The Gene Burd Urban Journalism Award (AEJMC)

PURPOSE:  To reward and thereby improve the practice and study of journalism in the urban environment by recognizing high quality urban media reporting, critical analysis, and research relevant to that content and its communication about city problems, programs, policies, and public priorities in urban life and culture. Awards are for individuals with a distinguished record of accomplished works in urban journalism.
The award will be presented at a special ceremony during the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and the winner’s presence at this ceremony is strongly encouraged. The 2012 meeting will be held in Chicago, August 9-12.

AMOUNT OF AWARD: Up to $5,000 per award.

SUBMISSIONS: Nominations must include: (1) a letter of nomination for the individual, (2) two letters of support, (3) a copy of the nominee's current vita/resume, and (4) additional supporting materials (e.g., reprints of articles or other media productions and additional letters of endorsement, or other appropriate information).

Electronic submissions should be sent to:
Peter Haratonik
email: haratonik@urbancomm.org

Hard copy can be sent to him at the following address:
Peter Haratonik
Executive Coordinator
The Urban Communication Foundation
123 N. Sangamon, #701
Chicago, Illinois 60607

Deadlines for nominations are as follows:

• April 1, 2012 for the 2012 AEJMC convention in Chicago (August 9-12)
• April 1, 2013 for the 2013 AEJMC convention in Washington, D.C. (August 8-11)

Gene Burd Urban Journalism Research Prize

This annual prize recognizes and rewards doctoral dissertation research in urban Journalism. It is named after Gene Burd, Professor of Journalism at the University of Texas, who endowed this prize.

Amount of prize: $1,000 per Prize.

Application Procedure:

Each nomination should include a copy of the doctoral dissertation and two supporting letters from faculty mentors. One of these letters must be a nomination from the graduate student’s degree advisor that includes a statement articulating the relevancy and impact of the nominated work. The nominated work must have been completed and defended within the two years prior to the award year (e.g., 2008/2009 for the Prize in 2010).

The winner(s) will be announced each year at the annual business meeting of the Journalism Studies Division of the International Communication Association. The nomination period opens on November 1 and closes on January 31. The Prize’s review committee will consist of representatives from the sponsoring unit in the International Communication Association and the Urban Communication Foundation.

Please send nomination materials (the 2 supporting letters and the dissertation) via email (PDF format) to the Chair of ICA’s Journalism Studies Division during the following submission periods:

• November 1, 2010 - January 31, 2011, for the 2011 ICA conference in Boston, MA (May 26-30)
  Frank Esser (University of Zurich): f.esser@ipmz.uzh.ch


• November 1, 2011 - January 31, 2012, for the 2012 ICA conference in Phoenix, AZ (May 24-28)
  Frank Esser (University of Zurich): f.esser@ipmz.uzh.ch

Gary Gumpert Research Incentive Grant (NCA)

The 2011 Gary Gumpert Research Incentive Grant seeks to fund research that enhances our understanding of communication in the urban environment and improves the relationship between communication scholarship and urban studies and planning. The incentive grant can be applied to the acquisition of resources, travel, and/or any other appropriate research related expenses. All submitted grant proposals are judged for both originality and potential impact of the completed study in heightening the understanding of issues, problems, and policies in urban communication. Applicants for this grant must be members of the National Communication Association.

Amount of award: Up to $1000 per grant

Applications should include: (a) a statement in no more than two pages describing the nature and significance of the project in relatively non-technical terms, anticipated schedule (expected completion time); plans for dissemination of the project results, and a budget; (b) an appendix of up to two pages for bibliography, photos, figures, etc. may be included. (c) a copy of the applicant’s current CV. Email complete application to the inquiry and submission email address below by September 1, 2011, for the 2011 NCA convention in New Orleans

All grant recipients are expected to complete the proposed research and provide the UCF with a report of research and progress results. A brief progress report is due one year after the initial grant notification. Grant recipients are also asked to acknowledge UCF’s contribution in any publications that have been partially supported by the grant.

The winner is strongly encouraged to attend the Annual Convention of the National Communication Association in their award-winning year. The grant is presented at the UFC Reception at the convention.

Send inquiries and grant proposals to Peter Haratonik <haratonik@urbancomm.org>, Executive Coordinator, Urban Communication Foundation.

The Jane Jacobs Urban Communication Book Award (NCA)

This year’s Jane Jacobs Urban Communication Book Award recognizes an outstanding book that exhibits excellence in addressing issues of urban communication. It is named in honor of the late social activist and author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities. All entries must be published between 2008 and 2012. The book award brings with it a $500 prize.

The award will be presented at the Annual Convention of the National Communication Association in Orlando, Florida in November 2012. Author and/or publisher presence at the award ceremony is strongly encouraged. (Note: Although the award ceremony is in the USA, this is a global award and we welcome nominations from books published outside the USA as well).

To nominate a book, please send a short letter of nomination or self-nomination (in the form of an email attachment) to Timothy Gibson, chair of the Jane Jacobs Book Award review committee, at the email address below by April 15, 2012. The letter of nomination should describe the book and explain how it addresses issues central to the field of urban communication. Finalists (or their publishers) will be asked to send three copies of the book to the award committee. For more information on the field of urban communication, and to determine if your nomination fits the award call, please review our mission statement.

Timothy Gibson
Department of Communication
DePaul University
Mail Stop 3D6
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030 (USA)
email: tgibson1@gmu.edu

Send inquiries to Timothy Gibson tgibson1@gmu.edu, Chair of the Jane Jacobs Urban Communication Book Award Review Committee, Urban Communication Foundation.

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The James W. Carey Urban Communication Award (ICA)

This grant supports communication research that enhances urban social interaction and civic engagement in an age of global communication. It encourages applied research on the role of human communication in urban environments at a time when media technologies alter the parameters of community of all kinds.

James W. Carey

James W. Carey noted in A Critical Reader that “I think all education, all scholarship is ultimately an aspect of citizenship.” The form of urbanity and community was an intrinsic part of this theme in the scholarship of Carey. He was concerned with the impact of media technology upon the changing form of the urban domain, the consequence of accelerated change upon human communication and community, and the growing gap between tradition and modernity as suburban sprawl threatens the very nature of urban traditions.

With an award of up to $1,000, this grant facilitates research in progress or in the planning stages. It gives priority to projects that feature innovation and creative approaches to studying the central role of human communication in the transformation of urban cultures and communities. Proposals from developing nations are encouraged.

A six-person committee consisting of three members of the International Communication Association and three members of the Urban Communication Foundation will judge the proposals.

The winner(s) will be announced each year at the annual ICA business meeting. Award winners will be required to report to the UCF on the progress of their research the following year.

Application Procedures:

Submit the application electronically through the link provided by the ICA website (www.icahdq.org). Application period opens on November 1 and closes on January 31. Complete application must include (1) a letter of application not exceeding two pages that speaks directly to each of the grant criteria from the description; (2) a description of not exceeding three pages the proposed research, (3) a current CV, and (4) samples of publication relevant to the grant.

Michael Brill Grant in Urban Communication and Environmental Design

Sponsored by the Urban Communication Foundation (UCF) and the Environmental Design Research Association(EDRA)

The goal of this grant program is to encourage innovative research projects that provide a bridge between the fields of communication and environmental design. Named in honor of Michael Brill, architect and long-time EDRA member, for his leadership in work place environments and communication, this grant is funded by the Urban Communication Foundation and administered in conjunction with the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). This grant supports new research or research in progress.

Amount of Award: $1000 per grant

Eligible participants must be EDRA members to apply for and receive this grant. Each complete application should include: (a) a statement or research proposal in no more than two pages describing the nature and significance of the project in relatively non-technical terms, anticipated schedule (expected completion time); plans for dissemination of the project results, and a budget, (b) an appendix of up to two pages for bibliography, photos, figures, etc. may be included, and (c) a copy of the applicant’s current CV or resume.

The initial call for proposals is distributed at the annual EDRA Conference. Proposals are due this year by Dec. 16, 2011 and must be be submitted to the EDRA Awards Committee at headquarters@edra.org. The award winner will be announced in February 2012. The grant will be presented at the EDRA conference to be held in June, 2012.

For updates and inquiries about this new research grant, contact: info@urbancomm.org

Applied Urban Communication Research Grant (ECA)

The Applied Urban Communication Research Grant is an annually endowed prize given to foster and promote significant inter-disciplinary communication research contributions that extend the boundaries of "applied research" by investigating real-life communication phenomena affecting urban communities. The prize is to be awarded to fund the development of original research that meaningfully centralizes the concerns of everyday citizens and their struggle to define, identify with, and/or construct "spaces" for discourse and/or engagement within cities.

The recipient of the prize will receive a medal and a $1,000 grant-in-aid to be awarded to fund communication research related to urban communication. Nominees will be evaluated based on the potential impact of their work as well as the quality and rigor of their contribution. Nominees must be members of ECA. The award will be presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Communication Association.

Nominations should include:(1) a cover letter explaining why the nominee is deserving of the award; (2) a 500-word description of the work the nominee plans to do, outlining the anticipated outcomes, intended mode of dissemination of the research as well as how the research will translate in such a way that it addresses urban community needs and/or concerns; (3) anticipated budget and timetable for completion of the project; (4) a copy of the nominee's CV; and (5) at least one supporting letter from someone well-acquainted with the nominee. Self-nominations are encouraged. Nominees shall submit five copies of the nomination packet and send the materials directly to the selection committee chair.

All nominations and materials should be sent by March 5, 2012 to:

Ronald C. Arnett
Executive Director, ECA,
Duquesne University
600 Forbes Ave; 340 College Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15282

Communicative City Award

The Communicative City Award is a recognition program honoring urban municipalities which provide or facilitate the creation and maintenance of a healthy communicative environment. The Communicative City award seeks to recognize the creation and maintenance of an urban environment that creatively uses its resources and policies to meet the communication needs of the general public. Specific achievements, initiatives and projects are required to demonstrate recognition of the significance of human interaction, public communication, information, ICT's and other media technology, The winner will be presented with the Communicative City Award at a ceremony in that city.

The Communicative City Award honors cities with the vision and skill to enhance communication in the interest of creating a healthy and humane social environment.

• Eligibility: Winners can be cities or counties/ regions (representing urban core and sprawl). Ineligible will be neighborhoods, towns, villages. This is an international award. Eligible cities will have a population of no less than 500,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area or are considered a political capital or a cultural capital.
• Application/Nominations: Interested cities or those interested in nominating a city or urban initiative submit a comprehensive package based on published criteria that are evaluated in the award selection process. Worthy cities are named as finalists, and the year's award winner is named from that pool of applicants.
• A Communicative City logo can be displayed by the award recipient.
• The award is determined by an international jury composed experts recognized across the fields Communication, Journalism, Architecture, City Planning, Urban Sociology, City Government, Literature/arts

For further information contact Peter Haratonik at haratonik@urbancomm.org

Click here to download the Communicative City Award application.

All nominations and materials should be sent by June 1, 2012 to Peter Haratonik at haratonik@urbancomm.org

White Paper Proposal

Urban Communication is the study of communication within an urban context. The built environment is rich with information and physical architectures that manifest unique social situations. From traffic patterns to sidewalks, to mobile computing and surveillance technologies, the issues presented by the rapidly changing communication context constructed through urban environments are vast and varied.

The Urban Communication Foundation (UCF) has been a leader in promoting scholarship in this general area. The Foundation has funded dozens of research projects and acknowledged dozens of scholars that have advanced the field of study. We now seek to extend this influence by focusing in on particular issues or areas of research. As such, will be soliciting public research reports on issues that have a direct bearing on public policy and/or the everyday life for people within cities.

These reports should be between 8000-10000 words in length and present original research on the topic. The end product should aim to have some influence on policy makers, community leaders and scholars and contribute to basic research and practical solutions. The author(s) of the top rated proposal will receive a stipend of $10,000. The money can go to individuals or institutions to provide various forms of research support.

The UCF is proud to announce the first call for research reports on the topic of Digital Networks and Urban Public Space. Interested researchers should submit a proposal outlining the research problem and how it intersects with established urban questions or problems that have yet to be adequately addressed. (See guidelines below).

Topics might include but are not limited to:

• how urban architecture can use digital scaffolding to enhance public spaces
• how Federal or municipal communication policies can positively impact municipal governments or civic life
• the relationship between open data, communication infrastructures, and better government
• communication technology-focused citizen engagement
• how digital networks alter sense of place and change the shape and role of cities

Guidelines for Submitting Proposals/Applications

• Proposals should address each of the following
1. Identification of the communication problem or opportunity
2. Description of the research project and methodology employed
3. Desired impact
   Each of these three sections of the proposal should be limited to approximately 500 words. Please include a cover page with the name, position, institution, and contact information for all authors. Please adhere to a standard citation form.
• Applications should include a short itemized budget and a concise statement providing a rationale for the expenses listed in the budget. Funds may be expended in a variety of ways (e.g., to hire a research assistant or for a course buy-out), provided that it is clear how doing so will enable the researcher(s) to complete the proposed work. Funds may not be used to purchase computer hardware. Funds awarded by the UCF may be utilized to offset fringe costs (such as those often involved in hiring a research assistant), but the Foundation will not cover overhead expenses (i.e., indirect costs). In any case, the total amount of the award will not exceed $10,000.
• Applicants should include a current CV and one letter of recommendation. The referee should be able to assess the significance and viability of the project described in the proposal, as well as the qualifications of the applicant as they pertain to the proposed work.
• Proposals should be submitted to Eric Gordon at Eric_Gordon [at] emerson [dot] edu no later than April 30, 2012. Funding decisions will be made by June 1, 2012. White papers should be completed no later than May 1, 2013. White papers will be published on the UCF website and disseminated widely.

Evaluation of Proposals and Awarding Funds

• A committee consisting of two Urban Communication Foundation members of the Board of Directors and the Board of Advisors, as well as an external reviewer will evaluate all applications submitted by the specified deadline.
• UCF will contact the author(s) of the top-rated proposal to ascertain their commitment to the proposed research project and will subsequently release funds to the researcher(s).
• The UCF will announce the proposal selected on the Foundation’s web site. The author(s) will be recognized as Urban Communication Foundation Fellows.

© 2012 The Urban Communication Foundation, all rights reserved.