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Grant Writing Program for Arts & Humanities Graduate Students
Grant Writing Program for Arts & Humanities Graduate Students
Grant Writing Program for Arts & Humanities Graduate Students
Grant Writing Program
Build a Skill That Opens Doors—in Graduate School and Beyond
DATE: June 17, 2026
LOCATION: UC 1110 (WALS room)
Anticipated outcomes: graduate students will come away from the program with:
- A clear understanding of the fundamentals of grant writing and the role of it in academic life and some non-academic careers
- Specific skills and content needed for writing competitive doctoral scholarship applications (i.e., OGS and CGRS D)
- A draft of a doctoral scholarship application or another type of grant application for students who already have doctoral funding
- Strategies for tackling limiting beliefs: e.g., those involved in imposter syndrome
Format: mix of short lectures, both in-person and online; active learning in small groups; and large group Q&A; some advance prep required
Certificate: to complete the program and obtain the certificate, students must submit a draft of a funding application by September 1, 2026 in order to receive targeted feedback (submission instructions: TBA).
Faculty and Staff participants (subject to change):
- Carolyn McLeod, Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies, Professor of Philosophy
- Ileana Paul, Acting Dean Arts & Humanities, Professor of French Studies
- Jessica Schagerl, Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Arts & Humanities
- Aaron Schneider, Professor of English and Writing Studies
- Rob Stainton, Professor of Philosophy
- Constanza Burucúa, Incoming Associate Dean Graduate Studies; Professor of Hispanic Studies
A note on the room: NO food or drink is allowed in the WALS classroom. Please consume your beverages before entering the space and at breaks.
Student advance prep:
- view both recordings (links provided to registrants)
- Review relevant webpage for grant instructions
- come prepared with a descriptive title for your application or grant-writing project
- 150-word draft summary of project including the research question(s) or objectives and the significance or importance of the research
SCHEDULE
|
9:00-9:30 |
Welcome and Program Overview (Carolyn McLeod) |
|
9:30-10:00 |
Grant Writing in Academic and Non-Academic Careers (Jessica Schagerl) |
|
10:00-10:30 |
Overview of CGRS-D and OGS (McLeod) |
|
10:30-10:45 |
BREAK |
|
10:45-12:00 |
Clear Writing Fundamentals (Aaron Schneider) |
|
12:00-13:00 |
LUNCH—provided; available in UC 3110 (Boardroom) |
|
13:00-13:45 |
CGRS-D Research Proposal (McLeod)—come prepared having watched the video with this title |
|
13:45-14:15 |
The All-Important First Paragraph (Schagerl) |
|
14:15 –14:30 |
BREAK |
|
14:30-15:15 |
CGRS-D Research Proposal: Avoiding Problem Areas (McLeod)—come prepared having watched the video with this title |
|
15:15-16:00 |
Coping with Rejection and Persevering (Ileana Paul) |
|
16:00-16:30 |
Final Q&A and Next Steps (Schagerl) |
|
16:30- |
Optional social time at the Grad Club |
What You’ll Earn
Students will earn a grant writing badge, through Own Your Future at Western, if they get 5 or more points on an evaluation of their proposal draft using this rubric. The badge will appear for the students in MyCreds, and they will be able to post it on LinkedIn.
Who Should Enroll
This program is open to graduate students across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities who want to:
- Improve their academic and research funding prospects
- Build a portfolio of competitive grant applications
- Expand their professional skillset for non-academic careers
- Gain confidence in writing for diverse audiences