VELI Frequently Asked Questions

Can participants from international teams apply?

Yes!

Can a team apply with 5 people? What about 3?

The ideal team size is four. A team of five or more may apply, with the understanding that they may need to cover travel, food, and lodging costs for any team member(s) above four. Teams of three, however, are not eligible, for both project viability and attendance reasons. Projects should have a good amount of buy-in from their institution, represented by the team members, and in case of career changes or the inability of a team member to attend, three team members would still be able to benefit from VELI, but two is too few.

Re: the application form, do we fill out the provided PDF?

The provided PDF is only meant to be a guide as you put together your application materials. Please fill out all team information in the form itself, and all project information in a separate PDF you create.

Can a team from different institutions with a shared goal apply? What about a team from a library consortium?

While the focus of VELI is on changing institutions, cross-institutional and consortium teams are eligible so long as they share a goal and have mechanisms by which they are able to work closely together.

If myself and/or my team have been to a HuMetricsHSS workshop before, should we still apply?

Yes! We strongly believe that even if you have been through some parts of the HuMetricsHSS process, working through it again alongside your specific team members and with a specific goal in mind is valuable, and there will be exercises and experiences at VELI that are entirely new.

What can we expect from the Institute itself?

The format of VELI was inspired by unconferences in general and specifically the Triangle Scholarly Communications Institute (SCI), where the HuMetricsHSS project itself was born. There will be a mix of expert panels, structured exercises, facilitated group sessions, and unstructured time meant to allow your team to work according to your own rhythms and preferences. At the end of the five days, you will be expected to present aspects of your project, including next steps and internal evaluation plans, to your fellow attendees for feedback.

What stage should the project be at to apply?

We’re looking for projects that are aspirational, but attainable, something slightly more advanced than the initial blue-sky thinking. Beyond that, however, projects can be as early or as late in development as you think will be fruitful to work on in the time provided.