Through the Society & Culture Research Advancement Program (formerly the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Research Advancement Program), the Office of Research seeks to incentivize novel research, exceptional scholarship, and the production of creative and performing art works that creatively address issues of increasing societal significance.

The program was open to UC faculty whose proposed activities fell within the areas of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Applicants submitted a letter of interest that detailed the problem they aim to solve, their approach, and their impact. Then, finalists were invited to submit full proposals and pitch their ideas at a pitch event in competition for up to two $25,000 grants.

Congratulations to the 2023 Society & Culture Research Advancement Program grantee!

Muhammad U. Faruque

Inayat Malik Assistant Professor

Romance and Arabic Languages and Literatures

College of Arts & Sciences

The Interconnected Universe: Sufism, Climate Change, and Ecological Awareness

“My aim in this project is to develop a new theory of the human-nature relationship based on a cross-cultural, multidisciplinary approach that draws on contemporary perspectives in the environmental humanities and environmental ethics on one hand, and Sufism and Islamic contemplative studies on the other. Alongside developing a theory of what I call the ‘interconnected universe,’ this study also argues that Sufi contemplative practices support and foster an active engagement toward the planet’s well-being and an ecologically viable way of life and vision. The Society and Culture Research Advancement Program Award will allow me to complete the project in a timely manner because it will enable me to make several trips to conduct manuscript and archival research in Turkey, Morocco, and India during the period of May 2023 – April 2025. These trips are very much needed for the successful completion of the project.”