Women Writing Women’s Lives Kathy Chamberlain Research Awards (2025-2026)

Women Writing Women’s Lives (WWWL), a women’s group dedicated to the writing of women’s lives, is pleased to offer five research awards to women who are furthering the group’s mission. The awards were originated by a generous gift from Edith Penty, a veteran activist in the civil rights and women’s movement, who wished to express her gratitude for the work of WWWL and to honor Kathy Chamberlain. A long-time WWWL member and author of Jane Welsh Carlyle and Her Victorian World, Kathy Chamberlain served as WWWL steering committee chair for ten years. The 2024-2025 awards are funded by a third gift from Ms. Penty.

Each recipient will be awarded $1,000.00 to help defray expenses incurred while working on a memoir or biography of a woman, in print or other media, such as film, podcast, bibliography, database, or website. Awardees will also receive a one-year membership in WWWL (including dues). Awards must be used between February 1, 2025 and February 1, 2026.

Awards may be used to fund: 

• Travel to archives or relevant research locations
• Copying or digitizing materials
• Purchase of books for research
• Computers, software, or other technology needed for the project

Eligibility:

We welcome submissions from women who are current masters and doctoral students; adjuncts and/or unaffiliated scholars who received their PhD in the last six years; assistant professors working towards tenure; and independent researchers. Previous awardees, tenured professors, and WWWL members are not eligible.

How to Apply: 

Send an email to ChamberlainAward@gmail.com with the subject line “Chamberlain Award Application.” Attach the application, which consists of one PDF document. The document must include the four items below.

Name the document with your last name, first name [LAST NAME, FIRST NAME]. 

1. Information: Your name, telephone number, permanent address and e-mail, current employer or academic affiliation, title of project, and how you learned about the Award, specifying institution, group, organization, or individual.
2. Proposal: A 500-word proposal describing the project and how it advances the WWWL mission (see below).
3. Budget: List how the funds will be used.
4. Curriculum Vitae: Provide a 1-page Curriculum Vitae.

Due Date:

Applications will be accepted from September 3 to November 1, 2024 by 11:59 pm. Email the application, which should consist of one PDF attachment to: ChamberlainAward@gmail.com. Please do not include the application in the body of the email. It must be just one attachment. Award recipients will be notified by February 3, 2025.

Email or call Allysha A. Leonard, Chamberlain Award Administrative Assistant, if you need assistance: ChamberlainAward@gmail.com  (831) 345-9849.

Women Writing Women’s Lives Mission Statement

The places, cultures, and communities in which women live their lives change, as do women’s roles, status, interests, and opportunities. Our purpose as a group is to identify these changes, understand their impact, and explain and portray the complex realities of women’s lives. In biographies and memoirs of women, created in writing or other media, we hope to call attention to the reciprocal dynamics between our subjects and society, to find new ways of looking at and presenting women’s stories, and ultimately to influence the way women’s stories are perceived and written.

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