The Urban China Research Network, under the State University of New York at Albany, offers approximately 15 small grants for graduate student research during each year in the period 2000-2003, as well as several grants for new faculty members in Chinese universities and research centers. Please find the related information below:

Small grants are available in the range of $1000-$3000 (up to $5000 for faculty grants). Grant funds may be used for research travel, research assistance, acquisition of research materials, supplies, and other related research costs. Normally the project should be completed within 12 months. Funds are not to be used as a stipend or for living costs at one's usual worksite, or for equipment, conference travel or registration fees, or subscriptions. Applications may not include overhead costs. 

To be eligible for the graduate student program, the applicant must be a currently registered student in a graduate degree program. Students from any country may apply. Grants are available both for students who are planning their dissertation research and for those who have defended their dissertation proposal. 

For the faculty program, the applicant must have received the PhD degree in 1997 or later, and have a primary employment as a faculty member or researcher in mainland China. 

Proposals will not be accepted from persons who have already received support from this competition in the previous 12 months. However, a person who has applied unsuccessfully in one round may submit a new application in the next round. There is no restriction as to the field of scholarship, citizenship, or (for graduate students) country in which the applicant is based. Preference will be given to projects that will result in new shared data sets and that foster collaborative connections. 

Research proposals will be reviewed by members of the Network's International Advisory Board twice a year. The next research proposal deadline is March 1, 2002. Every effort will be made to announce awards within two months of the application deadline. Grants in this first round may be used for research costs incurred after May 1, 2002. 

When a grant is made, the funds are paid in U.S. dollars to the individual conducting the research. Grant payments are made in two increments. The first payment of up to $2500 (for graduate students) or up to $4500 (for faculty) will be made immediately. The final $500 will be paid upon receipt of a summary report of the research findings (which can be prepared in either English or Chinese) and an accounting of the funds expended (which must be submitted in English). The summary report should be in the range of 1500-2000 words or 3000-4000 characters. 

For further information on the small grant program, please visit the Network's website at 

http://www.albany.edu/chinanet/