The Digital Scholarship in Arts (DiSA) is launching a new flexible, low-barrier grant to support researchers integrating digital methods and topics into their research and practices. This grant recognizes that digital transformation often requires small but crucial investments that traditional funding does not cover, within timelines and structures that digital scholarship does not always conform to.
Award Range: Up to $7,000 per project, and/or consultation/expertise/skilled assistance via DiSA supports
Application Deadlines: Rolling applications until allocated funds are depleted, this initial grant is for the Fall term through/until December 31, 2025
Decision Timeline: 2-4 weeks from submission, depending on time of year, urgency and amount
To enhance humanities, social science, and creative arts perspectives, we support digital scholarship activities and research projects across the Faculty of Arts (FOA) —from hosting a symposium to developing digital skills to technical or software infrastructure, and everything in between. While DiSA is open to ideas about how to provide unique support for your unique digital research goals, we seek proposals that align to our values of (1) building connections and digital scholarship communities in the Faculty of Arts at UBC, and (2) supporting digital scholarship research and projects. Below are a variety of ideas of what could be included, but we encourage applicants to propose ideas beyond this list if it serves your project better.
Building Connections
- Establishing communities of practice in FOA around particular digital scholarship methods
- Bringing in external speakers or workshop facilitators, hosting a workshop, conference
- Holding a think tank/forum/planning around topics and issues that affect digital scholarship as practiced in FOA disciplines and areas
- Developing connective/interdisciplinary grant applications for digital research projects that enhance FOA methods
- Initiatives that connect with UBC technology units (e.g., Emerging Media Lab, Arts Instruction and Information Technology, The Hackspace for Innovation and Visualization in Education, Advanced Research Computing, UBC Library Research Commons or Digital Programs, etc.)
- Seed funding for working in digital methods that serve external cultural institution(s) or develop community collaborations
- Pilot project research development with regional digital industry or field partners
Supporting and Expanding Research
- Student research assistant support for digital implementations (e.g., data/server management, text annotation, coding/developer, etc.)
- Training and professional development opportunities for acquiring new digital research methods and technical skills that will directly contribute to a project or activity
- 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.)
- Prototype development (e.g., digital exhibition, interactive artwork, gaming, etc.)
- Integration of digital methods into existing traditional research approaches (e.g., digitizing analog materials, community recording, etc.)
Criteria
- Advances and expands technological practices, innovation and creativity in Arts disciplines
- Elevates Faculty of Arts scholarly and creative work by furthering FOA strategic priorities
- Sustainability and feasibility within resources, timeline and budget
- Potential for broader impact, connections, and future growth
Eligibility
Principal Investigators must be a UBC_V Faculty member in Faculty of Arts, in Research or Educational Leadership roles. Graduate and undergraduate students, faculty outside of the Faculty of Arts, staff, non-regular faculty, and lecturers can be on research teams as collaborators or co-applicant.
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.
Before you Apply
Before you apply, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with the Director of the Digital Scholarship in Arts, Christine D’Onofrio [email]. As well, if you are collaborating with a partner/associated unit for in-kind resources, tools or skill support, please schedule a consultation with them before applying. Collaborating units/partners will need to supply an agreement letter.
Application Template
The main component of the application is a 3-page PDF template. Please download and fill out the template outside of a browser window. Please don’t forget to rename the PDF file using your project title before uploading it into the application portal.
Download DiSi Application Template 2025
- Applicant & Team Information: Identify PI, co-applicants and team members; provide names, email, unit. The PI must also provide an updated CV. Please do not include paid researchers as applicants. If applicable, include partnership information and relevant supporting letters.
- Project Summary: Please focus on specifically articulating the digital and computational components of the project or activity. Be sure to include a paragraph on:
- Purpose, and how it advances your project and/or research, or expanded digital dialogues
- Identify Arts-based methodologies it is rooted in, and how it expands FOA strategic priorities
- Description of topics related to technological effects or incorporations, or specify applied integrations, including digital and/or computational methods, tools, software, etc.
- Proposed outputs, identified ‘incubation’ goals, and why they are important to the work
- Brief summary/titles of roles for team members, collaborators and other contributors
- Timeline & Budget (provided document – maximum 1 page total): Briefly mention your timeline, which cannot exceed June 2026. For budget, please include budget items as well as in-kind supports. DiSA may also provide in kind supports, such as digital consultation, DiSA project specialist time, space bookings, etc. Please note the following excluded costs: course buyouts; cap on travel costs for research team cannot exceed $500; overlap with other grants—please distinguish activities particular to this grant if in collaboration with another grant/fund.
What to prepare for uploading
Please prepare your materials before entering the DiSi Grant application portal. You will need the following documents to upload:
- Principal Investigator’s updated CV
- Completed 3-page PDF template application [download link] renamed with your project title.
- If applicable, a support letter by collaborating field/UBC technology partner, associated unit, researcher support for in-kind resources, tools or skill support. Please schedule a consultation with them before applying to ensure agreed support.
- If applying for funds (beyond in-kind support) you must also supply a completed and signed RPIF.
Apply
The application portal is currently open and available. The grant starts October 1, 2025.