Obermann Center Working Groups provide space, structure, and discretionary funding for groups led by faculty that may include advanced graduate students, staff members, and community members with a shared intellectual interest.

Groups have used this opportunity to share their work in progress or draw up a set of readings they want to undertake and discuss. Others have organized conferences, applied for grants together, written articles together, designed new courses, taken field trips, organized film festivals, forged relationships with community partners, invited speakers via Zoom or in person, developed podcasts, and more.

Working Groups:

• have one or two co-directors; one must be a UI faculty member (open to all tracks)

• attend an orientation meeting in the fall

• meet a minimum of once per month throughout the academic year

• must provide a list of participating members to the Obermann Center

• provide a one-page report on their activities at the end of the academic year

• can apply for up to $500 per year (during a group's first 3 years) to support their activities

We will award three years of funding ($500 per year) to four new Working Groups, who will be invited during their third year to apply for an additional two years of funding ($1,000 per year).

Apply by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 8. (This deadline applies to new Working Group applications only; directors of continuing groups do not need to reapply.)