Celebrating Women in Science & Engineering Grant Program
Description
This grant program is the result of a collaboration between WISELI and the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Letters & Science, Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine & Public Health, and School of Veterinary Medicine.
This program provides funds to departments, centers, or student groups wishing to enhance their own seminar schedules or to create new workshops, symposia, lecture series, or similar events in line with the goals of WISELI: to promote the participation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering. The maximum award is $3,000, and the maximum time frame for the award is one academic year.
WISELI strongly encourages applicants to seek matching/additional funds from relevant departments, the University Lectures committee, or other campus offices.
Application Process
Who can apply?
Recipient departments or centers must be in the biological or physical sciences, or engineering; or must propose a program/event that directly addresses the status, advancement, and/or promotion of women in academic science and engineering. Applicants might be department chairs, faculty who organize departmental lecture series or colloquia, academic staff members or graduate students who wish to invite particular scientists/scholars to their department, organization, or any other such group.
We are especially interested in considering the following:
- applications from departments/organizations that have not previously received funds from this program.
- applications from STEMM disciplines in which women are underrepresented on the faculty.
- applications that promote the participation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering
- applications for programs that propose inviting women from underrepresented groups.
What kinds of programs would be appropriate?
Examples of the kinds of programs we have funded in the past include:
- Invite a prominent woman in science or engineering to present her work at a departmental seminar and to address issues of underrepresentation in science and engineering.
- Invite junior women faculty from other research institutions to present their research and engage in activities that foster expansion of professional networks and mentoring for women in science and engineering.
- Invite a scholar who studies women, gender, and/or intersectionality in science and engineering to give a talk.
- Create a special one-day symposium to inform a department/center about issues relevant to women in science and engineering.
- Offer a workshop designed to advance women faculty in academic science and engineering. Some suggestions include:
- Events that foster networking, mentoring, and/or collaboration between women faculty from different departments or schools/colleges.
- Host a workshop on grant-writing, publishing, negotiating, or other topics.
- Host a workshop on patents, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, or other topics.
Applications can be for one or more speakers, and may include funds for travel, receptions, advertising, honorarium, per diems, or other related expenses. The format of the grants is flexible.
How to apply?
Fill out the application form (scroll down to link below), and attach a description of your proposed program. The proposal should be short (1-3 pages of text plus a 1-page budget), and should address ALL of the following points:
- How will the proposed program promote the participation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering, either in the hosting department/center or overall?
- Please specify the goals or outcomes you expect will result from this proposed program?
- Please describe what you hope will be different in your department, unit, or organization as a result of this program or event?
- What opportunities does the proposed program provide to discuss issues of underrepresentation relevant to women in science? (See Resources for Grant Applicants and Recipients for suggestions on addressing issues of underrepresentation.)
- Who will be invited to speak? (Provide a short bio of proposed speaker(s), or attach a c.v. to the application.)
- What is the typical (or expected) audience for the talk/s.
- How will interactions with the scientific community be facilitated? Be specific about how the invited speaker will interact with two or, preferably, more of the following groups:
- Faculty
- Academic staff
- Post-docs
- Graduate students (e.g., dinner/lunch with graduate students, presentation to/discussion with graduate student organizations such as GWIS, GERS, SciMedGRS, BGPSA)
- Undergraduates (e.g., teach a lecture, plan an event with an undergraduate club or group such as SWE or the WISE Residential Program)
- What is the budget for this program? Please see the budgetary guidelines and use the budget form included in the application. Please note that the budget form includes a request for departmental/unit support.
Applications may be submitted in hardcopy or via email. Hardcopies of the completed application form, proposal, and budget should be sent to: WISELI, 3065 Mechanical Engineering, 1513 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706. Electronic copies should be sent to:
carmen.juniper.neimeko@wisc.edu.
When to apply?
Applications for the 2018-2019 academic year are due June 29, 2018. Applications may be submitted throughout the year, but applications submitted after the deadline will only be considered if funds are still available.
Anything else?
Departments awarded the Celebrating Women in Science and Engineering grants must inform invited guests of WISELI’s support and must acknowledge WISELI as a co-sponsor in any advertisements or announcements of the event/s. In addition, the grantee will need to provide WISELI with tentative, and then final, schedules of events with visiting speakers before funds are disbursed. Awarded funds must be used before the end of the 2017-2018 academic year. Finally, WISELI will provide award recipients with an evaluation form that must be completed and returned within 4 weeks of the program's end.
Program Evaluation
- Fabian, Christine and Christine Pribbenow. April 14, 2016. "WISELI’s Celebrating Women in Science & Engineering Grant Program: Evaluation Report, 2010-1015." Madison, WI: The Lead Center, Wisconsin Center for Education Research.
- Kerr, Bradley, Jessica Winchell, and Christine Pribbenow. October 11, 2010. "WISELI’s Celebrating Women in Science & Engineering Grant Program: Evaluation Report, 2002-2009." Madison, WI: WISELI Evaluation Report.
- Winchell, J. (October 2004). "Celebrating Women in Science & Engineering Grant Program, 2002-2004." Madison, WI: WISELI Evaluation Report.