The Breakdown/(Re)generation Project

Up to $100,000 for Columbia University Arts and Sciences initiatives related to breakdown and (re)generation across the social and natural worlds. Our call for proposals is open until March 1, 2024 at 5PM EST.

Incite is an interdisciplinary institute at Columbia University. Our mission is to create knowledge for public action that leads to more just, equitable, and democratic societies.

Currently, we are particularly interested in the concepts and practices of breakdown and (re)generation across domains of the social and natural worlds. Seemingly stable systems in these worlds appear to be breaking down. Climate breakdown upends how life forms have survived for eons; political breakdown topples post-World War II practices of Western societies and governments; gender breakdown upsets long-established conceptualizations and practices of biologically driven identity formation; epistemic breakdown overturns established ways of learning and knowledge creation.

Common to these examples is a realization that elemental features of the social and natural conditions on which our lives have been constructed, conditions thought more or less stable, that constituted the scaffolding of the stories we told about our lives, can no longer be taken for granted. One result of such breakdowns is that systems and structures thought “natural,” and therefore uninspected, can be newly revealed, in their operation and in the conditions for their maintenance, reproduction, and change. Too, understanding breakdowns creates opportunities to (re)generate social and physical conditions, organizations and institutions, and norms and ethics that can lead to more just and equitable societies. We are as interested in studies of (re)generation, of what is possible, as we are in what has broken down.

Because of these interests, we invite letters of intent (~1k words) that describe innovative projects on breakdown and/or (re)generation. We recognize that breakdown and related (re)generation occurs at multiple scales and that they produce diffuse and dynamic spillover effects. Understanding and responding to them, therefore, may require new ways of thinking about familiar problems, innovative data or methods, fresh forms of action, and/or pioneering ways of working across disciplinary or organizational boundaries, both within and outside universities.

Accordingly, we encourage applicants from all disciplines to apply. We welcome—but do not require—trans-disciplinary approaches and diverse organizational collaborations. Successful letters will present a rich description of the site of breakdown and/or (re)generation, articulate a method appropriate to its investigation, and demonstrate that the applicant(s) is capable of achieving project goals. We are especially eager to fund high-risk, high-reward seed projects that position applicants to secure significant external funding.

Possible empirical domains for projects on breakdown and/or (re)generation include but are certainly not limited to:

• Climate and/or ecology, from individual species to planetary phenomena

• Institutions, norms, and culture(s)

• Forms of social interaction

• Conditions that produce knowledge and learning

• Conventions surrounding gender identity and expression

Applications

Letters of Intent

The letter should clearly state the purpose of the project, why it is important, what will be gained by it, how it will be carried out, and how the researcher(s) would benefit from being part of the Incite community and vice versa. We are open to diverse methods, from formal modeling to narrative analysis in research and from collective activity to individual creation in engaged action. Letters should be accompanied by a schematic budget that should not exceed $100,000, a general timeline, and the CVs of the PI(s) and any Co-PI(s).

Evaluation Criteria

We will evaluate letters based on project coherence, importance relative to site of breakdown/(re)generation, suitability of the proposed method for the project's goals, likelihood of achieving project goals in time specified, potential contributions to Incite’s intellectual community, and relationship of budget to project activities. Successful letters will not grossly exceed the word limit of 1k.

Full Proposals

If a letter is successful, we will request a full proposal, which will not exceed ~3k words, plus budget and budget justification. We anticipate funding 50% of full proposal requests and will send specific proposal requirements at the time of request.

 Process deadlines

• Letters of intent are due by 5PM EST on March 1, 2024.

• Notice of successful letters and requests for full proposals will be made by April 1, 2024.

• Full proposals will be due by 5PM EST on May 15, 2024.

• Notification of successful full proposals will be made by July 1, 2024.

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