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
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 Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue (WICCD) grant administrator Tim Shiell at shiellt@uwstout.edu or 715-232-1490.
Previous Grant Recipients
Enhancing Campus Culture: Free Expression and Civil Discourse
Project Members
Project Lead: Alexander (Xan) Bozzo, Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Director, Center for Applied Ethics
Other Project Members: Mai Khou Xiong, Executive Director for Student Inclusion and Belonging; Rickie Ann Legleitner, Interim Director of Inclusive Excellence
Project Details
University: UW-Stout
Award: $10,000
Start / End Date: January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
Project Description:
“Enhancing Campus Culture: Free Expression and Civil Discourse.” This project seeks to enhance the campus culture at UW-Stout around free expression, the First Amendment, and civil discourse more generally. The aim is to train a select group of instructors and staff, via a three-day seminar led by the Discussion Project from UW-Madison. From there, these instructors/staff will help facilitate student discussion at four Discussion Dinners. Each Discussion Dinner will center around a controversial political or ethical topic. The aim is to have students learn and model constructive dialogue in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. We hope that such programming can continue going forward.
The Civics Lab
Project Members
Project Lead: Russ Castronovo, Director, Center for the Humanities & Professor of English
Other Project Members: Ainehi Edoro, Assistant Professor of English; Megan Massino, CH Associate Director; Danielle Wiendling, CH Public Humanities Coordinator; Melissa Ulbricht, CH Events Coordinator
Project Details
University: UW-Madison
Award: $10,000
Start / End Date: February 1, 2025 to November 30, 2025
Project Description:
“The Civics Lab.” Through workshops and public lectures organized by the Center for the Humanities (CFH) at UW-Madison, the “Civics Lab” seeks to examine the factors impeding civil dialogue and the exchange of informed perspectives. Activities will also work toward identifying alternative factors and strategies to improve civil dialogue. Particular attention will be paid to the contexts behind the breakdown in civil discourse. Rather than smooth over differences of political perspective, the goal is to understand how unbounded inquiry is enhanced by the opportunity to evaluate evidence, compare aims, hear counterarguments—in short, to “sift and winnow.”
Civic Dialogue and Human Rights Workshop & Speaker Series
Project Members
Project Lead: Sumudu Atapattu, Teaching Professor and Director, Global Legal Studies Center, Law School
Other Project Members: Sara MacKinnon, Professor of Communication; Tyrell Haberkorn, Professor of Southeast Asian Studies
Project Details
University: UW-Madison
Award: $12,000
Start / End Date: January 15, 2025 to December 15, 2025
Project Description:
“Civic Dialogue and Human Rights Workshop & Speaker Series.” The Human Rights Program at UW-Madison seeks $45,000 in WICCD funding for a Civic Dialogue and Human Rights workshop and speaker series in spring and fall 2025, focusing on four contemporary human rights issues: (a) climate change; (b) academic freedom and protest; (c) gender and LGBTQ+ rights; and (d) immigration, migration, and refugees. This workshop and speaker series - a workshop and a flash talk-style event - will create a muchneeded space for constructive discourse on human rights issues, providing resources for honest robust conversation on issues that have given rise to considerable disagreement and polarization.
Dialogue Matters: Bridging Voices at UWL
Project Members
Project Lead: Ashley Nowak, Director, D&I
Other Project Members: Caleb Colon-Rivera, Program Manager, D&I; Ashley H. Edwards, Inclusive Teaching Specialist; Nevin Heard, Assistant Vice Chancellor, D&I; Kara Ostlund, Dean of Student Affairs.
Project Details
University: UW-La Crosse
Award: $21,000
Start / End Date: January 1, 2025 to September 8, 2025
Project Description:
“Dialogue Matters: Bridging Voices at UWL.” A transformative initiative aimed at
enriching the new student orientation experience by promoting a resilient campus community anchored in civil discourse, inclusivity, and free expression. This initiative involves training faculty and staff in a proven dialogue protocol (The Discussion Project) applicable across various settings, including classrooms and student programs. A key component is the implementation of this protocol during UWL’s New Student Orientation sessions in groups of no more than 35. The time together is used to highlight free expression, civil discourse, and belonging through meaningful conversation.
Student Civil Dialogue Skill Building Project
Project Members
Project Lead: Chia Vang, UW-Milwaukee, Vice Chancellor for Community Empowerment & Institutional Inclusivity
Other Project Members: Sarah MacDonald, Training and Dispute Resolution Specialist, Division of Community Empowerment and Institutional Inclusivity
Project Details
University: UW-Milwaukee
Award: $30,000
Start / End Date: January 1, 2025 to May 30, 2025
Project Description:
“Student Civil Dialogue Skill Building Project.” UWM’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Division of Student affairs will implement an educational, skills-building, and data and information gathering project to take place in the Spr 2025 semester. The project will consist of regular facilitated small group dialogues with various student groups and organizations regarding the intersections of free expression and inclusivity. These dialogues aim to increase students’ awareness of the implications of the First Amendment on a public campus; topics will include: Free Speech protections and limits, related campus resources, how these principles align with civic values and may enhance inclusivity, and ways to effectively navigate disagreements and conflict situations
Exploring Contentious Issues Through Civil Dialogue - A Speaker Series and Book Club
Project Members
Project Lead: Joshua Bedi. Asst Professor, Economics
Project Details
University: UW-Superior
Award: $3,000
Start / End Date: January 22, 2025 to May 9, 2025
Project Description:
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:
“BridgeUSA Madison Chapter.” Funding for the newly developed chapter at UW-Madison to host experts and hold events to address polarization on campus. BridgeUSA equips students with tools to navigate political polarization and tribalism, creating space for civic discourse that values empathy, understanding, and collaboration. Madison Chapter members will help students navigate difficult conversations and foster civil dialogue in their personal and academic lives both on and off campus.
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.
BridgeUSA Madison Chapter
Project Members
Project Lead: Miranda Garcia-Dove. UW-Madison student.
Other Project Members: Amy Gangl, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Political Science
Project Details
University: UW-Madison
Award: $4,000
Start / End Date: September 6, 2024 to August 11, 2025
Project Description:
“BridgeUSA Madison Chapter.” Funding for the newly developed chapter at UW-Madison to host experts and hold events to address polarization on campus. BridgeUSA equips students with tools to navigate political polarization and tribalism, creating space for civic discourse that values empathy, understanding, and collaboration. Madison Chapter members will help students navigate difficult conversations and foster civil dialogue in their personal and academic lives both on and off campus.
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:
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:
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:
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:
WICCD Grant News
-
Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue Seeks Grant Proposals
on February 11, 2025
Spring semester applications due March 15, 2025 MADISON, Wis.—The Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue (WICCD) invites faculty, staff, and students at the Universities of Wisconsin (UWs) to apply […]