Apply for a 2020 NSWA Career Development Award
Applications are due Tuesday, 1 September 2020
The Northwest Science Writers Association is now accepting applications for our annual Career Development Awards.
NSWA invites proposals from individuals or groups for awards of up to $2,000 to support projects that will help NSWA members in their professional lives. The total funding available for all grants this year is $2,000.
In previous years, NSWA has made awards for two of its members to travel to professional conferences or attend classes. For 2020, due to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, NSWA will be supporting one or more online workshops, panel discussions, classes or other projects that will benefit a wide group of members.
NSWA encourages creative thinking and welcomes projects that focus on the skills and craft of journalism and communication, expert discussions, classes and seminars. For example:
- a workshop on recognizing and countering racial bias in science writing;
- expert guidance on using social media platforms to report and publish stories; or
- tips for podcasting or videography.
We are unlikely to support projects that might appeal to only a small subset of our members or that are narrowly focused on one particular discipline.
NSWA is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization and holds firm to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are especially interested in projects that are led by and/or serve underrepresented audiences and groups. In addition, any funded projects that solicit multiple voices will be expected to showcase a diversity of voices from varied perspectives and backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical ability, nationality, age, socioeconomic status, and belief.
Projects should be accessible to all NSWA members. (Typically, an online/virtual event will satisfy this obligation.)
Applicants must be current NSWA members. Not yet a member? JOIN NOW
NSWA will provide free access to, and operational support for, our Zoom Pro account for the event itself, which can host up to 100 people for webinars. Beyond this, all awards should be organized independently of NSWA.
Applicants should provide a rough budget for their project (for example, for supplies or speakers fees) and are encouraged to include a flat fee to compensate for their own time spent on it. In general, awards may not be used to fund costs already incurred. Only direct costs are allowed.
Please submit your proposal through the Google Form below by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time on Tuesday, 1 September 2020.
Applicants will be notified of NSWA’s decision by September 15, 2020 and can expect disbursements to begin shortly after, pending grantees’ acceptance of the award contract. Grantees will be required to coordinate with NSWA regarding the timing of any participatory events. In all cases, the project should be complete by 1 July 2021.
If you have questions about the Career Development Awards program or about submitting an application, please contact careerdevelopmentawards@nwscience.org. Thank you for your interest!