Deadline

Annually, usually around April 15.

Purpose

The International Writing Centers Association (IWCA) serves to strengthen the writing center community through all of its activities. The organization offers The IWCA Dissertation Research Grant to support doctoral students as they work on writing center-related dissertations. The grant is intended to fund expenses incurred by doctoral student members who are working toward completion of a dissertation and a doctoral degree. The funds may be used for living expenses; supplies, materials, and software; travel to research sites, to present research, or to attend conferences or institutes relevant to the profession; and other purposes not covered here but supportive of a dissertating graduate student. Doctoral students who have an approved prospectus and are at any stage of research/writing beyond the prospectus are encouraged to apply.

Award

Grant recipients will receive a $5000 check from IWCA upon selection as the award winner.

Application Process

The application should be submitted by the required deadline through the IWCA Membership Portal. Complete application packets will contain the following items in one pdf file:

  1. Cover letter addressed to current grants chair that sells the committee on the mutual benefits that will result from financial support. More specifically, the letter should do the following:
    • Request IWCA’s consideration of the application
    • Introduce the applicant and the project
    • Outline plans for completion of the project
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. Include evidence of Institutional Review Board (IRB) or other ethics board approval. If you are not affiliated with an institutional with such a process, please email IWCA for guidance at iwcaofficer@gmail.com BEFORE submitting an application.
  4. Approved prospectus
  5. Two letters of reference: One from the dissertation director and one from a second member of the dissertation committee. These can be sent to the committee via iwcaofficer@gmail.com.

Expectations of Awardees

  1. Acknowledge IWCA support in any presentation or publication of the resulting research findings.
  2. Forward copies of resulting publications or presentations to iwcaofficer@gmail.com.
  3. File a progress report to the IWCA. This report is due within twelvemonths of receipt of grant monies. Upon completion of the project, submit a final project report to the IWCA Board, in care of the chair of the Research Grants committee. It should be sent to iwcaofficer@gmail.com.
  4. Upon completion of the project, submit a final project report and a PDF of the completed dissertation to the IWCA Board via iwcaofficer@gmail.com.
  5. Strongly consider submitting a manuscript based on the supported research to an IWCA publication: The Writing Center Journal or The Peer Review. Be willing to work with the editor(s) and reviewer(s) to revise the manuscript for possible publication.

Recipients

2023: Sarah Kugler, “Audience, Power, Identity, and Language Ideologies in Graduate Writing Consultations”

2022: Emily Bouza, “Community Values Mapping as a Tool to Engage Departments in Social Justice-Centered WAC and Writing Center Partnerships”

2021: Yuka Matsutani, “Mediating the Gap Between Theory and Practice: Conversation Analytic Study of Guidelines for Interaction and Tutoring Practices at a University Writing Center”

2020: Jing Zhang, “Talking about Writing in China: How Do Writing Centers Serve Chinese Students’ Needs?”

2019: Lisa Bell, “Training Tutors to Scaffold with L2 Writers: An Action Research Writing Center Project”

2018: Lara Hauer, “Translingual Approaches to Tutoring Multilingual Writers in College Writing Centers” and Jessica Newman, “The Space Between: Listening with Difference in Community and University Writing Center Sessions”

2017:  Katrina Bell, “Tutor, Teacher, Scholar, Administrator: Perceptions of Current and Alumni Graduate Consultants”