Below, you will find a way to contact us using our email form, and where we are physically located. You should also follow our Twitter account where we regularly post updates about the project.
Through seminar-style discussions with leading scholars in digital humanities, hands-on workshops on core technical competencies, and project development labs, participants will become familiar with working from the command line, collaborating with git, programming with Python, querying structured data, creating maps, and analyzing texts computationally. You will also become part of a growing network of institute leaders by developing your own DHRI based on our open, core curriculum to be led at your home institution or organization.
In June 2018, GC Digital Initiatives hosted sixteen faculty, librarians, museum administrators, and staff at The Graduate Center, CUNY, for a ten-day, in-person institute. Funded through an NEH Institutes in Advanced Topics in Digital Humanities award, the Digital Humanities Research Institute (DHRI) provided professional development training that combined a pedagogical approach and core set of curricular materials. Participants organized local versions of DHRI using our core curriculum or creating their own lessons, reflecting their communities' interests and needs. Applicants to the program were asked to provide letters of support from their home institution committing to the local event, and GC Digital Initiatives committed to providing 20 hours of individual support to participants throughout the academic year.
In 2021–22, we are repeating the DHRI with a new set of participants.
Initially supported by a CUNY-wide Strategic Investment Initiative grant with continued funding from the Provost’s Office, the GC Digital Initiatives hosted three week-long, interdisciplinary Digital Research Institutes between January 2016 and February 2017, which provided 85 total workshop sessions for participants who ranged from first year master’s students to adjuncts, librarians to senior tenured faculty from across CUNY. The Digital Humanities Research Institute adapts the administrative, curricular, and pedagogical successes of previous efforts to meet the needs of humanities scholars and to provide participants with resources that make it easier and more cost-effective to offer similar institutes at their home institutions.
The Digital Research Institutes built on four years of successful workshops run by the GC Digital Fellows at the Graduate Center, informing core pedagogical principles derived from teaching technical skills to graduate student and faculty researchers. These principles include challenge-based learning, theory through practice, multimodal delivery, a pragmatic approach to computer literacy, and an emphasis on foundational rather than instrumental learning.
"Digital Humanities Research Institute: Expanding Communities of Practice," the national DHRI model, was funded through a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in the form of an Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities grant and with support from The Graduate Center's Provost's Office.
Read more about the GC Digital Research Institutes, upon which the DHRI model is built by reading first-person accounts from students and faculty across the City University of New York:
For four consecutive days in January, I participated in the Graduate Center’s Digital Research Bootcamp (#GCDRB), a week of intensive workshops on coding and data management for academic researchers at various levels in their careers. Workshop members included new graduate students, Ph.D. candidates, junior faculty and senior faculty.
For myself, as an Assistant Professor of English at City Tech, I was interested in learning more about the nuts and bolts of coding, in order to improve my pedagogy when teaching writing to students who are majoring in technical fields, and I wanted to get some ideas for building digital projects with my students.
There were varied levels of proficiency and varied interests represented in the room. Some were researchers who were already working with data and had advanced experience with programming. Others, like myself, came with more limited knowledge of programming languages. The Digital Research Bootcamp was the perfect place to be introduced to some of these concepts, such as the basics of command line and Python, HTML functions, and working with GitHub.
On the fourth day, as we made introductions about our research interests, I found myself networking with other scholars whose work overlaps with mine, including others who work on higher education, literature and African-American studies. There were students and professors there from a wide range of disciplines including literature, art history, theater, biology, history, sociology, the philosophy of science, and others.
It was immersive, it was intensive, it moved fast, but that’s what a bootcamp is supposed to be. It seemed to be designed to give us just a bit more than we can handle, but that was an opportunity to push ourselves and find out how much we could do. I left the workshop with new knowledge and new resources to further my digital education.
And that education will always be an open-ended process. As GC Professor Matt Gold told us near the end of the workshop, (I’m paraphrasing), you will never truly understand how to code the way you want to. Some of the most important skills you learn come from the community around you.
Over the course of those four days, working together and making plenty of mistakes, we learned some specific languages and codes, but we were also reminded that the most important components of digital education are Participation and Collaboration, and we experienced plenty of both during our time together.
I recently participated in the inaugural Digital Research Bootcamp (DRB) at the GC. “Bootcamp” is an apt description for the rigorous 4-day workshop; from 10am to 5pm, huddled in the Science Center, 35 participants lived and breathed the command line.
The DRB was truly an interdisciplinary event; I met astronomers, historians, linguists and everything in between. Some of us were proficient in Javascript and R. Others, like myself, cowered in terror when the word “Unix” was mentioned. Luckily, we were in the very capable hands of the Digital Fellows and instructors from Software Carpentry. Each day, we were led through an obstacle course of coding exercises using Python, GIT and a variety of other applications. We learned how to clean messy data, write scripts, and most importantly, the cold hard truth about digital research, i.e. anyone can code.
At the end of the DRB, a few professors and Digital Fellows offered parting words of advice. Professor Matt Gold said, “The most important thing about digital projects is very often not the technology, but the people.” I couldn’t agree more. The digital research community at the GC is a unique resource for practical, technical (and emotional) support. If you are interested learning how to manipulate, visualize or simply make better use of your data, I would highly recommend reaching out. You’ll find novices and experts who will concur: fear not, you can code.
When I learned about the GC Digital Research Institute (GCDRI) I had already considered learning computer programming, and I was eager to jump in and learn more about how my mostly qualitative research on European right-wing parties could grow with the help of digital research tools. Impatient as I am, I was hoping that I, by attending the Institute, would become a programming expert at once. Silly, one might think, but without any prior knowledge about programming and digital research, I didn’t know any better.
The reality of attending the GCDRI was quite different. Throughout the week, the attendees learned the basics of the command line, Git, Python, databases, machine learning, text analysis, and more from the GC Digital Research fellows. The Institute focuses on exposing the participants to different aspects of digital research and, though I am still sadly only a novice when it comes to programming, the Institute has broadened my understanding of what my research can accomplish. Rather than centering on one aspect of digital research, the breadth offered at the GCDRI allows all students to think about their research in new ways. I met people who studied linguistics, sociology, and chemistry, and everyone was able to find some aspects of the GCDRI curriculum which was interesting and applicable to their research.
The greatest impact the GCDRI had on me is that it exposed me to different aspects of digital research. I don’t have all the skills yet, and I am still trying to master the basics of Python, but I know what resources to take advantage of to get there. Throughout the semester all students at the GC have the opportunity to attend workshops, Python user groups, and Digital Fellows office hours to get help to develop their project step by step. The GCDRI is the perfect step-off point to utilize these services.
Going in with the mindset that I would become an expert programmer in a week was unrealistic, to say the least. Nonetheless, GCDRI was a crucial experience because it gave me the nudge out the door to begin developing my digital research skills. A bonus is that I now can make my computer say random things (in multiple languages).
Graduate school is a challenging experience, so when opportunities to learn additional skills come up, it can seem like a stretch. I would, however, recommend anyone who has the vaguest interest in digital research to attend the GC Digital Research Institute because it provides the base for continuing to develop one’s research in directions one might not have expected before. Additionally, it creates a community across disciplines, and you get exposure to things you will not experience in your regular academic program.
I am fortunate to have been accepted to the week-long GC Digital Research Institute. Following Lisa Rhody’s warm greetings, she encouraged participants to draw their research project and to share it with the group. What an icebreaker it was to share with such a diverse cohort representing a wide range of academic programs.
The Digital Fellows patiently guided us through a series of hands-on activities in successive workshops that are built on each other. . . .
The core and advanced workshops were intense, but something I looked forward to participating in each day. I gained a deeper appreciation of digital research methods that can support my research interest in population health. In addition, talking to colleagues outside of my discipline has expanded my perspective of looking at a shared topic of interest from a different angle or using a different lens.
. . .
Soon after I decided to stay in New York during the winter break, I saw the calls for The Graduate Center’s Digital Research Institute. Over the years of my studies, I have always wanted to participate in these trainings and was never able to. Perhaps a better way to word it is that I chose not to. I do research on digital technology and the internet, but I had not prioritized learning about ways of using digital technology and the internet in the last six years. Maintaining my international status by teaching, taking part in various research projects, and of course, conducting my own research led me to think that I could learn about all that fancy stuff about programming, using GitHub, creating databases, and analyzing data without relying on expensive software like SPSS after I graduate and get a job.
Little did I know that I have been thinking wrongly all these years. After attending the four-day intensive workshop, not only did I realize that I could have used all the available resources available to me as a graduate student, but also could have developed these skills further, step by step over the last five years. When I look back on the past five years, I cannot help but have deep regret for not realizing the very first thing I convey in my teaching: Learning is a process.
Almost all graduate students, perhaps even academics with secure positions in universities, suffer from the endless list of academic responsibilities. For many of us, watching a movie, meeting with friends, reading fiction, playing with a child, or going to the gym may trigger guilt for not writing a manuscript, proofreading an abstract, grading student papers, emailing research participants, or analyzing data instead. We are all trying to be protective of our time to finish our academic tasks. The four-day commitment may seem excessive to some. Some may ask the very necessary question of whether spending time in these introductory workshops would have immediate impact in your career or not. Yet, once you learn how to access all the necessary tools where you have firsthand experience practicing basic skills taught in these workshops, you will never want to go back to relying on expensive software and stress over restrictions.
During the four-day workshops, every time I asked a question that was related to my research, the instructors responded in a friendly manner, which motivated me to attend further trainings and meetings organized by the digital fellows. Although I regret not starting earlier, I am very happy that I am getting closer to finishing my time at the Graduate Center while thinking of possibilities that were laid out in front of me. My time at the Institute was definitely worth the excitement I am experiencing for the later steps ahead of me in my career.
Below, you will find a way to contact us using our email form, and where we are physically located. You should also follow our Twitter account where we regularly post updates about the project.
Situated at the heart of Manhattan in New York City, adjacent to the Morgan Library and Museum, and only seven short blocks from the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, The Digital Humanities Research Institute's offices are located at The Graduate Center, CUNY.
The nature and scope of the institute is intentionally vague because we have very different types of organizations interested in applying. For example, a small, regional digital humanities organization may not have much financial backing, but there may be someone who has space they want to donate, and someone else willing to donate their time. In the end, there's no budget, but there are people who are willing to help advertise, support, and even work at the institute. However, other institutions might find it easier to give you a budget to work with for food, money to pay an outside trainer, and a computer lab that you can use. For that reason, we've tried to keep the requirements for "how" to do the institutes loose enough that it can be adapted to a variety of organizational types. In the proposal, a letter simply stating that the institution is interested, that it's willing to pay for time, space, and encourage faculty or staff to participate (by giving them the time to do so) would be a good start. If you can do more, that's fantastic. If not... we'll help you try to think through how to work with what you've got.
Browsing the Network page on this site, which contains information about the institutes that have run previously as part of the project, might give you some ideas of what an institute could look like.
We are unable to accept applications from individuals outside of the United States and U.S. territories at this time. In order to be accepted into this year's program, you must be able to receive compensation for services rendered in the U.S. To receive the designated stipend, we are required to provide the CUNY Research Foundation with (1) a U.S. social security number or an Individual Taxpayer ID (ITIN), and (2) a routing number and an account number to a U.S. bank. If you are unable to provide this information, we are not able to accept you into the program.
The materials created to run institutes, our reports and our curricula are available for others to use, which means that you have the ability to run an institute despite not being able to join the program officially.
If you choose to run an institute on your own, reach out to us. We would love to hear about it and promote it through our channels as well.
For those applicants who are employed by the sponsoring organization (ie. if you are a librarian and the library you work for is the one that is writing the letter of support), then simply having a letter from your supervisor will suffice. The purpose of the letter is to let us know that your supervisor and your institution are aware of your application and supportive of your efforts. The letter from the supervisor should explain how this work fits within your responsibilities, or how the organization recognizes this work as an important contribution. Though not required, they may also explain that they are willing to provide rooms, time, or similar resources to support your institute.
The wording for the letter of support is designed to be open-ended to accommodate those applicants who may not be employed by the same organization who is writing to say that they will agree to allow the applicant to run a Digital Humanities Research Institute.
At this time, we are unable to review materials in addition to those requested as part of your application.
Yes, the materials that we create for the institute and the curriculum that we will use will be available on GitHub for others to use, which means that should your application not be successful, you will still have access to the materials we produce.