Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 Center for Social Science Scholarship
Summer Fellowships!

Download the application here.

The purpose of this fellowship is to support significant social science research by tenure-track or tenured faculty in the UMBC College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, resulting in a submittable product by December 2021.

Applications are welcome from any tenured or tenure-track faculty pursuing social science research in any CAHSS department. Fellows will receive a $6,000 award during the summer of 2021. Up to three fellowships will be awarded.

By December 2021, each Fellow agrees to complete a submittable product, which can include an external grant or fellowship proposal, journal article, policy paper, book manuscript, or book chapter; upon completion, Fellows shall provide a copy of this submitted product to the Director of the Center for Social Science Scholarship. Fellows who are preparing an external proposal are expected to work with MIPAR for pre- and post-award assistance.

Interested faculty should complete and submit an application consisting of this downloadable 2-page cover sheet and proposal that adheres to the specified guidelines. The deadline for applications is FEBRUARY 15, 2021.

Applications will be reviewed and ranked by members of the Center for Social Science Scholarship Advisory Board, according to the following criteria:

• Quality of proposed research project;
• Significance of the project in its field;
• Publishing/funding potential of the work;
• Qualification of the faculty member to carry out the work, including the requisite expertise in the topic area and prior research productivity;
• Likelihood that the proposed work can be successfully completed with fellowship support and that it will result in a submittable product within the specified time period;
• Approval and recommendation of faculty member’s department chair.

For more information, interested faculty may contact Christine Mallinson, Director, Center for Social Science Scholarship.

Funds for this fellowship are provided by the Center for Social Science Scholarship, the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS), and the UMBC Vice President for Research.

Relationship Violence Awareness Month (RVAM) brings people together to create and generate discussion and skill-building on how to prevent relationship violence in our schools, workplaces, and communities, Since most of our campus remains learning and working remotely, we won’t be able to physically come together this October to do this critical work in person… but it doesn’t mean that learning is cancelled!

The Women’s Center has been creating weekly postings to help guide your self-learning that we’ll share with you each week in October. We’re already at our final week – week 4! Below is a short list of relevant webinars or events, podcasts or blogs, and on and off-campus resources dedicated to cultivating awareness about relationship violence, posting your skills and knowledge around the intersecting issues, and increasing access to important resources.

While some of the learning content we’re sharing is all-encompassing, we’re also narrowing down on  few key themes this year to include: The Covid-Crossings of Relationship Violence, Relationship Violence’s Matrix of Oppression, and Un/Healthy Relationships for Young Adults. Through self-guided learning, you can dig deeper by listening to a podcast, reading a blog, attending a webinar and more. 

We’ll also be sharing this content on social media so let us know what you’re learning or what questions you have in the comments! 

• These images are from Women’s Center Clothesline Project, which occurs twice a year. It is a way for survivors to share their stories and experiences with sexual violence, and as one can see from the images, no survivor experience is the same. You can learn more about the Clothesline project here. Due to the Pandemic the project is not accepting projects, but will be back once the campus is fully open.
• Campuses all over the country are becoming more aware of how domestic violence affects the lives of college students. This article details the experience of a survivor in college, and how college campuses are helping to support survivors despite policy obstacles.
• This vlog was created by the One Love Foundation provides an in-depth view of what an abusive relationship looks like, behind the “couple goals” posts on social media. Please note that this video may be triggering to some as it contains images of violence.
• The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence is an off-campus resource that includes hotlines which can help survivors access shelter, counseling, legal information, and referrals to other services.
• This podcast from “I’m not in an Abusive Relationship” gives Jen’s account of her experience with dating violence at the age of 15. Even though she was still in high-school, and living with her parents.
• Reminder: The Office of Equity and Inclusion’s SafeColleges mandatory training program is due November 1st. UMBC’s Faculty and Staff must complete their training by December 11th.

Dear Political Science Students.

One of our UMBC alums at Manis Canning & Associates is seeking an intern for the legislative session.  Stipend of $2,000, roughly 20 hours per week. 

This is a GREAT opportunity to get experience working with lobbyists during the MD General Assembly Session. 

TO APPLY, submit your resume and cover letter right away on UMBCworks, position 9319651.  If your resume is not approved in UMBCworks, simply upload it and let Christine Routzahn know to approve (routzahn@umbc.edu). 

Internship Opportunity early-January 2021 to mid-April 2021 During the Maryland General Assembly Session
Manis Canning & Associates
12 Francis St., Annapolis, MD 21401

Firm Overview
Manis Canning & Associates (MCA) is seeking a mature undergraduate student to serve as an intern to assist the firm’s lobbyists during the 2021 Maryland General Assembly Session. MCA is a bipartisan firm providing creative and proactive government affairs, public relations, business strategies and programs to a diverse group of clients. Its principals have more than 100 years of experience working with legislators, regulators and the executive branches of government at the local, state and federal levels. MCA has expertise in a broad range of policy areas such as sports entertainment, taxes, professional licensing, gaming, transportation, insurance, business regulation, information technology, environmental regulation, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. For information on the firm’s principals and clients visit MCA’s website, https://www.maniscanning.com/ .

Intern Qualifications
Applicant must be self-motivated; possess a level of maturity and interest necessary to complete assignments with little supervision; and possess good writing, communication, and computer skills.
- Knowledge of state issues and structure is a plus for this position. MCA’s office and the General Assembly buildings are located in downtown Annapolis.  Walking from MCA’s office to the General Assembly and government buildings will be required.
Schedule
- The internship begins in early-January just prior to the beginning of the General Assembly session through mid-April. The General Assembly session starts on January 13, 2021 and ends on Monday, April 12, 2021.
- A training day will be scheduled prior to the first day of the session.
- The intern will work at least 20 hours a week preferably on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as these are the days when committee hearings are held. Other schedules may be considered.

Responsibilities
•    Assist MCA lobbyists and staff with preparation and delivery of testimony and materials
•    Assist with signing up MCA lobbyists and other specified individuals to testify at bill hearings
•    Perform bill research as necessary, which may include retrieving relevant information from bill files in Senate and House Committees or the Legislative Services Library
•    Assist lobbyists with tracking legislation, by producing reports and tracking bill hearing dates, budget hearing dates, and other important meeting dates on calendars
•    Attend public bill hearings and budget hearings as needed taking notes of key relevant points mentioned during the hearings and sharing information with MCA lobbyists
•    Possibly assisting with posting General Assembly updates and news to the Manis Canning Newsletter
•    Other necessary duties as assigned

Compensation
A stipend comparable to that of the General Assembly internship program will be offered.

Hey Political Science Students,

The UMBC Center for Democracy and Civic Life will be holding a virtual election event called Election Night Extravaganza.  

Election Night Extravaganza is a UMBC tradition that brings members of our community together to watch and discuss election results in real time. Coming together at the end of an election has never been more important. This has been a divisive election season that has coincided with a pandemic, circumstances that can easily pull us apart. We are a community, and will continue to be a community after the election. 

Connect on Discord and WebEx with UMBC students, staff, faculty, and alumni to share space, offer reactions and insights, and learn more about Election 2020. RSVP required to receive an invitation to the various virtual spaces. Please use this link to RSVP. 

To celebrate in style, we are also offering a limited number of Cast Your Whole Vote-themed packages that include a t-shirt, stickers, a button, and a tote bag. To request your package, follow this link. 

The election packages have been made possible through contributions from the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, the Center for Social Science Scholarship, the Department of Political Science, the Graduate Student Association, the Resident Student Association, the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program, and the Student Government Association.

Election Extravaganza 2020 is coordinated by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life in partnership with the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA), with support from student representatives from College Democrats, College Republicans, the Department of Political Science, the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) Scholars Program, the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, the Honors College, the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, Moot Court, the Resident Student Association (RSA), the Shriver Center, the Sondheim Scholars Program, the Student Events Board (seb), and Women Involved in Learning & Leadership (WILL+).

For questions, please email civiclife@umbc.edu. 

The Judith Shinogle Award Lecture

Featuring Kiki Malomo-Paris  

The School of Public Policy's annual Shinogle Award Lecture will be held Thursday, November 5th at 5pm, via Webex. 

Relationship Violence Awareness Month (RVAM) brings people together to create and generate discussion and skill-building on how to prevent relationship violence in our schools, workplaces, and communities. While providing support and care to survivors of relationship violence is an everyday action, this awareness month also carves out intentional moments to honor and believe survivors’ stories and experiences. As we continue this work throughout the pandemic, it is also critical for us to consider how the intersections of covid-19 and social isolation have exacerbated relationship violence over the past several months.  

Since most of campus remains learning and working remotely, we won’t be able to physically come together this October to do this critical work in person. The Women’s Center and all of our campus partners including the Office of Equity and Inclusion, University Health Services, the Counseling Center, Green Dot, We Believe You, and Retriever Courage, and more will nonetheless continue to promote awareness and prevention this month.

We are now in week 3 of our learning about relationship violence from different perspectives, and this week is about The Matrix of Oppression. We are focusing on how people at different marginalized intersections experience power-based violence. This round-up features resources for Indigenous survivors, LGBTQIA+ survivors, Women of Color, and Black women.

Please take time to click, read, and learn at your own pace.

The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center has online resources ranging from brochures to webinars. They even have a webinar on how to safely seek help for survivors with pets.

This presentation on domestic violence from WOC, Inc. pays special attention to the issue within Black/African-American communities, Asian/Pacific Islander communities, Hispanic/Latinx communities, and North American Native communities.

For many survivors, police presence only makes their situation more dangerous and stressful. This is especially true for survivors of color that fear for the life of their abuser. This Huffington Post article provides alternative strategies for bystanders that want to help, but aren’t 100% about dialing 9-1-1.

LGBTQIA+ survivors often have a hard time accessing support when they experience violence due to homophobia, transphobia, and heteronormative beliefs about what abuse looks like. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence provides stats and framing in this blog post to raise awareness for the gravity of this problem.