Application
The Team
Find at least one friend who would make your team interdisciplinary – for instance, biology and anthropology, or history and finance. A mixture of upper and lower classmen is preferred, but not a requirement.
Faculty members and outside experts can provide advice or information, but you must be the one to conceive, write and carry out your proposal. This should be your project.
The Proposal
Submit your proposal to bigideas@smu.edu by January
25, 2013.
Need a template? Download one in Word or PDF format.
Your proposal must include
- Project title (Big iDeas usually have catchy names.)
- List of participants, including years and area(s) of study
- Statement of the problem
- How this project will address the problem
- Rough timeline of activity
- Anticipated benefit (Big iDeas impact lots of people in significant ways.)
- A rough budget (things like supplies, equipment, travel or computing time)
The budget is subject to SMU grant expenditure policies, so the purchase of computing or video equipment must be specifically justified, and grant money can’t be used to purchase phones.
Proposals will be reviewed by a panel appointed by the Provost in late February. The panel will include students, faculty and members of the Dallas community.
| Dates to remember | |
|---|---|
| January 25, 2013: | All proposals due |
| April 2013: | Projects presented at the Big iDeas Spring Symposium |
| August 31, 2013: | Final Day for Funds to be expended |
| October 2013: | Progress updates presented at the Big iDeas Progress Symposium |
Possible Big iDeas
These suggestions are intended to be illustrative, not limiting and should be used as an inspiration for your own Big iDea proposal. We welcome your energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, all as applied to your Big iDea.-
Art in Dallas. Many school programs are doing away with their fine arts programs. What is the effect of this on Dallas’s children, and how can this be addressed? How do we measure this to improve our schools?
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Diversity in Dallas. Many “minority” populations are present in great numbers in Dallas. What does this mean for Dallas as a community? How is this reflected in the culture of Dallas?
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Educating Dallas. Are Dallas schools working? Are DISD's ambitious goals the right ones? Are some schools and not others educating effectively? How do we measure this to improve our schools?
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Enterprise Dallas. Dallas is one of the major business centers of the nation and the world. What must be done to maintain that position? Is the position in danger, or is Dallas particularly well-suited to maintain it?
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Global Warming Dallas. What will be the effects of global warming on Dallas? What does Dallas need to do to prepare for these effects and to contribute to the solution?
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Poverty in Dallas. What is the form and profile of poverty in Dallas? How can Dallas learn, or lead, in providing security and stability to vulnerable population groups, including families led by single, low-income mothers, the homeless or those with mental disabilities?
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Health Care Dallas. How is the health care system in Dallas representative of the challenges of providing health care access, and how can the system be improved?