Statement of significance and impact
Table of contents
List of participants
On a separate page, list in alphabetical order, surnames first, all project participants and collaborators and their institutional affiliations, if any. The names on this list should match the names mentioned in the staff section of the project's narrative description. The list is used to ensure that prospective panelists and reviewers have no conflict of interest with the project that they will be evaluating. This list should include advisory board members, if any.
Daniels, Sharon. Associate Professor of Film & Digital Media, MFA, University of Tennessee
Margaret Morse, Chair Digital Arts & New Media, Professor of Film & Digital Media, PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Narrative
Applicants should provide an intellectual justification for the project and a work plan. Narrative descriptions are limited to fifteen double-spaced pages. All pages should have one-inch margins and the font size should be no smaller than eleven point. Use appendices to provide supplementary material such as detailed work plans and résumés for project participants. The narrative should address the long-term goals for the project as well as the start-up activities that the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant would support. Applicants should keep in mind the criteria (listed below) used to evaluate proposals. Provide a detailed project description that addresses the following topics:
Enhancing the humanities through the use of emerging technologies Provide a clear and concise explanation of the start-up activities and the ultimate project results noting their value to scholars, students, and general audiences in the humanities. Describe the scope of the project activities, the relationship of the project to other published and ongoing work in the field, and major issues to be addressed. Applicants should provide a rationale for the compatibility of their methodological approach with the intellectual goals of the project and the expectations of its users. NEH views the use of open source software as a key component in the broad distribution of exemplary digital scholarship in the humanities. If either the start-up project or the long-term project is not predicated on generally accessible open source software, explain why and also explain how the Endowment's dissemination goals will still be satisfied by the project.
Provide a concise history of the project, including information about preliminary research or planning, previous related work, previous financial support, publications produced, and resources or research facilities available. It is anticipated that work on projects initiated during the term of a Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant will continue after the period of the grant. The applicant should describe plans for that work and probable sources of support for subsequent phases of the project.
I hold a Bachelors of Arts degree in Visual Arts with an Animation focus, as well as a minor in Africana Studies from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. I am currently a 1st year MFA candidate within the University of California Santa Cruz, Digital Arts and New Media program. A large-scale playable demo of Root Awakening is my Masters work and will be realized by Summer 2008. However, I am attempting to ensure future funding so that I am not only able to complete the interface, but also ensure that the information within it reaches a larger public. Thus, Root Awakenings is a long-term initiative that will be accomplished over a five year timeline, and contributions of prestigious funders like Digital Humanities will be a catalyst for Root Awakenings finalized rendering phases.
Identify the project director and collaborators who would work on the project during the proposed grant period, and describe their responsibilities and qualifications. Provide résumés for the principal collaborators (maximum of two pages each) in an appendix. Project directors must devote a significant portion of their time to their projects. All persons directly involved in the conduct of the proposed project--whether or not their salaries are paid from grant funds--should be listed, their anticipated commitments of time should be indicated, and the reasons for and nature of their collaboration explained. If the project has an advisory board, provide a statement of its function and a list of board members.
Sharon Daniels Margaret Morse Angela Davis Gena Dent Ben Carson Michael Mateas
Explain the project's methods.
Describe in detail the tasks to be undertaken and the computer technology to be employed, indicating what technical and staff resources will be required, as well as the staff's experience with the technology and its application to the humanities.
Describe plans for evaluating the results of the start-up activities. This evaluation should be simultaneously summative with regard to the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant and formative with regard to the long-term project goals.
The initial prototype will entail the histories of Ancient Africa, including though not limited to the Nile Valley Civilizations, Kemet (Egypt) and Nubia. Documentation of user success will be tested through their ability to complete the games. Scores of the games are logged in the system to inform the programmer of rankings. These results will illustrate the interfaces ability to relay traditionally concrete linguistic data, through majority visual means. Adjustments to the program and the potentials of future related non-language dependent initiatives will be noted accordingly.
Describe the plans to disseminate the project results through various media (printed articles or books, presentations at meetings, electronic media or some combination). Applicants should also discuss how the project's ultimate product is likely to be disseminated and what provisions will be made for the long-term maintenance of such a product.
The finalized version of Root Awakening will be presented nationwide at African American, and African related history museums. News of the Root Awakenings commencement will be distributed throughout a combination of New Media, American History, Africana Studies, and Caribbean Studies, journals, web archives, and printed publications. Through gained publicity and scholarly recognition of Root Awakenings, implementation of such within school districts will be pursued. The interface is not designed with a specific target age group in an attempt to be as inclusive as possible to varied ages, socioeconomic standings, and educational backgrounds. However, critical adjustments to the interface would be negotiated dependent upon Board of Education regulations.
Describe the specific tasks that will be accomplished during the grant period and identify the staff members involved. The start-up activities described in the proposal should be completed by the end of the grant period.
During the period September 2007- May 2008 a concise demo of the non-language dependent Africana Diaspora history interface Root Awakening will be revised and completed. Works in progress will be advised by Sharon Daniels, and Margaret Morse. Technical support will be provided by Micheal Mateas. Historical accuracy will be ensured through meetings and consultations with Angela Davis, Department Chair of the History of Consciousness PhD program, as well as Geena Dent. An advisory board including all of those mentioned above will determine the success of the finalized demo and the culmination of all related graduate initiatives.
Project budget
Using the instructions, complete the budget form (PDF). Five year Budget plan: Proposed amount 50,000 broken into 10,000 per year for the continued production, dissemination, and completion of Root Awakening.
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Equipment