The Louisville Institute

How to Apply

WRITING A GRANT PROPOSAL FOR THE LOUISVILLE INSTITUTE

The Louisville Institute makes grants in response to well-written, persuasive grant proposals. An effective grant proposal, especially for a research grant, advances an argument about a significant issue or research problem in a way that is clear and accessible. Competitive applicants will effectively communicate why they are applying, what they will do during the grant period, and how the project will benefit the larger church. In crafting a research proposal, applicants should articulate clearly the nature of the problem, question, or concern that they hope to investigate. How do they see this problem manifest? What resources are available for studying the issue? Recognizing that others have studied the issue, what new insights does the applicant hope to contribute to the conversation?

Proposals most likely to be funded are those that describe persuasively the nature of the problem, have a clear plan of study and investigation, and have a sense of how they will share what they have learned, through either oral or written communication, with a well-defined audience. We encourage proposals on topics and interests related to the churches in North America, especially concerning Christian faith and life, pastoral leadership, and/or religious institutions.

The Louisville Institute especially seeks to fund innovative, experimental projects that will contribute to new learning by both church and academy. Consequently the Louisville Institute does not make grants for basic institutional operating support (including the normal operation of existing programs), construction expenses, endowments, publication subventions, routine conference support, educational expenses for persons enrolled in degree programs (except for our Dissertation Fellowship program), and Doctor of Ministry projects.

Two books that may be especially helpful to persons designing and evaluating a grant project and writing a reasoned, persuasive grant proposal are: Kathleen Cahalan, Projects that Matter: Successful Planning and Evaluation for Religious Organizations (Alban Institute: 2003) and Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (3rd edition, University of Chicago Press, 2008), especially chapters 3 and 4.

How to Apply

Please review the Grant Programs page as well as the section on the particular grant program in which you are interested in order to assess your eligibility. (Please note that the application process for the Sabbatical Grants for Pastoral Leaders and Pastoral Study Project programs differ from our other grant programs.) Some portions of your grant application may be submitted online. To do so, you must first establish an account. This will enable you to begin and finish your grant application at different points in time and allow us to track your application data. To establish an account click here. Please note that letters of recommendation and transcripts, where required, must be submitted in hard copy.

All Louisville Institute grant proposals include the following elements, all of which may be submitted online or as e-mail attachments to info@louisville-institute.org.. 

• Applicant Information and Project Summary Form (a one-paragraph summary of the argument that may be submitted online; if you prefer not to send it online, click here to download a pdf version of the form and mail it instead.)
• Narrative statement of approximately 5-7 pages (double-spaced and typed in a 12 point font, 2000 word limit) that succinctly describes the proposed research project and explains its relationship to the goals of the particular grant program (can be submitted as an e-mail attachment ).
• Selective bibliography (2-3 pages double-spaced; can be submitted as an e-mail attachment).
• Copy of your current Curriculum Vitae or résumé (no more than 4 pages; can be submitted as an e-mail attachment).

Some grant programs also require one or more of the following, some of which may be submitted as e-mail attachments:

• Detailed budget and budget narrative (see the document entitled, "Guide for Budget Preparation").
• One or more letters of recommendation. 
• Transcripts (for Dissertation Fellowship applications).
• Dissertation Fellowship Program Additional Information Form (for Dissertation Fellowship applications).

Proposals for research grants usually contain the following elements.

• A one-paragraph summary of the proposal’s argument (provided on the Applicant Information and Project Summary Form).
• A clear description of the issue or problem and its significance. A good grant proposal should indicate why making progress on this issue is important to church and society.
• A description of the proposed approach to the issue or problem (the method to be followed).
• An explanation of what you expect to find or accomplish. This may be a fairly precise hypothesis or an educated hunch about your anticipated results.
• Some indication of how you intend both to assess the success of your project (evaluation) and to share your findings with others (dissemination). Many otherwise fine proposals pay far too little attention to evaluation and dissemination. Both are essential.
• Some attention to the ways in which this project contributes to our understanding of contemporary North American Christianity.
• Given the Louisville Institute’s fundamental mission to bring pastors and academics together, preference will be given to projects that involve both groups in the research process.

Proposals for grants other than research grants (such as Sabbatical Grants for Pastoral Leaders) may not always follow closely the research proposal format, but they should clearly describe both the nature of the proposed project and its importance to the church. If a grant is made to support your project, what difference will it make to the life of the church?

The ultimate intent of all Louisville Institute grantmaking is the same—to bring together academics, pastors, and other religious leaders on behalf of North American Christians and their churches.