“One cannot think well … if one has not dined well,” Virginia Woolf, "A Room With a View"
In the spirit of this advice from the celebrated English author, ATLAS is excited to announce the launch of Food for Thought (Lunch Is On Us), an initiative aimed at promoting interdisciplinary teaching, research and creative work—one of the cornerstones of the CU Boulder Academic Futures plan.
How does it work? Simple: Go to lunch with someone outside of your conventional academic circles, and ATLAS picks up the bill. "Promoting interdisciplinary exchange is at the core of the ATLAS mission. We hope some interesting new ideas and research will emerge, and we think this is an effective way to help forge new connections across disciplines,” says ATLAS Director Mark Gross, who conceived the idea.
The offer is open to tenured and tenure-track faculty, instructors and senior program administrators. Once participants have agreed to a plan, one member of the group submits information via a simple online form. After receiving an approval email from ATLAS, the meeting can proceed. Following the meal, ATLAS asks for a brief account of the ideas exchanged and planned collaborations via a second online form. A receipt for the meal is also submitted (along with an optional selfie of the lunch party if everyone consents) and reimbursement is sent electronically within 30 days.
The fine print: Lunch groups are limited to four participants, to include at least two faculty members from different colleges; up to $15 will be reimbursed per person (the remainder will be considered out of pocket); no alcohol; students are welcome. Reimbursement upon receipt of a written report of the ideas discussed over lunch. Offer ends May 1, 2019, or when the budget is spent, whichever comes first. Void where prohibited by law. Batteries not included.
