Celebrating Women and Gender Diversity in Science & Engineering

Grant Program

This grant program provides funds to departments, programs, centers, or student groups at UW‍–‍Madison who wish to enhance existing departmental seminar series or to create new seminars, symposia, workshops, or other events that will promote gender diversity in academic STEMM* by fostering the participation and advancement of those currently underrepresented.

The maximum award is $3,000, and the maximum time frame for the award is one academic year. WISELI strongly encourages applicants to seek matching/additional funds from relevant departments, the University Lectures committee, or other campus offices.  Applications are available during May and June of each year for programming during the following academic year.

The program is funded by contributions from the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Letters & Science, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine & Public Health, and School of Veterinary Medicine.

*STEMM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine

Information and Resources for Applicants

Who can apply?

Recipient departments or centers must be in the biological or physical sciences, or engineering; or must propose a program/event that directly addresses the status, advancement, and/or promotion of women and gender diversity in academic science and engineering. Applicants might be department chairs, faculty who organize departmental lecture series or colloquia, academic staff members or graduate students who wish to invite particular scientists/scholars to their department, organization, or any other such group.

Application materials

Application instructions and the application form are posted in spring each year, at the top of the Celebrating Women and Gender Diversity in Science & Engineering program page.

A one page budget form is included in the application. Guidelines for developing your budget are provided here:  Budgetary Guidelines.

Proposed events or programs should provide opportunities to discuss issues of underrepresentation relevant to gender in science.  See “Addressing underrepresentation in science and engineering” for ideas and advice.

Funding priorities

WISELI is especially interested in considering:

  • Applications that propose inviting people whose underrepresented gender identity intersects with additional identities underrepresented in academic STEMM
  • Applications from departments/organizations that have not previously received funds from this program
  • Applications from STEMM disciplines in which the lack of gender diversity among faculty is particularly acute

Examples of the kinds of programs we have funded in the past include:

  • Invite a prominent woman in science or engineering to present their work at a departmental seminar and to address issues of underrepresentation in science and engineering.
  • Invite junior women faculty from other research institutions to present their research and engage in activities that foster expansion of professional networks and mentoring for women in science and engineering.
  • Invite a scholar who identifies as trans, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming to present their research and address issues of underrepresentation, mentoring, and networking.
  • Invite a scholar who studies women, gender, underrepresentation, and/or intersectionality in science and engineering to give a talk.
  • Create a special one-day symposium to inform a department/center about issues relevant to women and gender diversity in science and engineering.
  • Offer a workshop designed to advance faculty in academic science and engineering who identify as women, trans, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming. Some suggestions include:
    • Events that foster networking, mentoring, and/or collaboration between underrepresented faculty from different departments or schools/colleges.
    • Host a workshop on grant-writing, publishing, negotiating, or other topics.
    • Host a workshop on patents, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, or other topics.

What does the grant cover:

Applications can be for one or more speakers, and may include funds for travel, receptions, advertising, honoraria, per diems, or other related expenses. The format of the grants is flexible.

  • Award recipients must inform invited speakers of WISELI’s support and must acknowledge WISELI as a co-sponsor in any advertisements or announcements of the event/s. Suggested text and WISELI’s logos for used in announcement can be found here.
  • Grant recipients will need to provide WISELI with tentative, and then final, schedules of events with visiting speakers before funds are disbursed.
  • Grant recipients will need to provide WISELI with a  campus 101 account number for the transfer of funds.  Student organizations/groups may need to collaborate with a sponsoring or affiliated department and use that department’s 101 account for grant funds and expenses, or must have a checking account and submit a W9 form which requires a Federal Tax Identification Number.
  • Awarded funds must be used before the end of the academic year in which they were granted.
  • An evaluation survey must be completed and returned within 4 weeks of the program’s end. WISELI will provide a link to the online evaluation survey at the conclusion of your program. Please contact WISELI to let us know that your event/s are completed.

Relevant Publications