“The GWRP really helped motivate and move along my grant writing during the semester. Having the dedicated workspace, being part of a cohort of faculty in the program, and receiving feedback from the program directors all contributed to a very successful experience.”
Program Features & Benefits
Dedicated Workspace
Work within quiet assigned offices to support focused writing and research. Receive full access to the center's meeting rooms, printing stations, and break areas.
Supportive Community
Collaborative Learning
Research Funding
Receive up to $1,000 to support pilot data, travel, or other related expenses, which may be used during your residency or as a part of your grant application.
"The GWRP is a thoughtfully designed initiative that supports all UI faculty in advancing their research ideas through grant writing. The program’s staff members are exceptional. They are always available, supportive, and highly knowledgeable in a wide range of social science research areas. Not only did I improve my writing, but I also received critical feedback and learned about valuable resources that strengthened my grant proposal. Additionally, engaging with colleagues from various social science disciplines broadened my perspective. I cannot recommend this program highly enough."
How to Apply
Dates & Deadlines
Applications open: Early to mid-October
Application deadline: Monday, December 1, 2025. Applicants will be notified of decision within two weeks from the application deadline.
Program dates: The Grant Writing Residency Program aligns with the Spring Semester Calendar
Eligibility
Applicants must be affiliated with the University of Iowa.
Faculty members across all ranks and tracks, as well as scientific staff, are eligible. Priority will go to applicants, especially researcher affiliates, conducting social science research and proposing to use CSSI research services.
Instructions
When applications are open, applicants must submit the following information through our application portal below.
Applicant Information
- Name
- Project Title
- Project Abstract (50-100 words). Provide a succinct overview of the project. Assume reviewers do not have technical knowledge in a specific field.
- Funding Source, Deadline, and Award Amount. Describe the funding source, deadline, and award amount for the proposal.
Project Information
If preferred, the project information can be submitted as an attached pdf in the application portal.
- Project Overview (300-500 words). Briefly introduce the project, its significance and potential impact, and its relevance to CSSI’s mission.. Clearly state the objectives of the research.
- Project Methodology (300-500 words). Describe the methods that will be used to achieve the project’s objectives. This includes research design, data collection methods, and analysis techniques.
- Project Plan and Timeline (300-500 words). Describe the current status of the grant proposal, and summarize your goals and timeline for completing the proposal.
Program Expectations
- Research Funds. Describe how you currently plan to use the research-related funds.
- Residency Schedule. Participants are expected to work in residence a minimum of 10 hours per week at CSSI. Please describe the day(s) and time(s) each week you plan to work in residence if selected for the program.
- Reporting Expectations. Participants are asked to acknowledge CSSI in all publications and presentations supported by participation in this program, and to notify cssi-office@uiowa.edu of all publications, presentations, and grants related to program work.
Additional Attachments
- Curriculum vitae or biographical sketch
- [Optional] Project Information
- [Optional] Reference list
APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED
Program Participants
2025 Participants
Cara Hamann, PhD
"Bike Club Toolkit Implementation to Increase Adolescent Bicycling Safety"
Ethan Kutlu, PhD
"Math Cognition in Developing Bilingual Children"
Aislinn Conrad, PhD
"Advancing AI-Enabled Detection and Classification of Child Abuse"
Iulian Vamanu, PhD
"Libraries as Sites of Resilience: Training Librarians to Prepare for Climate Extremes, Health Emergencies, Economic Recessions"
2024
Isaac Petersen, Associate Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Isaac Petersen, associate professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, submitted the proposal, “Precision Phenotyping of the Externalizing Spectrum on a Developmentally Informed, Common Metric Across Infancy to Adulthood,” to the National Institute of Mental Health during his time in the 2024 Grant Writing Residency Program at the center.
Petersen aims to develop a new assessment system for capturing developmental changes in externalizing behavior problems, such as physical aggression or substance use. According to Petersen, externalizing problems “look different” across developmental periods and current assessments do not sufficiently account for those differences.
To learn more about Petersen's proposal and CSSI's Grant Writing Residency Program, read the full article.
Bingbing Zhang, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Bingbing Zhang, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, submitted the proposal, “Communicating Climate Injustice: The Effects of Solution Journalism on Climate Change Public Engagement Among Marginalized Communities and the General Public,” to the Waterhouse Family Institute during her time in the 2024 Grant Writing Residency Program at the center.
Zhang plans to investigate how “solution journalism” depicts climate change injustice and how it affects the perceptions and responses of both the general public and of marginalized communities.
To learn more about Zhang's proposal and CSSI's Grant Writing Residency Program, read the full article.
