FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
BACKGROUND
Why Digital Media and Learning?
The MacArthur Foundation launched its Digital Media and Learning initiative to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way people, especially young people, learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. The initiative is marshaling what is already known about the field and seeding innovation for continued growth.
How can I learn more about the field of digital media and learning?
One place to start is at the Competition 2008 link on this website, where detailed information about winners' projects from last year's Competition is available. You can also visit the Winners' Hub to follow reports on activities by previous winners.
A second place to visit is the MacArthur Foundation's Spotlight blog, where educators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and others discuss new forms of digital media and the many different ways to learn through, about, and with new media. The Foundation also maintains a website on its Digital Media and Learning initiative.
Another place for more information is the HASTAC website where Digital Media and Learning Competition Directors and Cathy Davidson and David Goldberg offer thoughts on the 2008 Competition in their "And the Winners Are" blog, parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. Visitors to the HASTAC site can also read or watch contributions to the In|Formation Year. The HASTAC "Cat in the Stack" blog also focuses on digital media and learning. Examples of postings on this subject are Digital Learning versus IT, What Is Digital Learning?, and Learning from the new DML Competition. See also “Participatory Learning: If You Have a Problem, Ask Everybody.” and “Participatory Learning” on the HASTAC website.
Why a competition?
The Competition is an effort to identify new ideas and projects that will support continued growth and innovation in the field of digital media and learning. An open competition is an ideal way to learn about and to support new ideas in an emerging field.
Why “Participatory Learning”?
Learning environments are changing dramatically because people are participating in media (rather than simply consuming it), receiving immediate feedback for their participation, sharing their products nationally if not internationally, engaging in customized experiences, accessing enormous amounts of information and immersing themselves in social environments such as fan fiction sites, massive multiplayer online games, virtual worlds and social networks. In this context, digital media may have significant potential for learning when people use digital means for creative production, or to communicate with one another and contribute their knowledge and expertise to solving a problem, to a body of collective knowledge, or to reporting on community activities in a responsible way. Participatory learning allows people who might not even know one another to meet together online for a collective purpose, adding their knowledge to a common and public site, and learning (in digital dialogue) from others who share the same interests. Collaboration in learning, spanning geographic distance, has broad potential for significant impact. A recent New York Times article even suggested that the next cure for cancer might come from people contributing insights together online and that, some day, the Nobel Prize might go not to a famous scientist but to ordinary people collectively coming up with an answer that the professional scientists missed. The possibilities for participatory learning are endless.
Why single out “Innovation” and “Young Innovator”?
"Innovation" is a clear indicator of what the Competition is designed to support: pioneering work that advances the field of Digital Media and Learning. A portion of award funding has been set aside this year for "Young Innovators" in order to promote fresh, creative participatory learning projects developed by 18-25-year-olds.
What is HASTAC?
HASTAC, a voluntary network of educators and digital innovators, is one of a new breed of virtual institutions. The MacArthur Foundation selected HASTAC because it represents next-generation learning. HASTAC is dedicated to efforts ensuring that humanistic and humane considerations are never far from technological innovation, and that education and learning are at the forefront of new digital innovation. HASTAC is dedicated to the three intertwined goals of creative technology development, critical thinking about technology, and participatory learning. The HASTAC network comprises over eighty institutes and centers, at universities and in communities, including humanities and arts centers as well as supercomputing centers. It has no fees, no officers, and no official body of rules, and anyone may join simply by registering to the HASTAC website and participating in events.
Who administers HASTAC and the Digital Media and Learning Competition? Administration for HASTAC (as well as for the Digital Media and Learning Competition) is centered jointly at the University of California’s Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI) and the John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International Studies at Duke University. Professors David Theo Goldberg and Cathy N. Davidson, of UCHRI and Duke respectively, are the co-founders of HASTAC and the co-principal investigators for the Digital Media and Learning Competition. They work with teams at UCHRI and the Franklin Center at Duke to implement this initiative. They are also co-authors of "The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age," a contribution to the MacArthur Foundation's monograph series on Digital Media and Learning. More information can be found at www.hastac.org.
Will the Competition be held again next year?
Yes, though the award categories may be different. The Digital Media and Learning Competition will be held for at least three years. The first year was 2007-08; it is now in its second year.
GENERAL APPLICATION QUESTIONS
When is the application deadline?
Applications must be complete and submitted with electronic "signature" by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) / 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT North America) on October 15, 2008.
For those organizations outside the U.S. applying for Innovation awards, these times are equivalent to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) -7 hours and -4 hours, respectively. Regardless of applicant location, the specific deadline time for all applications is the same. It is applicants' responsibility to calculate the time correctly from their location. The Time and Date website has resources for this purpose, including a time zone converter and fixed time converter. The PDT time zone includes U.S.A. California cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco; the EDT N.A. time zone includes New York state and city.
Who is judging the Competition?
A team of experts will evaluate applications and select winners. See Review Process for more information.
When will the winners be announced?
Winners will be notified by mid-March, 2009. A public announcement will be made in mid-April, 2009, concurrent with an event in Chicago to honor and connect new awardees.
What types of people should apply?
Educators, researchers, gamers, think tanks, theorists, digital practitioners, journalists, students, bloggers, and social networkers, for example. See Innovation Award FAQs and Young Innnovator Award FAQs below for more information.
Is this only open to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions?
No. The Competition encourages applications from individuals as well as nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and corporations. Those applying as individuals must be legal U.S. residents whose principal place of residence is in the U.S.
Will I be required to describe my project to the public? Partially. The application form requires an abstract that may be made public. Applicants who do not receive awards will not be named or otherwise identified in the context of published abstracts.
Is submission as a team required?
No. Individuals may apply, but must be legal U.S. residents whose principal place of residence is in the U.S.
Is there an age restriction?
For Innovation in Participatory Learning awards, the primary applicant must be at least 18 years of age when the application is submitted; however, personnel working on the project may include students and others under the age of 18 as long as they are working under the supervision of the primary applicant. For the Young Innovator award, the applicant must be between the ages of 18 and 25 at the time of application.
Are applicants from outside the U.S. eligible to apply?
Yes, for the Innovation in Participatory Learning award only. To be eligible, primary applicants must be institutions or organizations registered in Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Nigeria, The People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, or the United States. Since international eligibility is being piloted for this Competition, eligible countries are those with which the HASTAC Competition administrators or MacArthur have familiarity based on their respective experiences. It is anticipated that future Competitions will include broader international eligibility in one or more application categories.
Non-U.S. primary applicants must apply as organizations or institutions. Individuals based outside the U.S. are not eligible to be primary applicants.
Members of an application team who are not primary applicants need not meet the above requirements, and may be organizations or individuals from any country.
Applications will be accepted only in English.
What are the responsibilities of the primary applicant?
For Innovation in Participatory Learning, the primary applicant will be the point of contact and will be responsible for disseminating information to the rest of the group. Primary applicants are responsible for overseeing the preparation of the application and submitting it on time. If the project wins an award, the primary applicant will be responsible for overall project management, including budget oversight. Young Innovator primary applicants are also responsible for overall project and budget management and oversight.
How long should I allow to complete the application?
The application materials required are substantial, so applicants should register on the application system as early as possible, familiarize themselves with it, and begin to prepare and enter the required elements into the system. Applicants should be advised that while HASTAC staff are prepared to assist applicants with questions and technical problems, it is the responsibility of the applicant to start early so as to have sufficient time to address any questions that may arise. HASTAC is not responsible for addressing applicant questions or technical difficulties on the day of the deadline for any applicant who has not registered on the application system until the last week prior to the deadline.
I am a former Digital Media and Learning Competition winner. Can I apply?
No, not as a primary applicant. You may contribute as a collaborator on another project seeking Competition funding.
I am currently receiving funds from the MacArthur Foundation. Can I apply?
Previous Digital Media and Learning Competition winners are not eligible to apply. Principal investigators on MacArthur-funded digital media and learning projects and/or institutions that have received support under the Foundation’s Digital Media and Learning portfolio are not eligible for the Competition. However, universities that are grantees in the Digital Media and Learning portfolio may be eligible if the primary applicant is not currently involved as a principal investigator in a MacArthur-funded digital media and learning project. Other MacArthur Foundation grantees are welcome to apply.
I am already receiving funds from another source. Can I apply?
Yes; however, any award you receive from the Competition should be applied to the part of the project that is not being funded by other sources.
Can I apply as an individual in one category and as part of a group or organization in the other category?
Yes, as long as the proposals are different. You cannot be the primary applicant on two proposals.
Can I apply more than once in the same category as long as my projects are different?
No one acting as primary applicant can apply more than once in the same award category. Multiple primary applicants from the same institution can apply; institutions may therefore submit multiple applications as long as the primary applicant and project are different for each.
Can I apply as a primary applicant in both the Innovation and Young Innovator categories?
No.
Can more than one individual from the same institution apply?
Yes, as long as the proposals are different. Applicants and institutions should note the three related questions above.
Will I be interviewed before the final decision is made?
No. Winners will be selected on the basis of their applications.
How many awards will be given?
The number of awards will depend on the quantity and quality of the proposals. Awards will be made in various increments and will total $2 million in all.
Should I request the maximum amount in the award category?
The amount requested should be the most feasible and suitable for the project. Part of the judging criteria will be to consider the appropriateness of the requested budget for the proposed project.
Whom do I contact if I have substantive questions about my proposal?
Click on the Contact link on the main menu.
If I am not a winner, will I receive feedback regarding my proposal?
Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications, HASTAC cannot provide individual feedback. However, this year the Competition is piloting a collaborative Scratchpad site so that potential applicants can share ideas, provide feedback, and improve their applications before the submission deadline. For more information, please go to the Scratchpad site.
What is the Scratchpad?
The Scratchpad is a public online forum created by the Competition administrators to enable potential applicants to communicate with each other, to seek the “wisdom of crowds” on their project ideas, and to connect with potential collaborators.
Why is the Scratchpad being offered this year?
Feedback from applicants to the first Competition indicated significant interest in the creation of a social network for idea exchange and feedback during the Competition’s application window. Since Competition administrators are unable to advise applicants on their proposed projects, the Scratchpad offers potential applicants a venue to vet their ideas to the world.
Is the Scratchpad where I submit my application?
No. Material submitted to the Scratchpad does NOT substitute for an official application. Further, material submitted to the Scratchpad is NOT associated with an applicant’s Competition application in any way. In order to be considered for an award, applicants must make official application by the application deadline.
Will participation in the Scratchpad help my chances of winning an award?
No. Applications are evaluated on their own merit. Participation in the Scratchpad has no effect on one’s chances of winning an award. Competition judges will be advised to abstain from participation in Scratchpad discussions.
Do I use the Scratchpad to contact the Competition administrators?
No. All questions intended for Competition administrators should be submitted through the contact form. Competition administrators do not participate in the Scratchpad, except to moderate for adherence to the Scratchpad’s Terms of Use.
How long will the Scratchpad forum be available?
The Scratchpad will be available for the duration of the Competition’s open application window and will close at the application deadline on October 15, 2008. The Scratchpad will be archived and be taken offline upon Competition close.
Whom do I contact if I have technical problems while completing the application?
Click on the Contact link on the main menu.
INNOVATION IN PARTICIPATORY LEARNING AWARD
What types of people should apply?
Innovation Award applicants should explore new digital models of learning that build upon and enhance the informal, productive, networked and collaborative learning styles of people, especially young people. Awardees will create new digital tools or customize existing ones to engage participatory learning.
Are applicants from outside the U.S. eligible to apply?
Yes, in some cases. To be eligible as an Innovation award primary applicant, institutions or organizations must be registered in Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Nigeria, The People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, or the United States. Since international eligibility is being piloted for this Competition, eligible countries are those with which the HASTAC Competition administrators or MacArthur have familiarity based on their respective experiences. It is anticipated that future Competitions will include broader international eligibility in one or more application categories.
Non-U.S. primary applicants must apply as organizations or institutions. Individuals based outside the U.S. are not eligible to be primary applicants.
Members of an application team who are not primary applicants need not meet the above requirement, and may be organizations or individuals from any country.
Applications will be accepted only in English.
Do Innovation awards require teams of collaborators?
No, but collaboration is encouraged. Most Innovation awards will go to institutions rather than individuals, and will involve teams working on the project. However, if an individual’s proposal is of high quality, with an appropriate budget, it could be competitive in the Innovation category.
How many Innovation in Participatory Learning awards will be given?
There is no predetermined number of awards to be granted. Up to $1.8 million will be awarded in total, with awards ranging from $30,000 to $250,000.
Can I submit two different proposals in the Innovation category?
No.
How will mentoring be available to award recipients?
A social networking site, designed and moderated by HASTAC, will support winners in information sharing, group communications, participatory learning, collaboration, and peer mentoring. Online workshops by experts will also be hosted on the site. A winners’ project-launch event and end-of-year conference showcase will allow awardees to meet one another, to exchange ideas, and to preview one another's work. Details about these features will be communicated to awardees after award notification.
YOUNG INNOVATOR AWARD
What types of people should apply?
Young Innovator Award applicants should be young innovators who bring their most visionary ideas from the “garage stage” to implementation. Applicants should be young innovators, 18-25 years of age at the time of application, who think boldly about “what comes next” and how they can contribute to making it happen.
Are applicants from outside the U.S. eligible to apply?
No, not for Young Innovator awards. Applicants must be legal U.S. residents whose principal place of residence is in the U.S.
Do Young Innovator awards require teams of collaborators?
No. Young Innovators should apply as individuals, not as institutions. These awards will go to the primary applicant as an individual. However, if a Young Innovator project requires collaboration, it is permissible.
How many Young Innovator awards will be given?
There is no predetermined number of awards to be granted. Up to $240,000 will be awarded in total, with awards ranging from $5,000 to $30,000.
Can I submit two different proposals in the Young Innovator category?
No.
How will peer mentoring be available to award recipients? A social networking site, designed and moderated by HASTAC, will support winners in information sharing, group communications, participatory learning, collaboration, and peer mentoring. Online workshops by experts will also be hosted on the site. A winners’ project-launch event and end-of-year conference showcase will allow awardees to meet one another, exchange ideas, and preview one another's work. Details about these features will be communicated to awardees after award notification.
Young Innovator awardees will also be mentored through their internship or mentorship experience.
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POST-AWARD
How will licensing and intellectual property of awardees' projects be handled?
See Intellectual Property and Privacy Policies.
How long is the grant term?
The grant term is one year, beginning when award monies are distributed. The start date will be between June 1 and September 1, 2009.
Are there restrictions on how the money can be spent?
Yes. All funds are to be used specifically for the awarded project and according to proposed budget.
Do I need to spend all of the money during the grant term? What if I do not?
Yes. Exceptions will be granted only in very unusual circumstances. Awardees should not assume extensions will be granted.
How and when will the award be distributed?
Awardees will receive a check shortly after winners are announced.
Will taxes or indirect costs be applied to the amount received?
Taxes will not be withheld by HASTAC. Indirect costs will be permitted at a maximum of fifteen (15) percent only if required in a published indirect cost policy by the primary applicant’s home institution, for Innovation awards. Applicants' budgets should allow for this. Indirect costs may not be assessed on Young Innovator awards or any award made to an individual.
Will I be required to submit spending reports? Other reports?
Yes. You will be required to submit quarterly financial reports as well as a mid-year progress report and final report.
What will I be required to produce at the end of the grant term?
In addition to implementation of the project itself (or substantial prototype), a final report, including a detailed financial report, will be due one month after the grant term ends.
