ÖZGÜR PROJE - Application Deadline: April 24, 2021

ÖZGÜR PROJE

A FREE student PROJECT initiative from FASS

Deadline for applications: April 24, 2021

Objective of ÖZGÜR PROJE: Classical university education in classrooms is typically a passive learning model whereas learning requires interest and participation, which begins with asking a question… Your question.

We instituted Özgür Proje to fill in this gap in 2011, with the initiative of “Ateş Aile Fund” our donor, to set up a new model of university education in which students are encouraged to ask their own question, and to study, inquire and apply their findings. To touch and feel “life” with a critical eye. 

Students are completely free in choosing the topic for their projects: they can investigate campus-related issues, or regional and even global problems. Or their topics can include economics, political science, international relations, sociology and culture, arts, visual media, law, psychology. The objective could be purely academic, or it could have a community involvement aspect, forming and mobilizing networks, or a social/humanitarian/philanthropic side that aims at investigating injustice, inequality, poverty, development, etc.. Artistic/creative projects are also welcome.

We shall encourage successful students to learn how to write a social project and implement it, to seek funds from outside agencies such as TÜBITAK, project calls by the European Union, etc.

Participation and format: Only undergraduate students can apply, preferably as a team.

For students participating as a team: The group must include at least one student from FASS diploma programs OR at least one student who has not yet declared a major diploma program (freshmen, sophomore or language school).

For students participating alone: You must be in a FASS diploma program, or not yet declared a major diploma program (freshmen, sophomore or language school)

The application file (a word document you write) must be composed of the following three sections:

 (i) The topic: Explain your “good question” and why you think it is important, possibly with references (motivation for the Project, max 2 pages).

(ii) Execution plan: Explain what you will do and why you plan to do these, as well as how you will distribute the tasks between the team members.  (max 3 pages).

(iii) Budget: Explain why each expense you propose is needed and provide an explanation as well as to the timing of the resources you need. The care and attention you put in preparing and justifying your budget will be an important criterion for evaluating the application. Also you must fill in the budget page below.

Ozgür Proje can have of an application duration between 6-months and one year. The jury can award funding to many projects in a given application period. There is no typical or average project size. However, projects of a size above 5000 TLs are unlikely to be funded. If yours is such a project, it is a good idea to also propose a small-size version below 3000 TLs. 

The deadline for applications is: April 24, 2021

Applications should be emailed to the address oya.yegen@sabanciuniv.edu.

Please visit Özgür Proje’s website for past projects and previous experiences, https://fass.sabanciuniv.edu/tr/ozgur-proje

Evaluation: A jury composed of faculty members, students, and sponsors will determine the winners within the first week of May. Selected projects will start off. 

For the last three years, our sponsors were Istanbul Policy Center, the Emir Gönel Fund, Leyla Rosenberger and several SU alumni. We appreciate their support for this creative initiative on student learning and research. 

Contact FASS instructor Oya Yegen for questions, at oya.yegen@sabanciuniv.edu

ÖZGÜR PROJE budget items and plan of expenditures 

Project name:

Participating students (names and phone address):

Duration of the project: 

Total proposed budget of the project (in TLs): 

Fill in the following table: