DiSA offers flexible emergency response DiS-E.R. supports for ongoing research projects using digital and/or computational methods that have come across road blocks, or identified new services or affordances that will aid and advance current research process in practical and specific applications.
Award Range: Up to $1,500 per project, and/or DiSA supports
Application Deadlines: Rolling until May 1, 2026
Decision Timeline: 2-4 weeks from contact, depending on needs, time of year, and urgency
The DiSA Emergency Response provides Faculty of Arts researchers with quick-access funding or support to address urgent, time-sensitive digital research needs that fall outside the scope of planned project budgets, or new affordances. When unforeseen technical challenges or critical resource gaps threaten the progress of an active research project, researchers can apply for emergency aid, which is sourced and administered directly through DiSA. This ensures that support, whether in the form of specialized software, computational resources, expert consultation, or other digital research tools, is procured efficiently and on the researcher’s behalf, removing administrative burden at a moment when speed and focus matter most.
This fund can only bee used for specific identified costs, such as;
- Workshop fee to advance digital skills
- Short-term software subscriptions or access that exceed standard university resources (e.g., data visualization platforms, transcription services, 3D scanning, etc.)
- Computing credits for computational analysis (e.g., OCR cleanup/transcription/translation, etc.)
- API access for research services (e.g., text analysis, data visualization, archival digitization, etc.)
- Crowdsourcing platforms (e.g., Prolific, MTurk, etc.)
- Small hardware purchases/use (e.g., external drives, specialty adaptors, recording equipment, etc.)
- DiSA in kind support, or GA funding
Eligibility
Faculty of Arts faculty and graduate student researchers are eligible to apply. The source of support must directly relate to digital scholarship capacities and methods, and cannot be used for other components of research. Projects must be in mid to late stages of completion for eligibility. If research funding has already been obtained, please decipher the new need beyond the original project scope.
Criteria
- Research must be in active pursuit, at mid to late stages of digital scholarship project.
- Projects must use technological advancements within Faculty of Arts disciplinary research, and led by researchers in the Faculty.
- Proof project elevates Faculty of Arts scholarly and creative work by furthering FOA strategic priorities
- Sustainability and feasibility within resources practicality of timeline and budget.
- Potential for broader impact, connections, and future growth are considered a highlight.
Apply
To apply, send an email to DiSA providing details of the research project and new development needs. Explain how possible solutions will help with bottlenecks or advance progress on the research.
Requirements
Outputs and reporting requirements are flexible for each project. Successful applicants will be expected to publicly share their research outputs or participate in research forums, and to be featured in DiSA communications, website, annual report, and social media. Any promotion or acknowledgment of your project should acknowledge DiSA’s support.