Campus & Community

Seeking Proposals to Represent University at ACCelerate Creativity and Innovation Festival

Thursday, July 1, 2021, By Ellen de Graffenreid

In collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) will once again showcase the creativity and innovation happening across ACC institutions at the . The festival is programmed by Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.

Two teams of University faculty and undergraduate students—and one potential alternate—will be selected to exhibit their creative and innovative projects at at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. on April 8-10, 2022. Project leaders should submit their proposals using the on or before July 6, 2021. Submitted projects will be reviewed by the ACCelerate planning team, the directors of the SOURCE and the ϲ Art Museum. Submissions will be evaluated based on the following ACCelerate criteria:

  • Exhibits must have the potential to actively inform and engage the festival audience—including domestic and international visitors of all ages and backgrounds—about research or creative activities from ϲ.
  • Exhibits should have ability to be engaging to a public audience despite placement in well-lit, noisy and high-traffic corridors.
  • Installations must fit within a space that is 8 feet deep and 12 feet wide (8×12) with no need for wall hangings or other external support.
  • Installations must be able to be assembled within four hours or less (evening before the festival).
  • Installations cannot include water, open flames, insects, food, chemicals or gases (in order to protect museum objects).
  • Exhibits should have enough personnel to staff the exhibit (may operate in shifts) from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Fri. Apr. 8, 2022, through Sun. Apr. 10, 2022.
  • Exhibit materials must be shipped to the museum (shipping information will be provided). Carry-in items in the museum are limited to those things that can fit in a briefcase or backpack and must go through a security check.
  • Projects must include undergraduate students in the design and exhibit of the project. Faculty whose proposals are selected for participation in the festival but do not currently have undergraduate participants will work with Kate Hanson at the SOURCE to identify student partners and include them in exhibit design.

For consideration, please submit your exhibit description, budget, list of exhibit personnel, CV for the PI and Co-PI and any supplemental materials.  Specific requirements can be found at the .

Selected projects will receive:

  • A stipend of up to $5,000 per project from the Office of Research toward exhibit shipping expenses and personnel travel ($2,500 for one faculty member, $5,000 for two or more faculty members). Office of Research funding can only be used toward shipping costs and University faculty travel expenses.
  • The SOURCE will provide travel funds of up to $1,500 for up to two undergraduate students per project.
  • Steering committee members will work with school and college dean’s offices of awarded faculty to identify additional funding for project expenses beyond the awards provided by the Office of Research and the SOURCE.

Questions can be directed to: Christina Leigh Docteur, Elisa Dekaney or Kate Hanson.