Great Wave Off Kanagawa
Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai

The Department of English invites applications for the inaugural Words for the Earth Award. The purpose of this award is to support efforts by faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and staff whose work addresses the pressing need to illuminate issues concerning the protection and restoration of the natural world. Ideally, this work will engage with a broad public audience by employing the skills and insights of literature and expression characteristic of the English Department within the College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State University. Available funds will allow one to three awards, not to exceed a total of $1500. 

Application submissions deadline: 5 pm on December 1, 2018.

What sort of work might this endowment fund? Work focused on subjects such as climate change, biodiversity, human relationships with nature, environmental and climate justice, ways to engage people in effective action in defense of natural systems and living things and imagining more sustainable but still practical futures for all. Awards may be used to support current or new work such as but not limited to the following:

  • Research travel or materials that would lead to work accessible to a broad public audience
  • Educational projects that are cross-disciplinary, take some kind of risk
  • Carefully written nonfiction intended for broad audiences
  • Outreach and engagement with issues and audiences beyond academic ones

 Application submissions should include:

  • a 300-600 word description of the project that includes:
    • the project’s connections with the natural world and literature/language/writing
    • the project’s intended audience and effect
  • a brief explanation of the applicant’s qualifications and interests relevant to the award
  • a simple budget
  • name and contact information of two references

 Submit applications to: Louann Reid, Louann.Reid@Colostate.edu, or use the online submission form.

To read more about the origins of this award, see this article in the CLA online magazine: https://magazine.libarts.colostate.edu/article/words-for-the-earth/