The Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse offers several types of grants to encourage and enhance free inquiry and expression and the practice of public discourse and deliberation in undergraduate courses across the College Curriculum. If you have a request that is not covered by the following grant programs, please contact Katya Lukianova, Parrhesia’s Associate Director.
It is very much in the spirit of the parrhesia, the ancient Greek term for free speech and speaking truth to power, and academic freedom to examine, interrogate, and debate their own theoretical and historical foundations. Thus, we seek proposals for courses examining key concepts, issues, events, etc. connected to free speech, academic freedom, public discourse, censorship, modern communication and media cultures, to name just a few.
Successful applicants will be awarded $4000 in College research stipends. In addition, the instructor will receive an additional grant of $1000 for hiring a course research assistant to help in preparing the course at its initial offering for maximal impact. In order to encourage instructors to offer their Parrhesia Cluster Course on a regular basis, they will receive $3000 upon each subsequent iteration (and have access to additional course-enhancement funds). NOTE: The research stipends can be dispersed in two installments over two consecutive years. Selected courses will become part of the Parrhesia Course Cluster and will receive a PARR course code (in addition the course code of their home department).
For your proposal please submit a provisional syllabus, including:
Review of proposals begins 4 December 2024 and ends 6 January 2025. Applicants will be informed shortly after the review period closes. Please send any questions and your proposal to Christopher Wild (wild@uchicago.edu), Faculty Director of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse.
Analogous to the College’s Language Across the Curriculum Program, Parrhesia Across the Curriculum (PxC) seeks to embed the art and practice of oral communication (speeches, discussions, deliberations, or debates) in existing and new courses in the College. University of Chicago faculty members who are teaching an undergraduate course in 2025-2026 for which they hope to develop a significant oral communication component are invited to apply for grants of up to $2000. In addition to funding, the Parrhesia Program will provide consultation on oral communication instruction, assignments, and assessment as well as trained undergraduate interns to support students and help implement oral communication components.
Preference will be given to proposals that most fully integrate oral communication assignments and exercises into recurring courses with broad student reach.
If you are interested in applying, please submit this form by 8 January 2025.
Applicants will be informed by 15 January 2025. For questions, please contact Katya Lukianova, ssociate Director of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse.
Instructors of existing courses wishing to add a component related to key concepts, issues, events, etc. connected to free speech, academic freedom, public discourse, censorship, modern communication and media cultures, etc., are invited to apply for course enhancement grants. Funds can be used to invite guests, to support visits to performances, exhibitions, etc. Grants will be awarded on rolling basis in all three quarters of AY25. Please send any inquiries and funding requests (including a brief rationale and tentative budget) to Christopher Wild (wild@uchicago.edu), Faculty Director of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse.