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Paul Jacobs Research Grant

he IATE Research Committee is currently accepting applications for Paul Jacobs Research Awards.  Members of IATE considering any form of research in English language, literature, writing, speaking, or teaching are encouraged to apply.  The research may be part of a candidate’s work on a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation, or the project may be unrelated to any work connected to one’s graduate studies.  The Research Committee will consider proposals from teachers and school administrators, as well as from full-time students seeking advanced degrees.  Professionals who have thought about conducting a research project in the past but who have hesitated because of lack of funding may find in the Paul Jacobs Award the financial backing necessary to complete their work.  The Research Committee can grant an award for a maximum of 500 dollars.

It is surprisingly easy to apply for an award.  Here is how to do it:

Write a brief proposal which includes the following:

  • A cover letter:  Let us know who you are and announce the fact that you are applying for a Paul Jacobs Research Award.  Also provide your address and phone number.
  • A brief description of your project:  Identify a central research question or focus, and describe a method for conducting the research.  The reviewers will need to see at least a distinct and substantive research question.
  • A timeline:  Project the timeline for completing the research, or at least the portion that will be funded by the Paul Jacobs Award.
  • A budget:  Identify how much money you need and how it would be used.  Here are some examples of appropriate costs:  to duplicate instructional materials, to pay raters to score papers, to pay fees for data processing.  Here are some questionable expenses:  travel costs, purchase of instructional materials that I school normally funds, incentives for participants in the study.  The research grant is modest and should be used to support the essential costs of a study.
  • A status report:  Let us know what you have done so far.  Perhaps you have done some initial reading and can supply a brief bibliography.

Mail the proposal to IATE Research Committee, 4240 English, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790-4240.

Applications for awards to be reviewed at the spring Executive Committee Meeting must arrive at IATE headquarters at Illinois State University no later than March 1.  The members of the IATE Research Committee anticipate that recipients of the Paul Jacobs Award will be able to share their completed research at an IATE Fall Conference or through publication in the Illinois English Bulletin.