Register Here
Registration closes March 30, 2026.
Purpose
Successful grant-seeking requires more than just good writing; it requires a strategic roadmap. The Proposal Writing Academy is a comprehensive workshop series for faculty and post-doctoral researchers who are ready to strategically pursue extramural funding. This program guides participants through the entire grant-seeking lifecycle. You will learn to navigate the culture of federal agencies and foundations, effectively communicate with program directors, and articulate your research to diverse review panels. The program also provides a section-by-section framework to conceptualize and write a competitive research proposal.
The series is relevant for any humanities, arts, social science, or education (HASSE) research funding opportunity. All activities will be organized and funded by the Office of Research.
Schedule
The program takes place in spring quarter of 2026 (Tuesdays at noon – with lunch provided):
- April 7, Workshop 1: Finding funders and communicating with program officers: Develop an email introduction. Learn the anatomy of a 1-pager / specific aims page / white paper.
- April 21, Workshop 2: Translating agency guidelines into a compelling proposal format and conceptualizing the significance of your project.
- May 5, Workshop 3: Strategies for writing the introduction and the theoretical review and contribution sections.
- May 19, Workshop 4: Strategies for writing the methods section and other proposal parts and making the overall proposal cohesive and compelling.
We provide an encouraging and supportive environment in which cohort members can produce a competitive grant proposal.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- conduct research in the Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, or Education.
- be ladder rank faculty or LSOE, or post-doc, in any college or division, currently employed at UCSB.
Questions?
Contact Director of Strategic Research Initiatives, Barbara Walker (walker@research.ucsb.edu)