External Grants for Research, Lecturing & Exchange
Global Internet and Media Concentration Project (2021-2028). Executive Steering Committee member and China Director (co-PI) on a 7-year grant “Global Internet and Media Concentration Project“, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) (2021-2027), led by Dr. Dwayne Winseck (Carlton University, Canada) and Dr. Eli Noam (Columbia University, U.S.) [Total funds: $2.5 million CAD | Co-PI | Project website: here]
CyberBRICS (2019) Fellowship from FGV Law School (Brazil) to work on data protection and cybersecurity policy frameworks in BRICS countries (China section) [$13,500]
East-West Center (2018). Leads session on the Chinese Internet and social media for a workshop organized by East-West Center for Berea College [$1,500]
National Humanities Center (2018). Delivers webinar “The Chinese Internet: Open for Business, Closed to Criticism?” for the Center’s Humanities in Class Webinars series. [$1,000]
Stanford Law School, Center for Internet & Society (October 24-25, 2016) Invited speaker for the Center’s public event Law, Borders and Speech [$2000]
IEEE Internet Initiative (December 6-9, 2016). Chinese Internet: Technology, Business and Politics. Making Connection(s) for Solutions. Internet Governance Forum. Guadalajara, Mexico. [2500].
IEEE Internet Initiative (May 17, 2016). IEEE Internet Initiative Experts in Technology & Policy (ETAP) Beijing Forum. Building trust and accountability: Enabling cooperation between technologists and policymakers. China World Hotel, Beijing, China. [$2500]
Social Science Research Council (SSRC) (2013-2014). Media, Activism, and the New Political: InterAsian Perspectives. InterAsia Initiative. I am one of three researchers on the Chinese Media Research Team headed by Dr. Guobin Yang of the University of Pennsylvania. Other two research teams focus on Middle East & North Africa (MENA) and India. The project, holding three group meetings in New York City, Beirut and Istanbul in 2013, explores the interrelationship of media and politics within and across InterAsia, aimed at setting the research agenda for digital media activism research in Asia. [$30,000 for China Team]
Center for the Study of Contemporary China, University of Pennsylvania (2014). Part of “social media and civil society” panel for a two-day conference “The Internet, Social Media, and a Changing China”. Completed manuscripts to be published in an edited volume. [$3,000]
Center for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University, Sweden (November, 2013). Present paper and provide talks on Chinese Internet governance for a two-day conference “Open Spaces and Closed Doors – The Internet in China.” [$2,000]
Institute for Network Cultures, Amsterdam Polytechnic, Netherlands (November, 2013). Present a talk on Chinese search engines and issues of search bias and internationalization for a two-day international conference “Society of Query” [$2,000]
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) (October 29, 2012) Invited speaker for NCUSCR’s CHINA Town Hall program in Madison, Wisconsin on the impact of Chinese social media on China’s sociopolitical affairs and US-China relations, about 60 attendees [$700]
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) (October 26, 2012) Invited speaker for NCUSCR’s China Briefing Series for U.S. Navy officers (including rear admirals and captains) on the latest development of the Chinese Internet governance, Washington D.C. [$400]
French Institute of International Relations (Institut Français des Relations Internationals, a top ten think tank outside the U.S.) (September 2011). Seminar “The Internet in China and Russia.” Other featured speakers include Prof. Milton Mueller, Professor of Information Studies at Syracuse University, author of Networks and States: The Global Politics of Internet Governance and Chair of the Steering Committee of GigaNet as well as Emily Parker, Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. State Department for digital affairs at the time [$3,500]
Association of Asian Studies (2010). Moving beyond the Great Firewall of China: Internet politics in constructing a “harmonious society” (a panel I helped organize) [$1,300]
International Reporting Project, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University (2010). How is the Internet Changing China? How is China Changing the Internet? Media Gatekeepers Series. A talk on Chinese Internet events and social activism to a group of senior editors and reporters from U.S. news organization such as New York Times, Washington Post, NPR [$800]
Annenberg-Oxford Summer Institute – Programme in Comparative Media Law & Policy (2009). Grants for lecturing and collaborating with fellow researchers at the summer institute, University of Oxford, UK. I provided two lectures, one on authoritarian deliberation, the other on Chinese media policies [$2000]
Fairbank Center, Harvard University Travel Grant (2009). Media in Chinese Politics Postdoctoral Workshop. I presented my work on Chinese authoritarian deliberation online [$300]
University of Hong Kong Competitive Travel Grant for the 6th Chinese Internet Research Conference (2008). Authoritarian Deliberation: Chinese Public Deliberation Offline and Online. [$1000]
Australia-China Council Research Grant (2001). A Comparative Study of Images of Australia and China in News Coverage of Beijing Youth Daily and The Sydney Morning Herald. Melbourne, Australia. [Funded $3,000 Australian dollars]
Internal Grants
UNC Charlotte, Faculty Research Grants (FRG) (2020). China’s “Social Credit System”: Governmentality and Play. [$8,000]
UNC Charlotte, Chancellor’s Diversity Challenge Fund (2014-2015) Just Us: Breaking boundaries with images [$4,000, with Drs. Lisa Merriweather, Sandra Dika, and Jane Dalton] The goal of this project is to empower individuals to express themselves, recognize stereotypes, and enhance the richness of diversity on campus through a student-focused, interactive photography project, art exhibit, and public lecture.
UNC Charlotte, Faculty Research Grant (FRG) (2013-2014) Real-time Diplomacy: Chinese Microbloggers’ Opinion of 2012 U.S. Presidential Election [$8,500, with Dr. Richard Leeman]
UNC Charlotte College of Arts and Sciences Digital Humanities Seed Grant (2013 Spring). TweetChina: Visualizing China on Twitter in Map Picture & Event Modes. [Big Data initiative with Dr. Xiaoyu Wang, BigData Lead at UNC Charlotte VizCenter, $15,000, PI]
UNC Charlotte College of Arts and Sciences Faculty International Travel Funds (2013 Spring). Travel funds for presenting four academic research papers at the University of Oxford (11th Chinese Internet Research Conference) and in London (International Communication Association Annual Conference) in June 2013 [$1,100]
UNC Charlotte International Programs Travel Grant (2013). [$300]
UNC Charlotte College of Arts and Sciences Competitive Small Research Grants (2012 Fall). The Obamas’ political discourse and Chinese social media. [$1,000, with Dr. Richard Leeman]
Council on International Educational Exchange (2011 Summer). International Faculty Development Seminars, “Economic Development and Urban Transformation,” Shanghai, China. Funded by UNCC International Programs and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. [$3300]
UNC Charlotte College of Arts and Sciences Competitive Small Research Grants (2011 Summer). Models of Global Internet Governance. [$1,000]
UNC Charlotte College of Arts and Sciences Competitive Speaker Funds (2010). Bring Dr. Patrice Buzzanell, President of the Council of Communication Associations, for “Communication Matters” Lecture Series. [$3500, with Dr. Shawn Long]
UNC Charlotte Online Teaching Initiative (2010). Explore Teaching Communication Research Methods Online. [$500]
UNC Charlotte International Programs Travel Grant (2010). [$300]
UNC Charlotte Faculty Research Grant (2009). Chinese Blogosphere, Internet Events, Search Engines, and Official Discourse. [$5,780]
UNC Charlotte Center for Humanities, Technology, and Science Summer Fellowship (2008). Online Public Deliberation in China: Articulating a Framework of the Social Embeddedness of New Information Communication Technology. [$2000]
UNC Charlotte International Programs Travel Grant (2008). [$400]
UNC Charlotte Center for Humanities, Technology, and Science Mini Grant (2008). New Communication Technology and Society. [$500]
Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) Summer Grant (2005). What the Government and People Say: Chinese E-government, Practice, and Policy from Dual Perspectives. Purdue. [$2,340]
Grants Under Review
Online Health Misinformation (2022-2025). A research-education integration to detect online health misinformation and identify critical users using large volume of social media data. Grant submitted to NIH/NLM in collaboration with Drs. Shi Chen (PI) and Yaorong Ge (Co-Investigator). I will serve as Co-Investigator on this grant. [$452,967]