“Apps” for Sociology Research

We in the ASA Research and Development Department call your attention to Wiley Publishing’s free iPhone and iPad app, Sociology Spotlight, which allows users to view information about various sociology professional conferences, peer-reviewed journal abstracts, a sample of freely-available journal articles, and other material of interest. We invite our readers to discuss how they have used apps for mobile devices in their studies or research, including, for example, e-books. Students: to what extent have you used e-books in your coursework? Instructors, professors, researchers, and practitioners: to what extent have you assigned e-books in your courses or have you used information-gathering  smartphone apps?

ASA’s Bookstore offers a number of e-books, including a research brief published by the Research Department. ASA e-books are available to ASA members at a member price.

The Job Market in Sociology: Findings and Upcoming Surveys

Our annual research brief on sociology and social science faculty salaries, “Falling Behind: Sociology and Other Social Science Faculty Salaries, AY 2010-2011“, is now available on our website. Data from the National Faculty Salary, conducted annually by the College & University Professional Association of Human Resources (CUPA-HR), shows that not only did social science faculty salaries fail to outpace inflation between academic years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, but that salary increases in recent years have become incrementally smaller. Not surprisingly, raises were larger at private institutions for most social science disciplines (economics is the exception).

In other job market-related research, we are preparing to go into the field with this year’s follow-up to the annual ASA Job Bank Survey. In addition to an audit of all jobs advertised in the Job Bank and regional society listservs in 2010, we will be surveying departments to determine the status of assistant and open rank faculty positions advertised during this period. Findings from this study will be available later this summer. Last year’s findings can be found in “Still a Down Market: Findings from the 2009/2010 Job Bank Survey.”

More Research Funding Opportunities: ASA’s Funds For the Advancement of the Discipline (FAD) Grants

The Fund for the Advancement of the Discipline (FAD) is supported by the American Sociological Association through a matching grant from the National Science Foundation. The goal of the program is to nurture the development of scientific knowledge by funding small, groundbreaking research initiatives and other important scientific research activities such as conferences. FAD awards provide scholars with “seed money” for innovative research that has the potential for challenging the discipline, stimulating new lines of research, and creating new networks of scientific collaboration. The award is intended to provide opportunities for substantive and methodological breakthroughs, broaden the dissemination of scientific knowledge, and provide leverage for acquisition of additional research funds.

Interested applicants must apply online. Annual deadlines are June 15 and December 15. Visit the ASA website to learn more. We will also be hosting FAD workshop at the 2011 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas (see below).

Click here to view a PDF of the Workshop announcement.

Social Science Funding Opportunities on the West Coast

Sea Grant is looking to fund more social science research in California, Oregon and Washington. A letter of intent is due February 22. All details can be found on their website.

The four West Coast Sea Grant programs are seeking research proposals to address specific social science issues of West Coast regional priority. Projects will be selected through an open, competitive, peer-review process. Researchers must contact their state Sea Grant program directors (see below) to discuss ideas and linkages before submitting a letter of intent. Proposals must be submitted through Washington Sea Grant.

Subject to the availability of funding, the four West Coast Sea Grant programs will make a total of $700,000 available collectively at the regional level over two years to fund projects. In addition, the National Sea Grant Office may augment available state program funds. Given these funding limits, we anticipate being able to fund between two and four regional projects for the 2012–2014 biennium.

Project Submission and Review Schedule

*   Letter of Intent due: Feb. 22, 2011, by midnight PST

*   Review and recommendations for full proposals: March 15, 2011

*   Full proposals due: May 15, 2011, by midnight PST

*   Peer review and project selection: June–Sept. 2011

*   Notice of funding decisions: Mid-Sept. 2011

*   Projects begin: Feb. 1, 2012

For complete details, see the full RFP at www.csgc.ucsd.edu/FUNDING/APPLYING/RegionalSocialScience2011.html