2009 China-U.S. Relations Conference

Building on 30 years of China-US Relations: Looking Ahead

August 19 – 21, 2009

Beijing, China

RESEARCH ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

We are pleased to announce a unique research collaboration opportunity with Chinese researchers and call for proposals for roundtable sessions at the 4th biannual China-U.S. Relations Conference scheduled for August 19-21, 2009, in Beijing, China. Successful proposals will receive grants of up to $10,000 to help offset travel costs and other related expenses. The conference hosts include Texas A&M University, the George Bush School of Government and Public Service, the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. 

The first three China-U.S. Relations conferences featured a series of research roundtable sessions that enabled scholars from the People’s Republic of China and the United States to discuss emerging research agendas, scientific advances, and collaborative opportunities. The roundtable sessions addressed the critical role of research collaboration between the two countries, effective methods of scientific and technological cooperation, and major obstacles in scholarly exchanges. These roundtable discussions have resulted in several long-term research collaborations. Based on the success of these research roundtables, another round of these endeavors is scheduled for the fourth conference in Beijing.

The 2009 conference will recognize the thirtieth anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and China. It will once again provide an opportunity for political, commercial, and academic leaders from the two countries to discuss issues of mutual concern. A number of high-ranking Chinese and U.S. policymakers and international business leaders will be featured at the event, which will be an important opportunity to review and advance issues of public and foreign policy involving the two countries. In addition to promoting an immediate dialogue on selected topics, the forthcoming conference, like its predecessors, is intended to promote the development of collaborative research relationships between Chinese and U.S. experts.

The purpose of the research portion of the conference is to identify and develop specific areas of interests for potential research collaborations among academic institutions and, where appropriate, business firms from both the United States and China. Proposals for research roundtables that reflect the priorities of Texas A&M University and the shared interests of the governments and publics of both nations are particularly welcome.  Members of the Texas A&M academic community are invited to submit proposals (three pages maximum) that include the following information on or before Friday, February 20, 2008.

1.       PROPOSAL FORMAT

a.       Title – Research roundtable session title.

b.       Chair(s) – Name, title, and contact information of the person(s) who would serve as the chair(s).

c.       Other Organizers – Name and address of other organizers who would be associated with the proposed roundtable session. (The chair may be the sole organizer of the roundtable, but if others are involved in arranging the session, they should be identified here. At least one organizer should be a full time faculty member at Texas A&M University.) Specify role of each organizer. (As an appendix, please attach a brief statement of the qualifications of the organizers for assuming a leading role in the proposed roundtable. Limit appendix to two pages, not included in the three-page maximum.)

d.       Description – Brief description (750-word maximum) of proposed research roundtable. Include rationale and purpose.  What are the questions to be investigated? What is its significance in terms of the current state of inquiry? How does it relate to current research conducted by investigators? (If the proposal is accepted, this brief description will be used on the conference Web site and in printed conference materials).

e.       Relevance – Indicate the relevance of the proposed roundtable to mutual interests in China-U.S. relations. Are there any societal or public issues that the research addresses which might be recognized by policy makers in China and the United States? How might this research impact these issues? The conference organizers would particularly welcome proposals that might emerge from the current Academic Master Plan white papers.

f.        Format – Roundtables will be conducted on the final day of the conference. Organizers should tailor the roundtable schedule recognizing a maximum of eight hours for all activities. Briefly describe the format of the session (e.g., keynote talks, paper presentations, panel discussion, etc. 

g.       Participants and Collaborators – Names and affiliation of leading experts in the United States and China who will be invited to participate in the proposed research roundtable and engage in long-term research collaboration. Qualified experts from other universities or research centers are strongly encouraged.  Up to $10,000 will be provided to the conference organizer to offset costs.  If you contact individuals at this stage about their possible interest in participating if the roundtable is approved, please bear in mind that all costs, including all participants travel, must not exceed the $10,000 allocation or must come from sources secured by the roundtable organizers.  (Thus, organizers may find it necessary to ask some participants to cover their own travel expenses.).

h.       Roundtable Renewals – New roundtable proposals are actively sought, although previously sponsored roundtable organizers may apply again if they can demonstrate advancement or new initiatives beyond their prior effort.  If the proposal is a request for continuation of a prior roundtable, briefly describe the activities that have taken place since the prior conferences and how past efforts contribute to the effectiveness of the proposed roundtable.

2. BUDGET

If the proposal is accepted, the roundtable session will receive up to $10,000 in financial support to offset costs. It is likely that this financial support will not cover all expenses of the roundtable. The chair(s) will be responsible for obtaining additional funding to cover remaining expenses. Briefly describe:

a.       a proposed budget, including likely travel expenses of each participant;

b.       availability of other financial resources; and/or

c.       plans to acquire additional funding (if required).

Proposals will be reviewed and selected by a committee based on the following criteria. The review committee may request additional information when necessary.

1. Scientific and/or scholarly merit,
2. Potential for future collaboration opportunities for Texas A&M University, including funding potential
3. Qualifications of participants
4. Participation by a balanced group of China- and U.S.-based scholars
5. Potential for inclusion in conference proceedings

Scheduled Timeline:

·         Monday, January 26, 2009 - Issue Call for Proposals

·         Friday, February 20, 2009 - Proposals Due

·         Friday, February 27, 2009 - Notification of Decisions

Please contact Randy Kluver (rkluver@tamu.edu; 979-845-3099) if you have any questions regarding the content or format of the conference or proposals. Final Proposals should be submitted to Monica Holder (m-holder@tamu.edu) via e-mail (MS Word or text file preferred) by 5 p.m. on Monday, February 20, 2009.

For further information about the China-U.S. Relations Conference, please visit the conference Web site at http://china-us-conference.org.