Call for Applications: WT Grant Scholars Program

The William T. Grant Foundation has posted its solicitation for the 2022 Scholars Awards. From their website, at 

http://wtgrantfoundation.org/grants/william-t-grant-scholars-program: 

The William T. Grant Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers. The program funds five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas.

Applicants should have a track record of conducting high-quality research and an interest in pursuing a significant shift in their trajectories as researchers. We recognize that early-career researchers are rarely given incentives or support to take measured risks in their work, so this award includes a mentoring component, as well as a supportive academic community.

Awards are based on applicants’ potential to become influential researchers, as well as their plans to expand their expertise in new and significant ways. The application should make a cohesive argument for how the applicant will expand his or her expertise. The research plan should evolve in conjunction with the development of new expertise, and the mentoring plan should describe how the proposed mentors will support applicants in acquiring that expertise. Proposed research plans must address questions that are relevant to policy and practice in the Foundation’s focus areas.

The two focus areas are particularly interesting because they are consistent with the college’s strategic plan.  These are:

* Reducing Inequality

* Improving the Use of Research Evidence

The foundation allows our college to nominate one exceptionally qualified candidate for this award. With this in mind, while the foundation deadline for the full application package is July 5 (and the mentor and reference letters are due on June 14), the college’s internal deadline for this program will be May 1. This will provide the successful applicant with plenty of time to work with the research office to prepare a competitive proposal.

There are extensive details about this program, including instructions for applicants, at 

https://wtgrantfoundation.org/grants/william-t-grant-scholars-program 

Those interested in applying should send Tom Birkland (tabirkla@ncsu.edu) a short (no more than three pages) letter explaining what will be proposed to the W.T. Grant Foundation, as well as a copy of a c.v.  Potential candidates may, if they wish, include a letter from a department head or colleague explaining why they would be an excellent candidate for this funding, although this is not required. The successful candidate will be selected in early to mid-May, and our office will assist the nominee in preparing the application.

Please direct any questions to Tom Birkland, Associate Dean for Research and Engagement, at tabirkla@ncsu.edu