Council of Writing Program Administrators

CALL FOR PROPOSALS 2006 WPA RESEARCH GRANTS

Overview The Research Grant Committee of the Council of Writing Program Administrators invites research proposals to investigate issues and practices in writing program administration. Maximum awards of $2000 may be given; average awards are $1000. Applicants must be current WPA members; all current WPA members are eligible to apply.

Please organize your proposal as follows:

1. A cover page that gives the names of all investigators (please don’t identify yourself or your institution in the rest of the proposal), mailing addresses, email addresses and phone numbers.

2. A project overview of no more than 500 words in which you:

• explain the problem or question your project will investigate • outline the methodology with which you will approach the problem • connect the project to previous, published research • give a timetable detailing how the project will proceed • describe your expertise in this area • explain your plan to disseminate results professionally

3. A realistic, detailed budget on a separate page.

Criteria for Selection You may find the following criteria useful in preparing your proposal. The Committee will use these to conduct blind reviews of all proposals. You may also want to read this sample proposal and this annotated sample research grant proposal, showing how reviewers applied criteria.

1. Relevance: The project is relevant to the work of writing program administrators. It applies to contexts beyond the immediate nstitutional context of origin, and writing program administrators will benefit from its outcomes.

2. Contribution: The project is related to prior research and also makes an original contribution to scholarship in the field.

3. Expertise: Through prior research and experience, the proposers are well-prepared to to undertake this project.

4. Method: The methodology is clear, workable, and appropriate to the project.

5. Feasibility: The project can be completed in the proposed time frame.

6. Cost: Budget expenditures are reasonable and the project’s outcomes justify its expenses.

Restrictions: Ordinarily, you will not receive funding for the following: released time, purely local initiatives or projects, outside consultants or evaluators, production of non-researched materials, dissertation research, or supplements to existing grants--unless it is clear that the WPA grant provides an opportunity to extend a project in new directions. You may not submit more than one proposal per year. First consideration will go to those who have not received an award in the last three years.

Expectations of Reward Recipients Grant recipients will be expected to do the following:

1. Present a poster of research results at the 2007 WPA Breakfast during the CCCC Convention.

2. Submit resulting articles to the WPA Journal for first consideration.

3. Submit a final written report of 5 to 7 pages to the chair of the Research Grants Committee by June 15, 2007.

Questions should be directed to Raúl Sánchez at rsanchez@english.ufl.edu

Proposals should be submitted to the same, as Microsoft Word attachments. Deadline is January 13, 2006.

Winners will be announced at the 2006 WPA breakfast in Chicago.

A downloadable pdf version of this announcement is attached.