Applying for Grants and Fellowships: Tips, Tricks, and Advice from Fordham English Students, Faculty, and Alums
The season to apply for summer funding is here! Most of Fordham's undergraduate and graduate fellowships and grants have deadlines that fall between mid-February and mid-March. If you're interested in developing a research project for this summer, you may want to look into some of Fordham's summer funding offerings:
-FCLC Dean's Research and Creative Practice Grant (Deadline: early March)
-FCRH Summer Research Program (Deadline: March 24th)
-GSAS Summer Research Fellowship (Deadline: February 24th)
-GSAS Santander International Internships Fellowship (Deadline: February 24th)
The Office of Prestigious Fellowships also maintains a list of awards from external sources.
Beginning the process of applying for a grant or fellowship can be an overwhelming prospect. Fortunately, though, English News has had the privilege of hearing from Fordham students, faculty, and alums who have successfully applied for these (and other) funding opportunities. Read on for some of the best advice we've received from successful applicants over the last few years.
What's a Project Narrative, Anyway?
Every fellowship or grant will require a slightly different configuration of application materials, but almost all of them ask for some version of the project narrative. The project narrative is a 1-3 page write-up of what you plan to do with your funding. Because every project is unique, every project narrative is unique, too. Successful project narratives, though, tend to accomplish similar things.
A compelling project narrative shows your reader how your project fits into a larger story. Your readers want to know why this project matters to you. They also want to see how the project fits into the conversations and communities in which you participate. If you don’t know where and how your project matters, you may find it helpful to step back from your planning and take some time to think about the bigger picture.
Practically speaking, thinking about the big picture is a great way to start your application process. Annika Suderburg and Elizabeth Lake, recipients of the FCLC Dean's Research and Creative Practice Grant, both advise sitting down to consider what you want to gain from your project before you draft your narrative. "What do you want to get out of it?" asked Elizabeth. "That's where I would start."
When you know what you hope to gain from your project, you can start relating your work to a larger context. Professor Andrew Albin, who talked to English News about writing grant and fellowship applications in 2021, stresses the importance of connecting your work to others' work. "Help your reader see the big picture and its stakes… Your readers don't really care about the minutiae — they need to be able to hold your project in their mind's eye and see it clearly, and they need to see why your project matters, if not to their own intellectual circles, then to the intellectual communities in which you and your project circulate."
Tying individual projects to larger conversations and communities can be challenging, but it's also crucial to articulate why our work matters (for ourselves as much as our readers). Who would be interested in the project you're planning? Professor Albin advises us to "think broadly about the communities who might benefit from your project, and try to speak to them."
Once you know how your project fits into this larger picture, you can write a project narrative that clearly articulates your aspirations, your planned outcomes, and the steps you will take to achieve them. This kind of storytelling requires crystalline focus and rhetorical savvy. As Shan Rao (FCLC '22, a former recipient of the FCLC Dean's Research and Creative Practice Grant) says, "Grant writing is a marriage of science and narrative. You have to have tangible outcomes and goals in a very scientific way, but you also have to tell a story."
The project narrative is, after all, a "narrative." It doesn't require a micro-detailed research plan. It requires a compelling story. Prioritizing narrative over detail doesn't mean the story can be vague, as Professor Albin points out. "When you're proposing a project that's still getting worked out in your own head, it's better to offer a provisionally worked-out project you can satisfyingly narrativize than to be vague about what that project will look like in the end," Albin advises. "Projects change direction; no one will check back and hold you to every last detail of your narrative."
Professor Albin also points out that striking images and memorable turns of phrase will bring the project into much sharper focus for the reader than abstract jargon ever could. Shan Rao, who used the funding from the FCLC Dean's Grant to work on an ongoing novel project, encouraged English majors to use their strengths to their advantage on these applications: "no one can tell a story better than a writer, so go for it!"
So About That Budget Proposal
While many grants and fellowships specify a set sum of money that you will receive, they can also offer additional funding for research expenses. They also may want to make sure you have a plan for how you will use the money they give you. Lots of these applications, therefore, ask you to provide a budget proposal. Don't worry: this isn't a legally binding document. It is, however, an opportunity for you (and the application readers) to take stock of how you can best use your funds.
As you write out your budget—and your proposed schedule, if the application requires one—remember that it isn't set in stone. Make your best educated guess as to the funds and time needed to complete your project, but remember that things rarely go to plan. "Don't be too pressured by [your schedule]," Elizabeth advised. It will be useful for you and your readers, but no one will hold you to its minute details.
No [Person] Is an Island: Faculty Advisors and Recommenders
Grant and fellowship applications will also require you to provide a faculty or mentor recommendation. This can seem like an additional barrier when you make your initial checklist, but it doesn't have to be a burden! It can actually be an enormous help in the application process.
Faculty members have years of experience with applying for these kinds of fellowships and grants. They can help you refine your project, craft your narrative, develop your budget, or answer any questions that crop up. They may also be able to tell you what strategies have made other applicants successful with this particular fellowship.
This kind of advice can make all the difference. Professor Albin emphasizes the importance of seeking feedback from mentor figures: "...get lots of feedback on your narratives, not just from your peers, but also from faculty. (This means drafting your narratives well before the application deadline, so you have time for feedback and revision!) And talk with faculty about the fellowships you're applying to: if they've applied themselves, or know other scholars who have, they can sometimes provide you with valuable insight about what the institution is looking for in applicants, projects, and narratives."
As you plan your summers and your projects, remember that you're not alone! Reach out for advice and feedback; the Fordham English community is full of people who've done this before. All the best on your applications!
For more information on the Fordham students, faculty, and alums cited in this article, see these English News articles:
