Graduate Working Groups
Available to Graduate Students
Deadline: October 2, 2026
Funding Amount: up to $5,000; Funds will be transferred to the sponsoring unit in January 2026. All sponsored activities must take place by May 1, 2027.
Restrictions
Available to doctoral students in the College of Arts and Letters.Purpose
The purpose of the Franco Graduate Working Groups (GWGs) is to provide doctoral students with additional resources and support to explore questions best addressed through interdisciplinary perspectives. This is a professional development opportunity that will allow students to expand their networks locally and regionally and to cultivate necessary administrative and collaborative skills. All groups are expected to be self-organized and to meet regularly, in person, throughout the award period as outlined in their application. Priority will be given to groups with at least some in-person activities, though fully remote groups are welcome to apply. Students with a public focus or partnership are highly encouraged to apply.
Eligible Expenses
The maximum award is $5000. Allowable costs include:
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Stipends paid to GWG organizers (maximum $1000 total, divided among organizers)
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Honoraria for community partners or external speakers
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Travel expenses for scholars from other institutions to participate in the GWG
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Site visits to libraries, museums, or relevant sites for GWG members
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Books to be read and discussed by GWG members
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Costs associated with public programming, performances, or events, e.g. food (no alcohol), event space, travel, speaker honoraria, etc.
This is not an exhaustive list of funding options, only examples.
The Franco Institute is committed to the values of reciprocity and redistribution and encourages student budgets to reflect these principles in any work with partners and community members.
Eligibility
Available to doctoral students in the College of Arts and Letters. A limited number of awards will be granted on a competitive basis.
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Each GWG should have at least two organizers. One of the organizers must be a University of Notre Dame PhD candidate in the College of Arts and Letters who has completed their qualifying exams.
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The groups must be organized and directed solely by the graduate student organizers who are responsible for the leadership and administration of the groups.
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A student may serve as the organizer for only one GWG, but they are eligible to participate in more than one.
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Priority will be given to applications with one or more of the following attributes:
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Partnership with graduate students outside of their discipline
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Partnership with colleagues from other colleges and universities
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Partnership with community members at organizations outside of academia
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Groups must meet regularly throughout the award cycle in accordance with their application. (The Franco Institute can provide limited support to promote events, but we do not offer event support.)
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Each GWG must have an Arts and Letters department, institute, or center serve as an administrative sponsor. A staff member in the sponsoring unit will be asked to confirm their willingness to provide administrative support for the GWG. In spring 2026, all funds for the GWG will be transferred from the GWG to a FOAPAL administered by the sponsoring unit.
Events and activities of the GWGs must be open and accessible to all Notre Dame graduate students. While the organizers should identify a core group of interested students, these are not closed groups and must be open to all interested students. We also encourage applications for groups that plan to host public events and/or collaborate with community partners.
Application Instructions
Proposal Application Materials
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Every application must have the following elements with the correct formatting to be considered.
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Completed application form.
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Name and contact information for administrative staff in the sponsoring unit. This staff member will be asked to confirm the unit's sponsorship prior to application review.
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Abstract of your proposal (250 words max.) This will be used for promotional materials if funded.
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Proposal (1,000 words max.) including a description of the topic(s) that will be explored, how your group advances interdisciplinary thought or enhances community collaboration, and a tentative list of activities that the GWG intends to carry out. We understand there may be some modifications. Extensive modifications will require prior approval from the Student Grants Program Manager and an updated budget.
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Budget using the Franco budget template.
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List of planned participants with department/organization affiliation.
Students must arrange and publicize meetings in accordance with their application. This means booking event space, ordering food, ordering books/materials, bringing in speakers, etc. The Franco Institute can provide limited support to publicize events, but we do not offer event planning support.
If grant funds are awarded, GWG coordinators are required to keep records of events, including a list of attendees, track budget expenditures, and prepare and submit a group year-end report within 30 days of the last meeting. These records should be kept and updated by GWG coordinators, NOT department administrative staff. Reports submitted by staff will not be accepted.
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Proposal Preparation and Submission
All proposals should be double-spaced, with one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font. Include page numbers (bottom center) and embed any figures or images within the project description with captions. Footnotes, endnotes, in-text citations, and the bibliography should use a discipline-appropriate citation style.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the degree to which they engage with interdisciplinary perspectives through partnerships with other students, colleagues, and community organizations. Applications should include a thoughtful and feasible description of activities. Priority is given to applications that include at least some in-person activities and have a public focus.
Questions and Additional Information
For additional information and best practices, see the Before You Apply page for graduate students.
Timing: Academic Year, Summer