Apply for a 2021-22 Project Grant

The Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics awards grants annually to community organizations, university faculty and departments, and student organizations to support projects, events and activities related to the Center’s two-year-long themes of inquiry. The maximum award is $10,000, but most range from $2,000 to $6,000. 

Proposals for projects that will take place in fiscal year 2021-22 (which begins July 1, 2021) are due on Tuesday, January 19, by 5 p.m. Applicants will be notified of the selection committee’s decisions in mid-February 2021.

Theme of Inquiry
The Wayne Morse Center theme for 2021-23 is “Making Work Work.” This theme will probe basic questions related to the social and economic organization of work and its transformation, with a focus on vulnerable workers and an eye towards policy changes that will better protect individuals and families. What qualifies as work and how does that reflect and reinforce which workers are visible, valued, and considered “essential”? What can be done to mitigate the extraordinary pressures that carework, paid and unpaid, has placed on all of us—women, in particular? How can we safeguard workers as businesses push toward gig work and on-demand scheduling? How will workers be represented and heard in an economy where their relationship to employers is being restructured while the demographic composition of the workforce changes, especially in low-wage and precarious jobs occupied by immigrants, women, and people of color? What can we learn from new forms of organizing and worker activism in unexpected places? The global pandemic has accelerated the vulnerability of all workers, paid and unpaid. What does that mean for the future?

Potential topics for 2021-22 include:

  • Carework and the potential for building a care policy infrastructure
  • Protecting workers as businesses push toward gig work and on-demand scheduling
  • New directions for the labor movement, worker voice, and worker activism in unexpected places 

Grant Eligibility

The Project Grant program is open to community organizations (including nonprofits and schools), university faculty and staff, university departments and programs, and student organizations. The Center does not offer grants to governmental or quasi-governmental organizations (except for schools), but such organizations may partner with a community organization or university department to jointly submit a proposal. Additionally, the Center is unable to fund projects that involve advocacy for or against a specific ballot measure, constitutional amendment, or candidate for office. Projects that educate the public on the anticipated impacts of a ballot measure or constitutional amendment are acceptable.

We are looking for applicants with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enhance the conversation at the Center. Awarded funds may be used for program expenses, speaker honoraria and travel, summer support for scholarly work, and faculty release time. A wide variety of projects have been funded in the past including lectures, new classes, workshops, art exhibits, conferences and theatrical performances.

Duties and Conditions

  • Projects must be related to the theme of inquiry.
  • Projects must impact the university and/or Oregon communities.
  • Projects must commence no earlier than July 1, 2021, and be completed no later than June 30, 2022. If the grantee is unable to use the award during this time period, the award is forfeited. Project grants cannot be deferred. However, the grantee may reapply during the next application period.
  • Projects must be independently administered by the grantee, without reliance on the staff of the Wayne Morse Center. Applicants must show they have the capacity to organize and carry out the project successfully.
  • Details of project events (dates, times, locations, speakers, etc.) will be provided to the Wayne Morse Center as early as possible, preferably three months prior to the event.
  • Projects must include the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics as a supporter on all printed materials, publicity and websites.
  • Within one month of completion of all work associated with the grant, we request that you submit a report to the Wayne Morse Center including a description of how the money was used, an explanation of the funded activities, and a summary of the goals achieved through the grant.

Selection Process

The selection committee consists of interdisciplinary university faculty, at least one community member, and Wayne Morse Center staff, Law Fellows and advisory board members.

The Wayne Morse Center seeks to fund a variety of projects that effectively examine the theme as well as impact the community and/or the university. The following criteria are considered:

  • Relevance to the theme of “Making Work Work
  • Capacity of the individual or organization to complete the project successfully
  • Strength of links to the university, the community and the state
  • Impact on the lives of individuals and/or or impact on scholarship or policy
  • Overall quality of the proposal, including whether the applicant followed the directions listed below

Application
Proposals must be written in language accessible to a variety of readers. Applicants must fill out the online application, which includes the following parts:

  1. Short summary of project (100-word maximum).
  2. Description of the project (800-word maximum). Describe the nature of the project, proposed speakers (if any), target audience, publicity, volunteers and/or staff who will complete the project, and other relevant information. Please include the timeline for planning and executing the project. Proposals should address links between the university and community.
  3. Statement of qualifications and resume (resumes limited to 2 pages per person, combined into one PDF). Please describe your qualifications to carry out the project. Explain your experience in administering similar projects and your capacity to complete the project. University applicants should demonstrate departmental support for the project.
  4. Project budget and amount requested (grant request). Please include a budget for the project and the amount requested from the Wayne Morse Center. Indicate other sources of support and any cosponsors. Be sure to include expenses for outreach and publicity.
  5. Supporting materials. Additional materials are NOT required. (Sometimes less is more.) If you submit supporting materials, a maximum of two pages will be considered. Materials in excess of this limitation will not be considered or reviewed. If you submit a video of a performance or documentary, know that selection committee members will not view more than five minutes of it.

The selection committee may request additional information from applicants.

Deadline

Applications for the 2021-22 fiscal year are due on Tuesday, January 19, by 5 p.m. Applicants will be notified of the selection committee’s decision in mid-February 2021.

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