2023 Call for Proposals is now OPEN!

Award Description

The Harlan Hahn Endowment Fund was established by a generous gift to the University of Washington’s Disability Studies Program from the late Harlan D. Hahn, disability activist, political scientist, and disability studies scholar.

2023 Call for Proposals

The Harlan Hahn Fund call for proposals is now open for 2023. Current students, faculty, and staff from all three University of Washington campuses are invited to submit a grant proposal. Applications must describe research, writing, or activist projects that are framed within, aligned with, or informed by the academic field of Disability Studies. Harlan Hahn awards typically range between $500 and $5,000. The number and amount of the grants awarded depends on the quality of the individual projects and the overall number of eligible proposals received.

Harlan Hahn funds may be used for:

  • Support of academic research projects, pedagogical research, or writing projects in Disability Studies or informed by Disability Studies.
  • Travel to conferences in the field of Disability Studies or related to Disability Studies, to present research or to participate in the Disability Studies academic community.
  • Support for the development of a course with Disability Studies content.
  • Support for disability related activist endeavors (e.g. web development, meeting support) that are aligned with Disability Studies.

Application Process

Deadline & Notification

  • Applications are due  March 6th, 2023 by 11:59 pm.
  • The Harlan Hahn Grant Review Committee will notify the award recipients of its decisions by April 10, 2023

Submission Requirements

  1. A brief (1-2 page) proposal outlining the specific activities that will be funded by the Harlan Hahn grant, how the project fits the award criteria, and the expected outcomes.

  2. A brief personal statement including a description of the applicant’s Disability Studies related experience, research, teaching, and/or career goals, and an explanation of how the grant support will advance the applicant’s research and/or education.

  3. Resume/CV.

  4. Official or unofficial academic transcript (for students).

  5. Name and contact information for one professional reference.

  6. A detailed narrative budget justification. Request a specific total amount of funds needed for the project, and provide estimates for how funds will be spent on particular needs. Sample spending categories are outlined in “Selection criteria.”

Eligibility Requirements

Students

  1. You must be an enrolled University of Washington undergraduate or graduate student at the time of application.

  2. Eligible applicants should have a minimum 3.0 GPA in Disability Studies courses or equivalent demonstration of academic excellence in areas related to Disability Studies (e.g. courses completed in related disciplines, courses taught as a graduate teaching assistant, or scholarly work conducted as a research assistant).

  3. Eligible applicants may also provide evidence of commitment to issues of social justice related to people with disabilities (e.g. work, volunteer, or activist experiences) and/or Disability Studies scholarship.

Faculty and Staff

  1. You must be a University of Washington academic or staff employee with a minimum 50% appointment at the time of application OR a Disability Studies Program Affiliate.

  2. Eligible applicants should have exhibited sustained efforts towards incorporating the Disability Studies approach into research and/or teaching and contributing to the knowledge base of Disability Studies.

  3. Eligible applicants may also provide evidence of commitment to issues of social justice related to people with disabilities (e.g. work, volunteer, or activist experiences) and/or Disability Studies scholarship.

NOTE: Everyone interested in submitting a proposal is welcome to consult with members of the Harlan Hahn Fund Committee about the grants and/or the application process. Please request a consultation as early as possible in the preparation process. For 2023, the contact person is Jason Naranjo.

Selection Criteria

Disability Studies Content

We are interested in proposals that have potential to contribute to the field of Disability Studies (DS). DS focuses on the social, cultural, political, and historical meanings of disability. DS is not medicine, special education, or professions oriented towards prevention or treatment of disabilities, but it should inform those disciplines. The field of Disability Studies explores how disability has been constructed, demarcated, and represented in culture and art, laws and policies, professional practices, and everyday life. The intersections between disability and other identity categories such as gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity are addressed in DS teaching, scholarship, and activism. The voices and roles of disabled people themselves are emphasized in defining problems and evaluating solutions. For more information about the field, please visit the website of the UW Disability Studies Program.

Concept and Impact

We will be looking for proposals with a well-conceptualized research methodology or manuscript idea. For research and/or writing projects, explain how you plan to disseminate your findings or what other concrete products you anticipate. If you propose attendance at a conference, explain how this conference will inform your future work or how your contribution to the conference disseminates Disability Studies content. If you propose to develop a course, explain how the course will be implemented and made sustainable.

Budget Justification

We will evaluate whether the proposed budget is appropriate to meet the stated goals of the project. Include in your narrative explanation: clearly defined and realistic expenditures; a plan of action to implement spending; exact dates or clearly defined time frames for completion of segments of the project; full description of the conference, people who will be hired and for what skills, survey population, etc. Also identify whether Harlan Hahn funds will be sufficient to cover all costs of the activities, and what additional sources of funding you have sought and/or received for the project. Provide approximate values for expenditures in any of the following categories:

  • Personnel (i.e. salaries and benefits for faculty, staff, and students)
  • Equipment, materials, and supplies
  • Travel, including airfare, transportation, and other expenses
  • Conference expenses, including fees, lodging, and per diem
  • Other costs

Previous Grantees

Past performance with Harlan Hahn Fund awards will also be taken into consideration when assessing an application by a previous winner.

Additional Information for Applicants

Payment of Grants

After the decision process is complete, each grant recipient will be required to consult with the Disability Studies Program fiscal administrator, and devise a precise budget.

Required Outcomes

Recipients of the Harlan Hahn Grant are expected to give a Disability Studies Program brown bag talk or other public presentation, as well as submit a short written summary of how the funds were spent. Funds must be used for the proposed project.

Time to Completion

All grant-funded activities must be completed by June 30, 2024.

Questions

If you have any questions about the grants and/or the application process, please contact Jason Naranjo (jnaranjo@uw.edu).

Submit all application materials by March 6th, 2023. 

SUBMIT APPLICATION