MGSA welcomes applications to its Innovation Grant Fund -- next deadline, October 1, 2025

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Sep 2, 2025, 9:04:05 AM (4 days ago) Sep 2

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MGSA Innovation Grant

Biannual Submission Deadlines: April 1, October 1

This grant, intended for the enhancement of Modern Greek Studies projects, provides monetary support to institutions of higher learning and other professional nonprofit organizations to support conferences, workshops, the digitization of research materials and other web-based educational projects, as well as other activities that promote Modern Greek Studies (including those of the Greek diaspora).

Granted on a competitive basis, several grants are typically awarded per academic year. Individual awards will range from $500 to $1,000. For longer term projects that are particularly valuable to the field, applications for a second or third year of funding will be considered. Preference may be given, however, to applications that are proposing new, innovative projects. Applications for support of individual activities will not be accepted.

Individuals submitting applications on behalf of an institution must be current members of the Association and should submit a brief proposal outlining their project in detail (approximately 1-2 pages). The following questions should be answered in the proposal. Applications that do not address each of the questions will be regarded as incomplete and not considered for funding.

Please provide a detailed overview and rationale of the proposed project.
What are the anticipated benefits of the project to the field of Modern Greek Studies? How will the proposed project contribute to or advance a topic, area, or field in Modern Greek Studies and beyond? Applications that address this question in detail will receive special consideration.
Briefly provide a justification for the appropriateness of your institutional venue for this project as well as the timeline for the proposed activities.
Please provide a brief budget narrative describing how the funds will be used.

Applications should be submitted electronically to Vangelis Calotychos, Executive Director of the Modern Greek Studies Association.

If awarded an MGSA grant, all publications related to the project, including emails promoting and reporting on the event, as well as any future project(s) that may ensue from the activity, must include the following statement acknowledging MGSA co-sponsorship:

“Funded in part by the Modern Greek Studies Association (with the MGSA logo)”

Finally, applicants and/or their institutions must also submit a closing report of no more than 500 words to the MGSA Executive Director, Vangelis Calotychos, within six months of the activity’s completion. The report may be publicly disseminated by the MGSA on its website, through the MGSA Bulletin, or other media.

MGSA Innovation Grant FAQs:

Who is eligible to apply for an MGSA Innovation Grant?

To apply for an MGSA Innovation Grant, you must be an MGSA member. To join the MGSA or to renew your membership, please visit https://www.mgsa.org/About/memb.html.
Applications must be made for institutional or organizational use. Applications for support of individual activities will not be accepted.

I teach or work outside of North America. Am I eligible to apply for this grant on behalf of my institution, which is abroad?

Yes, if you are an MGSA member, you may apply for this grant.

I am not a tenure track faculty member. May I apply for this grant?

Yes, anyone who fulfills the eligibility criteria is invited to apply, including part-time and full-time faculty in adjunct, tenure track, and tenured positions, as well as graduate student instructors, librarians, staff, and other people who work in education-related institutions.

Can the grant be applied retroactively for a project I have already developed?

No, only future projects or current projects with future dimensions that are in the planning stages are eligible.

I currently serve on an MGSA committee. Am I eligible to apply for this grant?

All members of the MGSA may apply. However, if a member of the MGSA Innovation Committee applies for a grant, that person must step down from the selection committee and a new committee member will be appointed to replace them during that round of the competition.

I am a past recipient of the MGSA Innovation Grant (previously MGSA Innovative Initiatives Grant). May I apply again?

Yes, you may apply again, either with a new proposal or for the renewal of an ongoing proposal. Particularly valuable, longer-term projects may receive up to three years of funding. Please note, however, that proposals for renewal must also specify how the funding requested in the renewal application will contribute to the innovation and advancement of a topic, area or field of Modern Greek Studies and beyond. Preference may be given to institutions that have not received grants recently.

What kind of information should I include in my grant proposal?

In a proposal of 1-2 pages, make sure you address all four questions found here.

Can the budget include a stipend for instructors?

Instructional costs, as well as the development of course materials or the development of new courses, are not eligible for funding.

Does the grant allow for the purchase of food or beverages?

If funds are required to support hospitality needs associated with a highly innovative project, the request will be considered.

Am I required to coordinate my application with my institution’s research office?

While the MGSA does not require such coordination, if there are institutional requirements on your campus, you should follow them.

How do I submit my proposal?

Applications should be submitted electronically to MGSA Executive Director Vangelis Calotychos at the following email address: mgsa...@gmail.com

What is the timeline for this grant?

The committee typically meets within two weeks of the submission deadline and the results of the competition are typically announced within one month.

What is expected of successful applicants?

Successful applicants must ensure that all publications related to the project, including emails promoting and reporting on the event, as well as any future project(s) that may ensue from the activity, include the following statement acknowledging MGSA co-sponsorship:

“Funded in part by the Modern Greek Studies Association (with the MGSA logo)”

They must also submit a closing report of no more than 500 words to the MGSA Executive Director, Vangelis Calotychos, within six months of the activity’s completion. The report may be publicly disseminated by the MGSA on its website, through the MGSA Bulletin, or other media.

The Selection Process

Following each submission deadline, the Executive Director of the Association sends all funding requests to the members of the selection committee for evaluation. The criteria used in making this evaluation include:

innovation of activity
appropriateness of institutional venue
impact and importance of project
anticipated contribution made to the field of Modern Greek Studies

Up to three awards may be granted in the fall application cycle. The number of awards granted in the fall will determine the numbers of awards that are available in the spring. If three awards are granted in the fall, then as many as two awards may be granted in the spring. If two or fewer awards are granted in the fall, then as many as three awards may be granted in the spring cycle. Once decisions have been made, the chair announces the winners of the competition to the MGSA Executive Director and to the members of the Selection Committee. All applicants are notified in writing by the chair of the committee.

The Selection Committee

The selection committee is comprised of three voting members who serve a three-year term. Committee membership is limited to two consecutive three-year terms. A new chair must be appointed every three years. The three members of the committee must reflect the diversity of the MGSA in terms of gender, academic standing, and academic interests. The chair of the committee must be a member of the MGSA Executive Board. The other two members must be current members of the Association but not of the MGSA Executive Board. The committee is appointed by the chair following the first meeting of a new Executive Board in the fall and assumes its duties on January 1 of the following year. It continues to serve for three calendar years. In cases when a member of the committee has conflict of interest, a temporary member will be appointed to the committee for the voting cycle in question.