Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Center for Interdisciplinary Research in the Arts
Biography
The Center for Interdisciplinary Research in the Arts (CIRA) was conceived in the spring of 1986 to enhance and support cross-disciplinary research and scholarship in the arts. As a “force in empirical investigation in the arts,” the Center’s objective is to foster research and works on the cutting edge of the arts without the usual academic constraints. The President, the Provost, and a faculty committee consisting of representatives from the Schools of Speech and Music and the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences administer the Center. Projects are proposed and pursued by cross-disciplinary workgroups, which meet for biweekly discussions focused on members’ papers or works in progress.
The originating executive committee, appointed by President Arnold Weber, consisted of Dwight Conquergood (Speech), Nancy Troy (WCAS), and Tom Willis (Music), and Susan Lee (Speech). Susan Lee chaired the program from 1986-1990; Dwight Conquergood became chair in 1990.
CIRA grants yearly monetary awards for research support and fellowships to graduate students and Northwestern faculty to pursue interdisciplinary artistic research or projects. CIRA also pursues funding from major foundations. CIRA has sponsored and hosted a variety of conferences related to the liberal arts on topics ranging from dance and drama to interdisciplinary computer research. CIRA’s publications have included Communique, a quarterly newsletter reporting the activities of the center, and the publication of working papers, seminar papers, and monograph series.