May 28, 2009 — The Teaching Resource Center at the University of Virginia is soliciting grant proposals for its 2009-10 Professors as Writers Program. Ten one-time grants of up to $1,000 are available.

The application deadline is June 5.

Designed to support U.Va. faculty in their scholarly writing, these grants provide aid to faculty members at any stage of their careers. Funded by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement, the grants pay for work with an editor or writing coach to help faculty members increase writing productivity, mentor graduate-student collaborators, re-energize their writing practice or address common writing concerns, such as time management, writer's block and editing for clarity or consistency.

Grant recipients from the first three years of the program describe its impact as follows:

• "This grant allowed me to establish a work schedule and deadlines throughout the year for my book project, which has always been on the 'back burner' during the academic year in the past."

• "The PAW grant has had a major impact on my writing work. I've gotten much better, through coaching and consistent practice, at setting goals that I can stick to, at budgeting my time better, at prioritizing work and at how to get unstuck and keep going."

• "My editor helped me in clarifying my authorial voice and relating my arguments to the ongoing discussions in my field. Furthermore, her questions opened new ways of inquiry for me."

• "Working with my editor was instrumental in me winning an NSF grant for $411,000. That is quite a payoff from a $1,000 investment!"

For information, see the Web site, or contact program coordinator Deandra Little at 982-2815 or trc-paw@virginia.edu.