CSSI's Fellowship for Qualitative Research is a summer program that provides faculty and scientific staff the time, space, and resources needed to develop qualitative research projects, including ethnography, historical and archival research, content analysis, case studies, action research, and mixed-method designs.

FQR participants work in residence at our center and attend weekly accountability meetings and workshops throughout the program. Workshops are designed to provide FQR participants with additional information from CSSI staff and leaders from across the university on how to effectively fund, support, and share their work with academic and public audiences. 

Program Features & Benefits

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Dedicated Workspace

Work within quiet assigned offices to support focused writing and research. Receive full access to the center's meeting rooms, printing stations, and break areas.

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Supportive Community

Connect with faculty members from various disciplines and collaborate with CSSI staff who can assist with all administrative, IT, and research needs. 
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Collaborative Learning

Participate in regular cohort meetings, workshops, networking events, and opportunities for development. 
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Research Funding

Receive up to $1,500 in funding for pilot data, transcription services, software, or other related research expenses.

How to Apply

Applications open: Monday, January 6th

Application deadline: Friday, March 14th

Participant notifications: Friday, April 4th

Start: Monday, June 16th  

End: Friday, July 18th

Faculty members across all ranks and tracks, as well as scientific staff, are eligible. All applicants must be affiliated with the University of Iowa.

APPLICANT INFORMATION

  • Name
  • College
  • Department
  • Email

PROJECT INFORMATION 

  • Project Title
  • Project Abstract (50-100 words)
  • Project Overview (300-500 words): Briefly introduce the project, its significance and potential impact, and its relevance to the research program. Clearly state the objectives of the research.
  • Project Methodology (300-500 words): Describe the methods that will be used to achieve the project's objectives. This includes research design, data collection methods, and analysis techniques.
  • Project Plan and Timeline (300-500 words): Describe the current status and goals of the project (e.g., anticipated outcomes and deliverables) and timeline of participation in the program.

ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS

  • Curriculum Vitae or Biographical Sketch

Applicants are asked to acknowledge the Center for Social Science Innovation in all publications and presentations supported by participation in this program and to notify the CSSI communications team of all publications, presentations, and grants related to program work.

APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED

Program Participants

2024

Alison Bianchi, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, investigated the lack of male participation in social science experiments during this past summer’s Fellowship for Qualitative Research at the center. Her project, titled “Where Have All the Subjects Gone?: A Focus Group Analysis of Experimental Research Participation,” ultimately aims to inform strategies that could help encourage engagement in scientific studies across disciplines. 

Read the full article to learn more about about Bianchi's research and exploration of new methods.

Mary Cohen, professor in both the College of Education and School of Music, utilized her time during this year's past Fellowship for Qualitative Research to expand her network and investigate the current terrain of her research topic: diversion through music-making.  

Diversion programs have become an emerging alternative to immediate incarceration, providing young people and their families with education and support to ultimately steer the youth away from anything related to detention. Cohen’s research, titled “Generative Justice through Music-Making with Youth in Conflict with the Law: Preparing a Participatory Study,” hones in on the idea of using music-making as an avenue for creating solidarity with young people who have had adverse experiences within the legal system.  

Read the full article to learn more about Cohen's research and experience in the program. 

Allison Rowe, assistant professor in the College of Education, dedicated her time during this past year's program to her project, “Supporting Youth Civic Participation Through Public Art-Making in Iowa,” which seeks to understand how participating in a public art project impacts adolescents. Specifically, Rowe examined the ways that engaging in public art shapes teen's willingness to have political conversations with those who hold opposing views to their own. 

Her study hinges on a five-day camp where participants will have the opportunity to design and decorate demolition derby cars based on social issues they’re passionate about, producing what Rowe describes as “socially engaged artwork.” 

To learn more about Rowe's project and the intersection between public art and civic engagement, read the full article. 

2023

Kylah Hedding, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, collaborated with Elise Pizzi, associate professor of Political Science, during their time in the 2023 Fellowship for Qualitative Research. By interviewing local leaders across eight counties in Iowa, Hedding and Pizzi sought to further understand the steps that county and local administrators take to ready themselves for natural hazards.

To learn more about Hedding and Pizzi's research and findings, read the full article.

Elise Pizzi, associate professor in the Department of Political Science, collaborated with Kylah Hedding, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, during their time in the 2023 Fellowship for Qualitative Research. By interviewing local leaders across eight counties in Iowa, Pizzi and Hedding sought to further understand the steps that county and local administrators take to ready themselves for natural hazards.

To learn more about Pizzi and Hedding's research and findings, read the full article.

To better understand how food access affects the well-being of individuals living with MS, Solange Saxby, a postdoctoral research scholar at the Carver College of Medicine, worked to develop a mixed-methods analysis involving rural and urban Iowan residents with MS during her time in the 2023 Fellowship for Qualitative Research. 

Using both surveys and focus group interviews, Saxby delved into the facilitators and barriers to food access and its impact on quality of life. To learn more about Saxby's research, read the full article.