About SHooCS

The Student Humanistic Cognitive Science initiative (SHooCS) invites undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Virginia to propose collaborative research projects that bridge humanistic inquiry and the cognitive sciences. SHooCS is designed to cultivate the next generation of interdisciplinary thinkers — scholars who can hold philosophical rigor and empirical method in productive tension.

What We Fund

SHooCS proposals may address, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• The nature and role of spontaneous thought, mind-wandering, or resting-state cognition
• Philosophical and empirical investigation of attention, distraction, and digital technology
• Human agency, autonomy, and AI — including questions about machine cognition
• Contemplative practices and their cognitive, phenomenological, or ethical dimensions
• Conceptual analysis of constructs used in cognitive science and neuroscience
• Interdisciplinary methodologies bridging philosophy, psychology, and related fields

Eligibility

Proposals are welcome from currently enrolled UVA undergraduate and graduate students. Collaborative proposals involving students from different departments or schools are especially encouraged. Each proposal must include at least one faculty sponsor affiliated with the HooCS Lab.

Proposal Guidelines

Submissions should include:

• Project title and a 250-word abstract
• A 1,500–3,000 word research proposal including aims, background, and methodology
• Brief bibliography (not counted toward word limit)
• Names and affiliations of all participants and faculty sponsor
• Proposed timeline and, if requesting funds, a budget justification

Submission & Contact

Proposals should be submitted by email to the HooCS Lab Director, Zac Irving, at the Department of Philosophy, University of Virginia. We review proposals on a rolling basis. Decisions are typically communicated within four weeks of submission.