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Supporting activities & events that further our mission

The Obermann Center welcomes the opportunity to support activities and events that further our mission—promoting research and creative work, facilitating publicly engaged art and scholarship, and building intellectual community. University of Iowa faculty members may request small, discretionary grants (up to $400) to fund opportunities such as visiting speakers and conferences. See application link at the bottom left of this page.

Applications are accepted throughout the year.

Please note:

  1. The requesting party is expected to administer the funding and the event. The Obermann Center cannot assume organizational responsibilities in connection with co-sponsored events.
  2. Co-sponsorship requests should be submitted at least one month in advance of the event.
  3. We ordinarily limit co-sponsorship awards to two events per department per fiscal year. 
  4. The Obermann Center will not release funding for approved co-sponsorships until 1) the event is posted on the UI Events Calendar, with the Obermann Center tagged as a unit, and 2) the requesting party has submitted Obermann's Co-Sponsorship Report

View past co-sponsored activities and events on our website archive

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Apply

We're delighted that you're interested in partnering with us! Please submit our co-sponsorship webform, and we'll get back to you shortly. Please note that:

  1. The requesting party is expected to administer the funding and the event. The Obermann Center cannot assume organizational responsibilities in connection with co-sponsored events.
  2. Co-sponsorship requests should be submitted at least one month in advance of the event.
  3. We ordinarily limit co-sponsorship awards to two events per department per fiscal year. 
  4. The Obermann Center will not release funding for approved co-sponsorships until 1) the event is posted on the UI Events Calendar, with the Obermann Center tagged as a unit, and 2) the requesting party has submitted Obermann's Co-Sponsorship Report
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Resources

The Obermann Center's guide to publicizing events—a handy checklist for UI faculty, staff, and graduate students (PDF)

Accessible & Inclusive Events Resource Guide (courtesy of the University of Michigan)

Obermann Co-Sponsorship Report Form — All recipients of Obermann co-sponsorship funding must complete this webform after the event/activity.

 

Upcoming

A Healthy Iowa Needs Clean Water: A public talk by David Cwiertny promotional image

A Healthy Iowa Needs Clean Water: A public talk by David Cwiertny

Saturday, April 5, 2025 10:00am
Phillips Hall
A public lecture by David Cwiertny, the William D. Ashton Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Environmental Policy Research Program at the University of Iowa. This talk is part of Iowa City Darwin Day Science Fest, a celebration of science and its many contributions to humanity, which takes place on April 3, 4 & 5.
Science, the State, and the Public Trust: Historical Perspectives. A Panel Discussion promotional image

Science, the State, and the Public Trust: Historical Perspectives. A Panel Discussion

Saturday, April 5, 2025 10:45am
Phillips Hall
A panel of Department of History faculty members discuss historical perspectives on science, the state, and the public trust. Panelists: Viridiana Hernández Fernández, Shane Bobrycki, Robert Rouphail, Nicholas Yablon, and Beth Yale. This event is part of Iowa City Darwin Day Science Fest, a celebration of science and its many contributions to humanity, which takes place on April 3, 4 & 5. 
From Silent Spring to Silent Night: A Tale of Toads and Men. A public talk by Tyrone B. Hayes promotional image

From Silent Spring to Silent Night: A Tale of Toads and Men. A public talk by Tyrone B. Hayes

Saturday, April 5, 2025 11:30am
Phillips Hall
Tyrone Hayes is the Judy Chandler Webb Distinguished Chair for Innovative Teaching and Research and a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley. This talk is part of Iowa City Darwin Day Science Fest, a celebration of science and its many contributions to humanity, which takes place on April 3, 4 & 5.
Graduate Student Writing Group Session & Social promotional image

Graduate Student Writing Group Session & Social

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 11:00am to 1:00pm
111 Church Street
The Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, in collaboration with Grad Success & Belonging, is hosting a writing group followed by a social for Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week. This writing group session facilitated by two grad ambassadors will offer community and accountability to Iowa's graduate and professional students working on any kind of academic writing project (academic articles/essays, fellowship or grant applications, dissertations, book projects, etc.). The session...
Writing for The Conversation: Informational Lunch for Grad Students and Postdocs promotional image

Writing for The Conversation: Informational Lunch for Grad Students and Postdocs

Friday, April 11, 2025 12:00pm to 1:30pm
111 Church Street
Join the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, and the Graduate College for lunch and an introduction to pitching your research to The Conversation US with Kristy Nabhan-Warren, Associate Vice President for Research.  The Conversation is an independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of academic experts for the public good. With a monthly readership of 20 million, The Conversation expertly shares a scholar’s expertise far...
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