WICCD Grant Program

The WICCD grant program funds projects submitted by UW university employees and students that support WICCD’s vision and mission. WICCD’s vision is for the Universities of Wisconsin to be national leaders in producing and disseminating knowledge and enhancing democracy through civil dialogue in a robust marketplace of ideas.  Accordingly, its mission is to provide resources, opportunities, and support for teaching, learning, and practicing viewpoint diversity; freedom of expression; academic freedom; civil dialogue; and civic participation within our universities and communities.

WICCD prioritizes funding grant projects likely to have positive impacts on campus culture.

Grant Areas

WICCD invites faculty, staff, and students at the Universities of Wisconsin (UWs) to apply for grants that enhance democracy through civil dialogue in a robust marketplace of ideas.
WICCD offers grants each fall and spring in four areas: research, events and related activities, assessment, and curriculum and professional development.

WICCD seeks proposals in four areas:

  • (R) research
  • (E) events and related activities
  • (A) assessment and evaluation
  • (D) curriculum and professional development

Eligibility

Proposals may be submitted by individual or multiple administrators, faculty, staff, or students, or by an academic unit or center housed in a UW university. All proposals must identify a Project Lead and all other project team members. All student-led proposals must include a faculty or staff mentor/supervisor. Any project constituting human subjects research must be exempted or approved by its university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to receipt of grant funds.

Process

Proposals are screened initially by the WICCD director (or a qualified designee) to determine completeness, appropriateness, and feasibility.  Proposals that do not pass the initial screening will receive feedback on why they failed to qualify for further consideration.  Proposals that pass the director’s screening are sent to content experts to evaluate.  These experts will make a recommendation to the director to either (a) fund the proposal as submitted or with minor specified modifications, (b) offer applicant the opportunity to re-submit with specified corrections or improvements, or (c) reject the proposal for specified reasons.  The final decision on all proposals is made by the WICCD director.

Due to limited grant funds, it is likely some proposals will not be funded. Updated proposals may be re-submitted in a subsequent grant cycle.

2024-2025 Timelines

Fall semester applications due October 15, 2024

Fall semester applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on October 15, 2024. A funding decision will be communicated no later than November 15, 2024. A total of $90,000 is budgeted for the fall grant cycle.

Spring semester applications due March 15, 2025

Spring semester proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. on March 15, 2025. A funding decision will be communicated no later than April 15, 2025. A total of $90,000 is budgeted for the spring grant cycle.

Evaluation criteria

Proposals (no longer than 1500 words) should explain:

  • The project’s alignment with WICCD’s vision and mission.
  • The rationale for the need for the project.
  • Clear and attainable objectives/impacts.
  • If applicable, the project’s methodology/process.
  • A plan for assessing the project and disseminating results.
  • The qualifications of the person/s and/or unit/center involved in the project.
  • An itemized budget, including any other funding sources or partners supporting the project. Examples of allowable expenses include personnel salary and fringe, supplies, event marketing, curricular materials, student-centered programming, and travel expenses essential to conducting the project. Expenses not allowed include indirect costs, travel not essential to conducting the project, and the cost of project dissemination or publication.

Additional Information

Distribution of Funds

Grant funds will be provided to the appropriate office or department at the home university and subject to all applicable UW and home institution policies and procedures.
*No portion of the WICCD grant may be used for prizes, gifts, or cash awards.

Unspent Funds

Any unspent grant funds will be returned to WICCD.

Post-Grant Report

Within 60 days of the grant project’s completion, the Project Lead must submit a report to WICCD which includes these four sections.  (1) A description of the project’s implementation, including any changes to the original project proposal and all project results / outcomes. (2) An account of how grant funds were spent and any unspent grant funds.  (3) An assessment of the quality of the project and significance of its impact(s), including any plans for improvements for future projects.  And (4) any completed or planned dissemination of the project’s results/outcomes.

Questions?

Contact Interim WICCD Director Tim Shiell at shiellt@uwstout.edu or 715-232-1490.

Previous Grant Recipients

A Remedy for Polarization? Citizen Conversations Across Partisan Difference

 

Project Members

Project Lead: Lisa Ellinger, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Follette School of Public Affairs

Other Project Members: Susan Yackee, LSPA Director; Jennifr Wagner, LSPA Outreach Director; Dana Craig, Director Assistant, LSPA

 

Project Details

University: UW-Madison

Award: $15,000

Start / End Date: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025

Project Description:

Funding to support facilitator training for La Follette School of Public Affairs to conduct Main Street Agenda Community Conversations. In advance of the 2024 elections and informed by data collected through the WisconSays Panel Survey, we will empanel Wisconsinites across the political spectrum and the rural/urban divide to talk about the public policy issues they care about. This activity will include four professionally facilitated community conversations, convening local citizens in different geographic regions of Wisconsin. communities being discussed for the events: Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, and Milwaukee. We expect to empanel at least 300 citizens in these events.

Empowering American Democracy: Curricular and Co-curricular Learning for Civil Dialogue and Civic Engagement

 

Project Members

Project Lead: Katelyn Bauman, Outreach Program Manager, Link Center

Other Project Members: Alison Weigus, Associate Professor of Media Studies & Universities Studies Coordinator; Stephanie Warden, Markwood Center for Learning, Innovation, and Collaboration (CLIC); Kathryn Guimond, Director, Center for Continuing Education

 

Project Details

University: UW-Superior

Award: $8,000

Start / End Date: August 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024

Project Description:

As a continuation of efforts to implement recommendations from the UW System 2023 Freedom of Speech Survey, the university is integrating civil dialogue into our curriculum and community. Curriculum change will be focused on revising and integrating into General Education courses learning outcomes for the category of individual and social responsibility to increase utilization of the outcome “students will demonstrate informed civic engagement, including intercultural competence as a dimension of experience.” New learning outcomes will incorporate the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Civic Engagement VALUE rubric. Beyond the classroom, the university will engage students, faculty, staff, and the community through events, programs, and presentations hosted by Jackets Vote to increase civic participation.

Promoting Civil Dialogue on Campus and Beyond

 

Project Members

Project Lead: Michael Gilmer, Dean of Students

Other Project Members: Elise Peters, Events and Activities Coordinator, Office of Student Involvement

 

Project Details

University: UW-River Falls

Award: $20,000

Start / End Date: September 3, 2024 to December 3, 2024

Project Description:

The Dean of Students Office in collaboration with the Office of Student Involvement will host four events during the fall 2024 academic term. 1. Student Leader Training: Braver Angels will teach participants strategies for engaging politics without demonizing and how to constructively intervene in social conversations with peers. 2. Free Expression in the Classroom: UW Office of General Counsel and faculty will discuss the different forums on campus outlining the scope and limitations of free speech while promoting civil dialogue in a limited forum (classroom). 3. Free Expression on Campus: FIRE, university police, and student activities presenters will share information outlining the scope and limitations of free speech while promoting civil dialogue in a public forum (outdoor space). 4. Engagement with differently minded persons.

Bridge USA Chapter

 

Project Members

Project Lead: Adam Kunz, Assistant Professor, Political Science and advisor to UWEC Bridge USA

Other Project Members: Student leaders of UWEC Bridge USA Chapter: Grace Schnabl, President; Teresa Fischer, VP of Monthly Meetings; Ian McCullough, VP of Speaker Series; Kahl Kotajarvi, VP of Activities; Jaylyn Duda, VP of Marketing; Anya Hermanek, Treasurer

 

Project Details

University: UW-Eau Claire

Award: $6,000

Start / End Date: September 4, 2024 to May 17, 2025

Project Description:

Project is designed to help launch a Bridge USA Chapter on campus to develop student leaders and a forum for civil discourse regarding political and ethical controversies that resists the extremism and echo chamber that students so often face. Students meet biweekly to discuss a topic, meet in small groups to share their beliefs, and develop "listening rubrics" designed to encourage discourse. Each month, students host social activities that encourage new membership and/or reach out to the public. Finally, each semester, students invite at least one speaker to campus to share ideas on civil discourse, tolerance, free expression, and similar concepts. Funds will support two public events during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Engage Wisconsin: Bridging Community Health and Civic Participation through Deliberative Inquiry

 

Project Members

Project Lead: Jen Braun, Health and Well-Being Institute State Specialist, Division of Extension, Health and Well-Being Institute

 

Project Details

University: Extension – UW-Madison

Award: $15,000

Start / End Date: April 15, 2024 to December 31, 2024

Project Description:

UW-Extension brings together a statewide network of educators, specialists, and community members to address issues of local and statewide concern. This project is designed to develop a network of UW-Extension experts and public health practitioners to address community health concerns using deliberative inquiry methods that will inform Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIP) and Community Health Assessments (CHA). Funds will support (1) a Deliberative Inquiry Workshop with the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS) and the Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship & Civil Dialogue (WICCD) and (2) from Spring 2024 to the end of the year, hold four pilot deliberative dialogues utilizing deliberative inquiry to assess the viability of UW-Extension and public health practitioners collaborating to employ deliberative inquiry to increase civic engagement and tangible actions in the CHIP process.

Foundations in Facilitating Dialogue

 

Project Members

Project Lead: Michael Lueder, Director, Center for Civic and Community Engagement

Other Project Members: Kathy Zuckweiler, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of Graduate Studies

 

Project Details

University: UW-Oshkosh

Award: $13,000

Start / End Date: August 5, 2024 to September 10, 2024

Project Description:

The projects organize an in-person workshop by the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) for approximately 40 faculty and staff. The workshop “equips participants with the skills to facilitate meaningful conversations about contentious issues. Participants will learn out-of-the box strategies to proactively create a culture of trust, techniques to support the development of students’ mindsets and skills for engaging across differences, and specific tactics to intervene in tense moments of conflict.” The workshop will help build a critical mass of skills at UWO to help facilitate and advance a culture of civil dialogue in curricular and co-curricular settings. This workshop will complement UWO’s participation in the Tommy G. Thompson Center’s Bridging the Divide program, a student-led and student-focused program that aims to “replace snark with civil dialogue and increase engagement and understanding between people with different opinions.”

Fostering Civil Dialogue through Professional Development Programming

 

Project Members

Project Lead: Rimi Zakaria, LEARN Center Director and Fellow

Other Project Members: Heather Niemeier, Professor of Psychology and LEARN Center Fellow

 

Project Details

University: UW-Whitewater

Award: $13,000

Start / End Date: August 15, 2024 to May 30, 2025

Project Description:

The university’s LEARN Center proposes a yearlong professional development initiative to enhance democracy by improving instructors’ skills at fostering civil dialogue. Specific activities include: (1) four instructional workshops on best practices tied to promoting civil dialogue in instructional spaces including online classrooms, experiential and project-based courses, reflection-based learning, and educational assessment, (2) a competitive micro-grant program that requires instructors to design, implement, assess, and disseminate innovative classroom practices related to fostering civil dialogue, and (3) a campus/community book club focused on civility in partnership with a community effort to support civility in Whitewater in an election year. The initiative also will provide ongoing support and opportunities for collaborations improving civil dialogue in our community and foster a culture of continuous learning and teaching excellence surrounding civil dialogue in our educational spaces.