Grants

Keywords —

Research Grants

Each year WPA awards several research grants in writing program administration.

The Research Grants Committee of the Council of Writing Program Administrators invites proposals for projects that investigate issues and practices in writing program administration. Successful proposals pursue research that will help the CWPA achieve its mission and goals as stated in its constitution.

Two funding kinds of grants are awarded:

  • General-research grants are awarded for research that addresses important issues for WPAs and other writing-instruction professionals: $5000 awarded to four to eight awardees, average award about $1000, maximum award $1500.
  • Targeted-research grants are awarded for research that is replicable, aggregable, and data supported ("RAD"): $4000 awarded to one or two awardees.

Grant Recipients

Minority WPA Workshop Grants
Each year WPA awards several grants to support participation in the summer workshop by WPAs in underrepresented groups.

 

Resubmission Policy for WPA Research Grants (New for 2012)
For the first time, next year’s CFP will have special instructions for revised and resubmitted grant proposals. In addition to the usual contents, revised proposals will include a ~500-word cover sheet that describes the committee’s evaluation and recommendations and that explains how the proposal has been revised to address those concerns. We are implementing this policy to encourage revised and improved research. While we of course cannot guarantee funding, this process will ensure that the committee understands the concerns of the previous grant-review process, and it makes it less likely that the committee will raise entirely new concerns. Revised proposals will compete with the entire pool of proposals.

 

Annual Timeline

  • October 15, 2011: new call for proposals is released and announced on various listservs
  • January 31, 2012: Proposals due (via email)
  • February 1 – February 20, 2012: committee reads, scores, and decides on awards
  • February 27, 2012: all grant seekers are sent emails informing them of the status of their proposals; both awardees and non-awardees are given detailed feedback
  • March 22, 2012: Awardees are recognized and given checks at WPA Breakfast at CCCC (checks are mailed to awardees who are unable to attend)

 

Calls and Guidelines