Wesleyan Black Alumni Council Memorial Prize Summer Stipend

In April 1986, the Wesleyan Black Alumni Council (WBAC) established a memorial fund to honor late alumni of African descent. The memorial honors the memory and spirit of Bruce D. Hall ’77, James “Donnie” Rochester ’74, and Dwight L. Greene ’70 through a summer experience grant to support students interested in projects or research pertaining to the African American experience. The maximum stipend is $4,000.

APPLICATION

A student who wishes to apply for the Wesleyan Black Alumni Council Memorial Prize must submit an application that includes all of the following:

  1. A personal statement sharing your motivation, interest, and preparation for the proposed project, and the relationship of these to the African American experience. You might include information about coursework you’ve completed or extracurricular projects that have been meaningful to you. (limit: 500 words)

  2. A description of your project, including your research question or project aim, some background information on the topic, and the specific approach, structure, and/or methodology you will use in your project. Please include information on dates and time commitment. (limit: 750 words)

  3. An itemized budget that describes how the stipend will be used.

  4. The name of a faculty mentor with whom you have discussed your research proposal, or the name of a professional connected with your project.

  5. An unofficial academic history.

The application documents must be submitted through this form by Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 5:00pm ET.

IMPORTANT NOTES

  • Research involving participants who could be individually identified, audio or video recordings of participants, sensitive data, vulnerable populations, or the observation of behavioral tasks in a laboratory setting will require IRB approval. If you are not sure whether your research requires IRB approval, please consult with your faculty mentor and/or the Wesleyan Institutional Review Board.

  • As we work to support as many students as possible in their summer plans, recipients of other summer funding and/or students engaging in full-pay internships or jobs are not eligible to receive the WBAC Memorial Prize. A student will not be permitted to accept another award or paid summer internship in conjunction with the WBAC Prize. A student may, however, use proposals that were submitted for other funding to apply for the WBAC Prize. The student will be expected to inform all funding bodies if multiple awards have been offered so that students on waitlists on either side might be awarded.

In addition to the funding provided by the WBAC Memorial Prize, the recipient will be highlighted during the annual Dwight L. Greene Symposium during Homecoming/ Family Weekend, and they will present their project at the Alumni and Students of Color Reception.

By submitting your application materials, you agree to allow the Office for Equity & Inclusion to use these documents — in whole or in part — for archival, promotion, or assessment purposes.

If you have any questions about this summer grant, please contact April Ruiz, Dean for Academic Equity, Inclusion, & Success: aruiz01@wesleyan.edu.

The Wesleyan Black Alumni Council Memorial Prize Selection Committee looks forward to reading your application!