Graduate Support for Web Hosting
The Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities is excited to support student-led digital humanities projects with competitive, short-term funding for domain and web hosting. Every digital project must be hosted somewhere, and its software must be maintained. Although digital platforms have free options for managed hosting (Omeka, Scalar, WordPress), it may not always meet the needs for storage space, extended plugins, or customization, and the costs for expanded services can be prohibitive.
Neither the University of Kansas IT nor the IDRH can support or maintain the ever-growing number of digital projects at KU. However, we recognize that many students are creating major projects, theses, or dissertations that require the flexibility of self-hosting. Additionally, these projects should persist while students are on the job market, showcasing their talent.
Because web hosting is both essential and expensive, the IDRH will pay for a domain name and three years of Reclaim Hosting (see details below) for up to six graduate students at KU. The three-year time frame is intended to keep digital projects live and accessible as students are on the academic job market, looking at PhD programs, or pursuing other opportunities.
Where will projects be hosted?
Reclaim Hosting is a great way to host your digital humanities project or an education-focused website. Reclaim Hosting is an education-focused company that provides web hosting for students, faculty, and educational institutions. It is compatible with many of the digital humanities platforms used at KU and around the country. Omeka, Murkutu, Pressbooks, WordPress, Scalar, and more are fully supported by Reclaim Hosting. Although Reclaim Hosting is not expensive (compared to other web hosting services), the IDRH recognizes that the costs associated with purchasing domain names and hosting websites can at times be an insurmountable hurdle for students as they develop digital projects.
How much funding will be provided?
Reclaim Hosting personal plan - $30 x 3yrs; Domain name - $15 x 3yrs Total: $135
Who is eligible?
Masters and PhD students who are working on a digital humanities project are eligible to apply.
How do I apply?
Please email your request to the IDRH at idrh@ku.edu. Please describe your digital project. Explain its history, its role in your research and/or teaching, and, if possible, provide sample URLs or mockups. Please describe why free hosting solutions (such as Omeka.net) have not worked for your project. Although you may email anytime, requests will be considered on the first Monday of each month.
Questions
The IDRH is excited to help students and researchers with their digital projects to figure out answers to questions like “what digital tools do I really need?” and “do I need a web host?” If you are uncertain whether or not you need this funding, we welcome you to contact us at idrh@ku.edu For questions about this funding opportunity, please reach out to Brian Rosenblum (brianrosenblum@ku.edu) or Dave Tell (davetell@ku.edu).