Willson Grants and Awards

The Willson Center provides funding through competitions for various internal grants. For grants that have an “Apply Online” option, applicants will need to create an account. The system will not automatically recognize UGA MyID login credentials. Once an account has been created, all current and future Willson grants will be accessible through the system. For assistance with grant applications, please contact Julie Dingus at (706) 542-4304 or jdingus@uga.edu.

Unless otherwise noted, funding is for the following academic year.

Willson Center Distinguished Artist or Lecturer

Apply Online

  • Deadlines:
    • October 15 (current academic year)
    • February 4 (following academic year)
  • Notification dates:
    • October 15 deadline: November 20
    • February 4 deadline: March 8

The Willson Center Distinguished Artist or Lecturer program supports individual faculty or interdisciplinary groups in bringing leading thinkers and practitioners to campus in support of ongoing and innovative research projects. The program provides a $1,500 honorarium out of which the artist or lecturer pays his or her travel expenses. Distinguished artists and lecturers are nominated by the faculty and are selected by the Willson Center’s Academic Advisory Board. Faculty are encouraged to conceive of this program as an opportunity to create broader impacts that include engagement with the student body, the public, the locality and state.

Applicants are encouraged to involve more than one department; applications may include partnership with relevant departments, centers and institutes other than the Willson Center. A primary criterion is the academic excellence of the nominee and the impact they will have on the UGA research community in the arts and humanities.

Lectures and locations should be coordinated through the Willson Center. In accepting the award, the faculty sponsor agrees to communicate all relevant information regarding the visitor’s activities while at UGA and to credit the Willson Center in all publicity about the visitor.

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Willson Center Graduate Research Award

Apply Online

  • Deadlines:
    • September 4 (current academic year)
    • January 14 (current academic year)

The Willson Center Graduate Research Award provides support of up to $1,250 to arts and humanities graduate students for relevant expenses related to completion of their degrees. Graduate students may be supported in travel to archives, installations and performances. Reason must be given for support of the proposed activity in context of research excellence.

Application is open to any arts and humanities student registered for an advanced degree. Applicants may give a lecture or presentation of their work at another institution during the award of this grant, including at major national or international conferences. It is a requirement that the Willson Center be recognized as a source of support in any such activity.

Previous graduate student research and performance grant recipients are ineligible.

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Willson Center Public Impact Grant

Apply Online

  • Deadline: October 15
  • Notification date: November 20

The Willson Center Public Impact Grant supports faculty in the organization on campus of conferences, exhibitions, and performances that showcase humanities and arts research in broad context. The Public Impact Grant is designed to offer interaction between national and international scholars and UGA faculty and students. The award provides support of up to $10,000. Faculty may apply for the Public Impact Grant in partnership with graduate students. Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged.

Applicants are encouraged to consider external sources of funds and other internal sources of funds such as the State of the Art Conference fund offered by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

In accepting the award, the faculty organizer agrees to communicate to the Willson Center all relevant information regarding the program activities and to credit the Willson Center in all publicity.

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Willson Center Research Fellowship

Apply Online

  • Deadline: October 15
  • Notification date: December 3

The Willson Center Research Fellowship supports excellence in arts and humanities research. Applicants must hold doctorate or equivalent scholarly credentials. Tenured and Tenure-track scholars are encouraged to apply. The Willson Center Research Fellowships are intended to support humanities and arts scholars. Interdisciplinary research is encouraged, including with the sciences, social sciences and other domains. Fellowships provide course release from two normally assigned courses in one academic year.

As a condition of the award, Fellowship recipients give a lecture or talk on campus during the academic year as part of the Fellows’ lecture series.

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Willson Center Research Seminar

  • Deadline: February 4
  • Notification date: March 8

The Willson Center Research Seminar Program provides $2,000 to faculty organizing year-long interdisciplinary discussion groups on particular research topics. The funds are to be used to bring to campus scholars from other institutions.

A one page proposal should be submitted by email to the Willson Center (wcha@uga.edu).

Willson Center Short-Term Visiting Fellowships

Apply Online

  • Deadline: October 15
  • Notification date: November 20

The Willson Center Short-Term Visiting Fellowships bring distinguished scholars, artists and performers to the arts and humanities community at the University of Georgia. Individual Faculty or interdisciplinary groups may nominate Visiting Fellows who contribute to intellectual life on campus by engaging with current research in a public context.

Fellows can be funded for either five-day ($5,000) or nine-day ($10,000) programs. The amount of the award includes honorarium and travel expenses. It is expected that each Fellow conduct workshops for faculty and graduate students, and to give public presentations of their work. Interdisciplinary engagement is encouraged.

In accepting the award, the faculty sponsor agrees to communicate to the Willson Center all relevant information regarding the visitor’s activities while at UGA and to credit the Willson Center in all publicity about the visitor.

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Willson Center Special Funding Request

Please complete this form when requesting funds from the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts outside of a normal internal grant program.

Note: Special Funding Requests will not be considered during the 2012 – 2013 academic year.