Next Steps for Working Group Awards

Many of your questions can be answered there!

• Each summer, we set up internal structures and finances to support your activities in the upcoming academic year.
• In July/August (for Fall awards) and in January (for Spring awards), we reach out to host campus administrators regarding the back-end financial details.
• In late August and mid-January, we send reminder emails to Organizers outlining next steps for the upcoming semester.

Engage with your project team.

• Schedule regular meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and next steps.
• Use tools such as email, Zoom, and Google Docs to facilitate communication and collaboration.
• Create a timeline with milestones and deadlines to keep the project on track.

The Organizer from the host campus of each awarded activity is the lead contact for that award.

• On the designated host campus for each award, the lead Organizer works with their department admin to arrange details & manage expenses. (Review our financial guidelines.)
• Follow all financial policies at the host campus; this includes any spending caps on per-person meals, lodging, etc.
• Invite colleagues across the region to attend and/or participate in your activities. If it’s a public event, advertise to community organizations and on the host campus.
• Corridor-based participants can utilize Intra-Corridor Travel Supplemental funds.
• Extend your reach by building on existing networks. Connect your activities to related courses, programs, or communities your Organizers are already part of.
• Hands-on formats (workshops, retreats) help your group gel and create space for in-depth cross-disciplinary mentoring you can't get at your home institution.
• Mix modalities and formats. Hybrid or rotating options widen access and regional/national participation; varying formats (lectures, roundtables, peer feedback) gives people different points of entry.
• Circulate materials in advance to deepen engagement.
• Don't underestimate logistics. Things like transportation and registration can quietly derail an otherwise well-planned activity.
• Build in informal time, too: coffee breaks and shared meals often lead to some of the most impactful mentoring.

• Once you have confirmed details and a date/time, complete the activity form to let us know before your activity occurs.
• If you need to change something substantial within your existing award (i.e., host campus or nature of the activity), then submit a revision request.
• Reach out to cnyhumanities@syr.edu with any questions.

• Seek co-sponsorship funds from your home institutions and departments.

• At the end of the academic year, we ask you for a brief report to share progress, challenges, and outcomes related to your collaboration and activities.

How did things go?

• Did your group gel?
• Do you want to do this again?
• Do you need to recruit additional Organizers?
• Balance growth with sustainability. A few focused, well-run activities a year is often more impactful than a packed calendar.
• Revisit your Organizer team as needed to share labor and keep momentum.
• Begin the planning process to apply for Corridor funding as a Continuing Working Group during the next CFP cycle.

Consider external funding or a Corridor Signature Event.

• Apply for grants from foundations, institutions, and government agencies that support humanities research (e.g., Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities).
• Corridor Signature Events offer an occasional opportunity for Working Groups to apply for funding up to $12,000 toward a high-impact, public event.