The College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to launch a new program, pairing faculty with strong track records of success obtaining external grants, contracts and fellowships (circle leads) with faculty interested in obtaining external funding in support of their research and creative activities (circle participants).
Circle leads have a demonstrated track record of obtaining external grants, contracts or fellowships to support their research and creative scholarship. Each circle lead will work with up to 10 faculty participants interested in developing and submitting a proposal(s); circles will be formed in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. Circle leads and participants will be asked to commit to attending a weekly three-hour session over the spring 2025 semester. Sessions will be used to provide:
- Uninterrupted time to work on grant or fellowship proposals
- Professional development and guidance on writing successful applications for external funding and fellowships, provided by the circle lead and/or invited guests
- Opportunities to share and provide feedback on proposal drafts with other circle participants
Circle participants will each receive up to $1500 of WRAP funds per external grant, contract or fellowship proposal submitted (as PI or co-I). The amount per proposal will be determined based on the grant budget, complexity, and/or competitiveness in consultation with PIs, writing circle leads and the dean’s office. Proposals are generally expected to be submitted between April 15 and April 14, 2026. Circle participants may request up to $500 for each additional proposal submitted. Each participant in a particular circle (including the circle lead) will receive additional WRAP funding for each proposal awarded to a member of their circle (up to a maximum of $3000 per circle participant).
Applicants interested in serving as circle participants should email the documents listed below no later than December 6, 2024 to Dean Koretsky.
- CV
- Brief statement of interest (maximum 1 page), describing proposal writing experience and project(s) you are seeking funding to support
- Indicate which circle(s) are of interest
Proposal Writing Circle Leads
Ashley Atkins, an associate professor of philosophy, has quickly established herself as a successful grant writer and researcher in the humanities. After attending her first grant-writing workshop at Western Michigan University in Spring 2022, Atkins submitted her first external grant application in Fall 2023. By 2024, she had received both a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and a Mellon Foundation Philosophy in Media Fellowship, and she is currently a finalist for the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio writing residency.
Atkins has developed expertise in bringing ambitious humanities projects from concept to completion. Her experience includes pitching projects to publishers, crafting compelling grant proposals, sustaining rigorous writing schedules, and creating strong research dissemination plans. She is particularly eager to support writers pursuing significant projects in the humanities, regardless of the project's stage of development.
In addition to offering foundational guidance on grant writing, Atkins explores innovative strategies for success, such as oral presentation exercises—important as short video components become more common in grant applications—and pitch-writing workshops for general interest or popular publications, where clarity and conciseness are essential.
Atkins holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Princeton University.
Clement Burns, a professor of physics, specializes in experimental condensed matter physics with a focus on strongly correlated systems, superconductors, solar cell materials, and battery materials. Since joining WMU, Burns has secured more than $18 million in research funding, including approximately $7.4 million as principal investigator and $11 million as co-principal investigator.
His funding sources primarily include the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), with additional support through DOE National Laboratory grants, as well as smaller awards from NASA and industry partners. Burns has also served as a reviewer for numerous DOE and NSF grant proposals, gaining valuable insights into effective proposal strategies.
In his role as a circle lead, Burns aims to help faculty improve their prospects for securing research funding, particularly from government agencies in the sciences. His support focuses on refining research ideas, strengthening proposal narratives, and exploring strategies such as engaging with program managers to enhance funding opportunities.
Kathryn Docherty, a professor of biological sciences, brings extensive expertise in securing federal research funding, particularly from agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United States Department of Agriculture. Currently, she holds two active grants from these organizations, reflecting her success in navigating competitive grant processes.
Docherty is particularly interested in supporting colleagues applying for the NSF’s Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) Award, a program designed to assist associate professors whose research aligns with divisions including Biological Sciences, Geosciences, Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, STEM Education, and Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships.
Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science-Biology from Marist College and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Notre Dame.
Sally Hadden is a professor in the Department of History. She is a successful grant writer with an extensive background in humanities grant writing.
Sally has secured grants ranging from $500 to $100,000 from a variety of sources, including state historical societies in Virginia, North Carolina, New York, and Pennsylvania, as well as national research foundations such as the American Antiquarian Society, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Andrew Mellon Foundation.