Research Projects

Loyola University Chicago’s Joan and Bill Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage (CCIH) supports research by full-time Loyola University faculty on topics concerned with or connected to the Catholic intellectual heritage. The primary purpose of this support is to facilitate advanced scholarly study of Catholic thought as it touches upon the arts, humanities, and sciences. 

Research projects can be proposed as either a semester or year-long research commitment, and by either individuals or groups or researchers. Grants are typically awarded  to projects with specific concerns connected to Catholic thought and practice, Ignatian intellectual and pedagogical heritage, and social justice in the Catholic tradition. 

All research projects are expected to culminate in the publication of a journal article or book or other relevant output. Proposals can request support for a wide variety of scholarly activities including archival research, book manuscript support, human subjects research, data collection, the planning of a conference, or supported field work. 

Awardees  are expected to report on the progress of their research and participate in any activities the CCIH develops to communicate this research—both inside and outside of Loyola University. Successful applicants are expected to submit a mid-year research progress report and a final report that describes the outcomes of the funded research. 

Research project funding includes taxable awards of up to $6000 for individual projects, with larger amounts available for group proposals. Funds are typically disbursed directly to awardees in two installments in the form of supplemental salary.

Applications for projects taking place during Academic Year 2024-2025 are due on January 22, 2024, and are submitted through our application portal. Application materials include:

A completed application will include:

Project Description (of 900-1200 words) outlining the nature and scope of the project. This description should succinctly indicate the following elements:

  • Statement of significance, including principal research question(s) and proposed methodology 
  • Outcomes: what the project aims to accomplish
  • Outputs: what deliverables will result from project activities (e.g. publication, colloquium, conference, interdisciplinary course, or lecture series).
  • Capacity for success: why project personnel are well-positioned to achieve project outcomes and deliver project outputs
  • Alignment: wow the project is aligned to the Catholic/Ignatian intellectual (artistic, humanistic, cultural, scientific) heritage, and the mission of the Hank Center 

Project timeline: provide a rough timeline for your project.

Project Budget: provide a  one-page project budget with budget justification Budget items can include stipends, honoraria, travel, subvention fees, books, and other material costs. Funds may be requested for such items as payment to research assistants (i.e., students – undergraduates must be full time Loyola University Chicago-or technicians), supplies, equipment/instruments, software, and travel necessary to conduct research. Computers are not supported by these funds because of the University Computer Replacement program. Regardless of budget items, awards are typically disbursed directly to awardees in two installments in the form of supplemental salary.

CV

Approval from Department Chair (to be completed through application portal)

All applications are reviewed and evaluated by the CCIH Advisory Board. Proposals are judged based not only on the merit of the project in relation to topics of Catholic/Ignatian intellectual concern, but also the project’s clarity, focus, intended objectives, and likelihood of completion. The announcement of awards is made at the beginning of March with the funding period taking place during the following academic year (August to June).

Please direct any questions to Joe Vukov, Associate Director of CCIH, at jvukov@luc.edu

Submit a Hank Center Research Project proposal.

Current Faculty Research Projects

Past Projects