Call for Proposals
The NASW Grants Committee is now accepting applications for 2017-2018 Peggy Girshman Idea Grants. Since 2010, the National Association of Science Writers has funded 140 projects, totaling more than $475,000 to benefit science writers. Last year, we renamed the grant program in honor of our late board member, founding member of the grants committee, and longtime advocate for writers, Peggy Girshman. She loved a good idea, well-crafted and targeted to its audience, and sought to ensure that grant monies benefited writers, and the field, with smart impact, and we are proud to carry this important program in her name.
The total funding available this year is $25,000. NASW invites proposals from individuals or groups for grants ranging from $1,000 to $25,000, with grants between $5,000 and $10,000 encouraged, to support projects and programs designed to help science writers in their professional lives and/or benefit the field of science writing. We encourage creative thinking, thus the guidelines for these proposals are consciously broad.
The project must be in keeping with the mission of NASW, and should be accessible to all science writers. Applicants need not be NASW members. The project should not be for individual works, e.g. underwriting a single investigative piece or book, but it could, for instance, underwrite a study of the state of science writing in the U.S. or beyond.
We especially support the efforts of regional science writing groups to make their professional development activities available to all science writers via webcasts, transcription, live blogging and other online or digital resources. We encourage proposals from all NASW members, including PIOs, journalists, freelance writers, and anybody else. Membership is not required.
Please submit proposals through the online Submittable application. To learn more about the program and awards made to date and read selected proposals from past projects, visit our fact page, which includes tips on how to write a successful grant application in a list of do’s and don’ts.
To learn more about the program and awards made to date and read selected proposals from past projects, visit nasw.org/article/about-nasw-idea-grants.
The NASW Grants Committee will review applications, which are due Friday, Dec. 15. Applications for more than $5,000 will also be reviewed by the NASW Executive Board. Applicants in this round will be notified by February 1, 2018, and can expect disbursements to begin soon thereafter, pending grantees’ acceptance of the grant contract. Applicants should take this timeline into account when planning events. In general, Idea Grants may not be used to fund costs already incurred. Only direct costs are allowed. Indirect costs are not allowable.
