wenner-gren dissertation grant

[LisaRog]

Hi folks:

This thread is for those of us who have applied for either the Nov. 2009 or the May 2010 funding round from the Wenner-Gren foundation. Please feel free to post any info you may have!

[2400]

I'm planning to apply by the May deadline. I haven't submitted my application yet...still working on it!

[jenali]

Aaaaaand rejected.

[2400]

Aaaaaand rejected.

Jenali,

When did you apply and how long did it take them to get back to you? Do you have any advice on the application process? It looks like a really competitive grant, but I'm going to apply anyway...if only to gain more experience writing up grant applications..

[LisaRog]

oh god... my partner just received one of those "you've made it past the first cut and are now in round 2" emails... but i still have nothing. starting to freak out.

[jenali]

Jenali,

When did you apply and how long did it take them to get back to you? Do you have any advice on the application process? It looks like a really competitive grant, but I'm going to apply anyway...if only to gain more experience writing up grant applications..

Fall of this year; I got rejected today. It's apparently a multi-round process.

Their questions are really helpful for writing other grants, actually -- the sections correspond pretty well to what you'd want in most things. But it's probably the most competitive of its type. Debating whether to reapply -- I have two other things due in early March and early April that are much easier to get...

[LisaRog]

And rejected....

Trying to keep some shred of optimism for other grants whose decisions are MIA, but starting to wonder if I'm going to get crushed in this year's round of grant applications.

Fall of this year; I got rejected today. It's apparently a multi-round process.

Their questions are really helpful for writing other grants, actually -- the sections correspond pretty well to what you'd want in most things. But it's probably the most competitive of its type. Debating whether to reapply -- I have two other things due in early March and early April that are much easier to get...

[LisaRog]

One small note. I know that rejection letters are hard to write, and certainly no one enjoys receiving them, but I really thought the Wenner-Gren could do a better job crafting its response to rejected applicants. In particular, I found this paragraph to just be a little too much of "pouring salt on the wound'':

Stage One applications are screened against the Foundation's general criteria for evaluation. These criteria include among others a well-defined research question, a detailed description of appropriate evidence to answer the research question, a feasible plan for gathering and analyzing this evidence, and the significance of the research to important theoretical and methodological issues in anthropology.

[jenali]

I had the same reaction. "In stage one, we got rid of the people lacking in basic competence, like you."

I think I would be more hurt if I weren't doing something on the applied side of the spectrum. I know they hate that.

One small note. I know that rejection letters are hard to write, and certainly no one enjoys receiving them, but I really thought the Wenner-Gren could do a better job crafting its response to rejected applicants. In particular, I found this paragraph to just be a little too much of "pouring salt on the wound'':

Stage One applications are screened against the Foundation's general criteria for evaluation. These criteria include among others a well-defined research question, a detailed description of appropriate evidence to answer the research question, a feasible plan for gathering and analyzing this evidence, and the significance of the research to important theoretical and methodological issues in anthropology.

[anthropology13]

I'm through to the second round. *fingers crossed*

And yeah, I think their letters could be nicer.

[4greenbananas]

Does anyone have an idea of when they are going to announce awards? I know it has to be before the next deadline on May 1.

[jenali]

@4greenbananas:

Someone I know got a revise-and-resubmit with a week to go last year. Shudder.

[anthropology13]

They've started announcing decisions. I got a rejection.

Good luck to those who're still waiting

Edited April 12, 2010 by anthropology13

[4greenbananas]

Thanks Jenali-

I got my rejection today too. Good Luck all!

They've started announcing decisions. I got a rejection.

Good luck to those who're still waiting

[iovi]

Was this through email or mail? Thanks!

Thanks Jenali-

I got my rejection today too. Good Luck all!

[anthropology13]

Through email.

Was this through email or mail? Thanks!

[janus123]

For future readers, I thought I should post some more info so that next year anxious applicants can get a sense of when they'll hear back.

On Monday they sent out some rejections and Tuesday others who hadn't yet heard received an email asking what other funding they had received. Though this email wasn't an acceptance, it stated that at this point we had an "excellent chance" of being funded and shouldn't bother applying again for May. I assume they are trying to avoid funding people who are already funded. They said they'd give us a final answer in early May.

[anthropology7]

I didn't hear anything either way... did anyone else not hear anything? What does this mean?

For future readers, I thought I should post some more info so that next year anxious applicants can get a sense of when they'll hear back.

On Monday they sent out some rejections and Tuesday others who hadn't yet heard received an email asking what other funding they had received. Though this email wasn't an acceptance, it stated that at this point we had an "excellent chance" of being funded and shouldn't bother applying again for May. I assume they are trying to avoid funding people who are already funded. They said they'd give us a final answer in early May.

[iovi]

I did not hear anything either actually. I don't know what this means. Best of luck to everyone still waiting to hear something from the Wenner Gren!

I didn't hear anything either way... did anyone else not hear anything? What does this mean?

[vilanelle]

For future readers, I thought I should post some more info so that next year anxious applicants can get a sense of when they'll hear back.

On Monday they sent out some rejections and Tuesday others who hadn't yet heard received an email asking what other funding they had received. Though this email wasn't an acceptance, it stated that at this point we had an "excellent chance" of being funded and shouldn't bother applying again for May. I assume they are trying to avoid funding people who are already funded. They said they'd give us a final answer in early May.

i also received this email. do you think this means we have it? seems pretty cruel to tell you not to reapply and then not give you the money, but judging from their rejection letters it doesnt seem like the W-G is particularly sensitive.

[janus123]

I do think it means that, unless you get other funding that completely covers everything in your budget, you will get the Wenner-Gren. My committee seems to think so, at any rate. One adviser said she'd never seen anyone get that email and not get funded, and a friend who got funded last year got the very same email. So, looks good. Congrats, Vilanelle!

[adamzero]

I talked to Wenner Gren today because I had some questions about how to re-do my budget. If you haven't been rejected at this point, I think you got it. Infer what you will from this: "Well, the formal acceptance letters will got out May 3rd and thereafter, when Mary Beth Moss gets back in the office. We just wanted to make sure that those who were rejected had time to re-apply, so they got their letters already."

[circus act]

As of last Thursday, I had not heard anything from the Wenner Gren. I called them and it turned out that their repeated emails to me had been flagged by my university's webmail as spam. I also confirmed that they have indeed sent all the responses out. If you still haven't heard anything, try calling them directly.

Edited April 26, 2010 by circus act

[LisaRog]

ditto on checking spam filters: same thing happened to me and other folks at my university!

[yueqiong]

hi all, just wondering about the may 2010 application round... does anybody know when final decisions will be made? i'm assuming mid or late october?