We are pleased to issue an open call for applications to “Engaging the Public: Best Practices for Crowdsourcing Across the Disciplines.” This workshop, to be held at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD, on May 6-8, 2015, is being led by Dartmouth College and the University of Maryland, with the support of the National Endowment of the Humanities, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and the Sloan Foundation.

The aim of the workshop is to culminate and then broaden the conversations from a series of regional meetings and webinars taking place through the auspices of Dartmouth’s 2014-15 IMLS-funded National Forum in Crowdsourcing for Libraries and Archives: Creating a Crowdsourcing Consortium (CCLA), to help advance a truly cross-disciplinary agenda (visit the CCLA website to learn more). A capstone for this process, our 2 ½ day event will bring together 50 scholars and practitioners from several disciplines, spanning the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, as well as representatives from 10 funding agencies.

Through a mix of formal and informal presentations combined with facilitated breakout sessions, we will focus on questions concerning how researchers and institutions might best leverage crowdsourcing strategies for increasing public engagement, integrating data into existing collections, and improving knowledge production in a variety of domains.

If you believe that you could make an important contribution to this conversation, please do apply for one of the 15 open slots in the workshop by filling out the online application form and following the accompanying instructions. Applications are due by Monday, March 2; decisions will be made by Monday, March 16. All workshop participants will receive support for travel, lodging, and meal expenses.

Co-Directors: Mary Flanagan, Neil Fraistat, and Andrea Wiggins