Project Development

Strategy

At maturity, CARSS will comprise a portfolio of multi-year projects in various stages of development, exemplifying, to varying degrees, the core values of problem orientation, interdisciplinary collaboration, involvement of practitioners, and a mix of UM and off-campus participants. Ultimately, the Center aims to have, at any one time, three to five project teams, comprising both virtual and residential components, simultaneously advancing the development and application of new knowledge, methods, and strategies.

In pursing this vision, CARSS will use a phased approach to the development and support of the projects it funds. Projects will begin as a Phase I "extended seminar," an exploratory effort, by two or more proponents, to brainstorm, define, and develop a future collaborative project. As the project develops, it may evolve into a series of multi-day workshops and conferences aimed at defining the problem to be addressed, formulating a research agenda, developing research methods and collaborative strategies, auditioning potential participants, and building commitment, trust, and shared conceptual language.

Following a review of progress, some Phase I efforts will form longer-term Phase II projects, including a residential year on the Michigan campus. In a project's residential phase, a team of 4 or 5 of the core members will spend a full, supported sabbatical year in residence, collaborating with UM scholars on an ongoing basis, and with others in residence for shorter periods, on advancing the project's agenda. It is expected that some of these projects will become ongoing networks of collaborators working through face-to-face and virtual meetings, accessing common research resources and products through state-of-the-art information technology tools and collaborative processes.

Outcomes

It is expected that projects supported under the aegis of CARSS will produce a number of different kinds of products, including: (i) new intellectual frameworks through which to bring research to bear on societal problems; (ii) new methodologies for integrating interdisciplinary research and for linking research and application; (iii) evidence-based strategies for addressing societal problems through policy change, program interventions, or public awareness and education; (iv) publications aimed at disseminating new knowledge to wider academic audiences; (v) policy briefs laying out research-based policy implications; (vi) on-going public forums involving academics and practitioners; (vii) curricula for new fields of study; and (v) books laying the foundations of such new fields for academic or non-academic readers.

New Projects

For information about starting a new project, see Submitting a Letter of Intent.