interdisciplinary studies of writing

grants

Research Grant to Support Inquiry into Writing In and Across the Disciplines

application information

Applications for Interdisciplinary Studies of Writing grants proceed in two stages:

Stage One: Letter of Intent (due 1 February 2010)

Please submit (via post or email) a Letter of Intent to Katie Levin (kslevin [at] umn [dot] edu), who leads the ISW program. Katie will consult with you as you develop your official application. The letter should be addressed to Dr. Katie Levin, Center for Writing, 216 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN 55405.

In this letter of no more than two pages, please include the following:

• background on the project (what inspired your interest in this line of inquiry?)
• a brief overview of your research project as you are currently conceiving it (what do you plan to investigate?)
• a statement of need (what need or gap will your research project address?)
• a summary of the methodology you intend to employ (how will you conduct the investigation?)

You will receive a response to your letter no later than 15 February; in that response, you may be invited to submit a full application to the review committee. The goal of the feedback in this response is to help applicants craft a successful full application. The full application may be an expanded version of the letter of inquiry, or it may represent revisions, minor or substantial.

Stage Two: Full Application (due 29 March 2010)

Please submit the following:

1. Application form (pdf) (doc) with appropriate signatures
2. Project summary
3. Budget request form (pdf) (doc)
   Note: if the grant proposal includes a Research Assistant, we strongly recommend that applicants use our budget development worksheet before completing the budget request form. There is no need to submit the worksheet with the application.
   
4. If the proposed research involves human subjects as defined by the IRB, please provide a copy of approved or pending Institutional Review Board approval or exemption. The Principal Investigator is responsible for obtaining exemption; typically, Center-funded research is considered a category 1 exemption—“Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices.” Click here for more information and to obtain the application.

Project summary

In 1500 to 2000 words total, respond to each of the items below. Head each section with the numbered section as written here.

Part 1: Overview (no more than 300 words)

Introduce the problem or research question that you intend to address, and briefly describe how your project will address it.

Part 2: Project Description

Describe your project. Please include

• proposed research methodology, including how you plan to measure outcomes
  
• timetable for the project
• if applicable, rationale for involving a research assistant, and an explanation of the RA’s roles and responsibilities

Part 3: Relevance and Plans for Dissemination

In this section, please address the following two questions:

• Explain the relevance of your project to the improvement of student writing or writing instruction at the University of Minnesota. What are its implications for colleagues, departments, and/or the University as a whole?
• Specify the intended audience for your results and your plans for disseminating those results within the University of Minnesota and elsewhere.

examples

Click here for examples (in pdf form) of project summaries from successful ISW grant proposals.

support during the application process

Katie Levin is available to consult with potential or actual applicants at any time during the process. Reach her at kslevin [at] umn [dot] edu or at 612.624.7720.