The 2016 form is available on the
Anthropology Department website:
• http://departments.columbian.gwu.edu/
anthropology/cotlow
• There will soon be a new form, but the
old one can be used as a guide to what
information is required.
Personal Information and Faculty
Mentor(s)
• Basic information on you, the applicant
• Faculty advisor: select one or two
– At least one should be a full-time member of
the Anthropology Department faculty
– In addition, you may have mentors who are
anthropologists outside the University, or nonanthropologists
Title of Project The Abstract
• Title: think of something informative and
not too long
• Abstract: a short (80 words) description of
your project’s goals, context, methods,
and importance. It pulls key elements from
all the major sections of the proposal.
– THEREFORE: BEST TO WRITE IT LAST;
or, write it early on, and keep revising it,
and review it carefully and revise it
before you submit the proposal
Description of the Project
• This section provides a general description
of your project:
– Overall research objectives
– The location/site/context of the project
• Characteristics of the site
• Why this particular site
Significance of the Topic to
Anthropology
• Review of the related “literature” in anthropology
• Discuss what selected anthropologists have written
on/around your topic
• “Bundle” related anth lit into themes; see examples of
successful proposals on the Anthropology Department
website
• Specific references needed; ring bells!
• Use social science citation style (SMITH date:pp); see
style guidelines on aaanet.org
• References cited/consulted must be listed in the
section called “References Cited” at the end
Research Questions and
Methods of Data Collection
• Objectives: State your overarching research
questions: what, overall, do you want to learn?
(try sticking to two or three)
• Discuss the data collection methods you will
use to provide information to help answer those
questions
• As appropriate, you may wish to mention data
analysis methods used during or after the
funding period
Ethics: Anthropology Guidelines
• Learn about anthropology ethics from your
mentor(s)
• Refer to the AAA website for ethics guidelines in
all four fields: aanet.org
• More detailed guidelines exist on other sites for
archaeology and biological anthropology
• Be specific in describing how you will follow
ethical practices in your research
Ethics: GW Research Rules
Regarding “research” involving “human subjects” -• Consult the website for GW’s Institutional Review Board:
http:/www.gwumc.edu/research/human
– Research includes activities that seek to provide “generalizable
knowledge”
– A human subject is just a person; it is a person involved in
particular kinds of research
• Most, but not all, student projects involving living humans
fit under the category of “excluded” research and so you
do not need to fill out IRB forms
• Projects that are related to health issues, or involve
children and pregnant women, for example, fit into “risk”
categories of IRB concern
• Consult with your mentor(s)!
Research Product
• How will you present and otherwise
make use of your findings?
• Examples:
– For your academic goals (thesis, etc.)
– To the “scholarly community” (conference
paper, website, etc.)
– To the host community/country (copy of your
thesis or other written work for a library,
website, shared skills with local people, etc.)
One Required “Product”
• If you receive a Cotlow award, you are
required to present your findings in a brief
oral presentation at a research
conference, at GW or elsewhere, or at
another venue approved by your mentor.
Timeframe
• Lay out your goals week by week, or in
whatever way is appropriate and
sufficiently detailed
• Imagine your way through the project—
this stage may prompt you to rethink your
research objectives!
• Look at examples of successful Cotlow
proposals posted on the Anthropology
Department website
Budget
• Cotlow awards range from $400 to $1800
• Consider your potential expenses carefully and
try to find the lowest rates for travel, housing,
etc.
• In your budget, list all major expenditures,
estimated as best as you can
Details in the Budget
• You may want to add a line for “local travel,”
rough amount $200 (just an example)
• Or, gifts to project participants, $200
• Or, translation assistance, $500
• Faculty mentor(s) can advise you about the
budget
Budget cont’d:
What You Cannot Ask For
• Equipment such as cameras
Budget cont’d:
Staff
• Most Cotlow projects do not involve staff
but some do, perhaps for translation
assistance
• If your project requires an assistant,
explain the reasons why somewhere in the
body of the proposal
• In the budget, provide a line item and
explain qualifications of person(s) to be
hired
Budget cont’d:
Outside Financial or Other Support
• Some Cotlow recipients co-finance the project
themselves or receive financial help from other
grants, family, etc. Other receive “in-kind”
support such as free housing or food from
relatives or friends during the research.
• If so, please mention this support on the Budget
page, making it clear that it is not being
requested from the Cotlow award.
References Cited/Select
Bibliography
• Provide references for all sources cited in your
proposal; you may also include sources that you
have noted cited but that were important in your
development of the proposal
• We are looking for solid anthropological
references, although you may include some nonanthropological sources
• Follow, generally, the reference style of the
American Anthropological Association), or a fieldappropriate style recommended by your mentor
• Ph.D. proposals should generally have more
references
Permits
• Particular research sites may require
formal permission from the country,
locality, or institution for your project
• In your application, please provide copies
of such permission or mention that you are
in the process of securing them
Transcript
• Include a scanned copy of your GW
transcript for your current degree program
(or from a previous school if you are
transfer undergraduate student)
• Failure to include your transcript will mean
that your proposal is incomplete and will
not be reviewed
Legal Conditions of the Award
• A brief expenditure report must be
submitted to the Anthropology Department
within three months of the end of research
• Presentation of findings at an appropriate
conference or other meeting
• Compliance with all relevant ethical
guidelines
• Compliance with GW safety guidelines
when outside the U.S.
Personal Safety during the
Research Period
• Choose a research site that will be safe for you
• In case of potential problems, keep track of US
government advisories about the country
• For international research, keep GW apprised of your
location and follow GW safety rules and insurance
regulations
• Have a back-up site in mind in case you need to
change your research site at the last minute due to
safety concerns
Final Tip for Success:
(proposal drafts and revisions take time and are
essential for a successful proposal)
• Allow a lot of time to write and revise the
proposal:
– Ask faculty mentor(s) to review drafts and allow
for time for them to do so (turnaround time)
– Revise (this takes time)
– Have your mentor look at it again; revise again…
– And maybe again
– Submit a complete proposal, with transcript, on
time (or have your mentor do this, if you are an
undergraduate)