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, Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, College of Letters & Science, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine & Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, and College of Engineering.
This program provides funds to departments, centers, or student groups wishing to enhance their own seminar schedules or especially 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 science and engineering. The maximum award is $3,000, and the maximum time frame for the award is one academic year. WISELI 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 science and engineering. Applicants might be department chairs, faculty who organize departmental lecture series or colloquia, graduate students who wish to invite particular scientists/scholars to their department or organization, or any other such group. We are especially interested in considering applications from departments/organizations that have not previously received funds from this program.
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 confronting women in science and engineering
- Invite a scholar who studies women in science and engineering to give a talk
- Invite an officer from a major funding agency to discuss the importance of diversity issues to the agency
- Create a special one-day symposium that would educate a department/center on the issues of women in science and engineering
- Offer a workshop designed to advance women in science and engineering
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 (link below), and attach a description of your proposed program. The proposal should be short (1-3 pages), and should address the following points:
- How will these funds be used to promote participation and advancement of women in science and engineering, either in the recipient department/center or overall?
- Who will be invited to speak? (Provide a short bio of proposed speaker(s), or attach a c.v. to the application.)
- Identify the typical audience for the talk (or talks).
- 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:
- Undergraduates (e.g., teach a lecture, plan an event with an undergraduate club or group such as SWE, the Microbiology Club, or the WISE dorm)
- Graduate students (e.g., dinner with the graduate students, individual appointments)
- Post-docs
- Academic staff
- Faculty
- Would any of the invited scientists/engineers be appropriate for a campus-wide audience?
- What, if anything, can WISELI do to facilitate this visit (e.g., advertise, suggest speakers)?
A one-page budget description should accompany the proposal (see budgetary guidelines). Applications may be submitted either in hardcopy, or via email. Hardcopies of the completed application form, proposal, and budget should be sent to: WISELI, 2107 Mechanical Engineering, 1513 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706. Electronic copies should be sent to: efine@wisc.edu.
When to apply?
Applications for the 2009/10 academic year are due June 26, 2009. 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 acknowledge WISELI as a co-sponsor in any advertisements or announcements of the event/s. In addition, the grantee will need to provide a tentative schedule of activities to WISELI as WISELI would like to post the events on website and to our listserve if appropriate. Awarded funds must be used before the end of the 2009/2010 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.
- Application in Rich Text Format (opens with your word processing program)
- Application in PDF
- Required Evalution Form
Program Evaluation
Winchell, J. (October 2004). "Celebrating Women in Science & Engineering Grant Program, 2002-2004." Madison, WI: WISELI Evaluation Report.