Mar 8, 2022
The College of Communication and Information Sciences (C&IS) Grant Writing Institute is returning in 2022 with a new cohort. This year’s participants are focusing their research on areas impacting a variety of fields.
The Grant Writing Institute provides participants with the tools necessary to complete an application for research funding and submit the application to a federal or state agency or a foundation within 12 months of the start of the program.
This year’s participants are seeking to advance research regarding health and social media, the healthcare environment, and preserving minority voices.
The 2022 C&IS Grant Writing Institute participants are:
Dr. Shaheen Kanthawala
Kanthawala, assistant professor in journalism and creative media, will submit her proposal to the science division of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Kanthawala seeks to advance her research regarding TikTok and health, and is developing a conceptual model related to conspiracy theories and how platforms like TikTok utilize algorithms to better understand their users. Kanthawala contends that viewers are more likely to believe health misinformation on platforms like TikTok due to the algorithm’s ability to understand users so thoroughly. 
Dr. Heather Carmack
Carmack, associate professor in communication studies, plans to submit two proposals, both to subdivisions within the National Science Foundation (NSF). One project aims to focus on stress and burnout in healthcare workers in healthcare settings, and how tele-work and working from home contributes to mental health issues. Carmack’s second proposal also focuses on healthcare and seeks to better understand bullying within healthcare environments, whether in the contexts of provider to provider or patient to provider interactions. Carmack argues that bullying within healthcare settings has risen exponentially, and her proposal seeks to study this rise in greater depth. 
Dr. Dimitrios Latsis
Latsis, assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Sciences, focuses on the digital preservation of minority voices within the state of Alabama. He will submit two proposals to the National Archives for specific funding opportunities related to Hidden Collections. One of his proposals will focus on historically Black colleges and universities within the state of Alabama. Latsis plans to digitize recordings of individuals or groups from the state so their voices are preserved. Led by Dr. Kim Bissell and Dr. Anneliese Bolland, the Grant Writing Institute is a partnership between the Institute for Communication and Information Research, the Dean’s Office and departments within C&IS. C&IS faculty and students conduct cutting-edge research that creates knowledge and provides solutions to global issues across the full communication and information spectrum. To learn more about the College’s research initiatives, visit cis.ua.edu/research.
