Travel Awards

About NCPTW Travel Awards 

NCPTW provides opportunities for travel awards to individual high school, undergraduate, or graduate student peer tutors who have proposed a conference presentation (poster, individual paper, workshop, or other) and plan to attend the conference in person. Applicants may apply for ONE of the two grants listed below (not both), provided all qualifications for the grant are met.

Limitations

  • Applications will be accepted from individual peer tutors only; no group or team applications will be accepted, but each member of a panel can apply individually.
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applicants who are accepted to present at the conference will be eligible to receive a grant. Applicants must be current students at the time of the conference.
  • Awardees must attend the conference to receive the award.

Tutors may apply for one of two awards listed below. The final award amounts will be determined by the committee. Please read the award descriptions and instructions carefully before completing an application.

Emerging Scholar Awards (up to $500 each)

This award supports tutors who are making significant contributions to the local, regional, or (inter)national scholarly conversation about peer tutoring through their daily practices and reflections on that practice; through mentoring and/or administrative duties in their home writing centers; through presentations at conferences or elsewhere; through research and publication; or in other ways.

In their application letters, applicants for an Emerging Scholar Award must address how they are contributing to the conversation about peer tutoring. Grants of up to $500 will be awarded in this category. Lower amounts may be awarded based on the applicant pool and availability of funds.

NCPTW Trustees Awards (up to $500 each)

This award aims to support and recognize tutors who are contributing in significant ways to writing center pedagogy and theory and who are from:

historically underrepresented groups (including but not limited to LGBTQ+ tutors; tutors with disabilities; and tutors who self-identify with one or more of the following races/ethnicities: American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian; Black or African American; Mexican American, Puerto Rican, other Latino/a; Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander)

and/or

tutors from institutions typically underrepresented at NCPTW conferences (including but not limited to historically black, Hispanic-serving, or tribal colleges and universities; secondary schools; and two-year colleges).

Applicants must indicate their eligibility on the application form to be considered for this grant. Grants of up to $500 will be awarded in this category. Lower amounts may be awarded based on the applicant pool and availability of funds.

Additional Award Opportunity

NCPTW offers smaller merit award grants that cover the cost of registration and possibly a bit more, depending on the funds available. All applicants who are not selected for one of the larger awards will become eligible for one of the merit awards. Applicants may not apply directly for a merit award.

Application Instructions

  1. Read all of the information provided carefully, including information about the available awards described above. We recommend you prepare all application materials before continuing to the application. 
  2. Provide applicant information. 
  3. Prepare an application essay (no more than 500 words).

Prompt

Peer tutor research has been the centerpiece of NCPTW for decades. Reimagining and investing in students as researchers has transformed many institutions. Therefore, we want you to put your presentation in context within a broader scope and to align your award application with your proposed contributions to the conference and/or writing center studies. 

Write an application essay in which you respond to one or more of the following questions: 

  • How could your presentation enhance NCPTW and/or writing center studies? 
  • How will attending NCPTW enhance your personal or professional experiences and/or how will you put this presentation experience to use beyond this conference? 
  • How can the work of peer writing tutors break through institutional barriers to reach marginalized/underrepresented writers on campus and/or in your community? 
  • How does your writing center work and/or your contribution to the conference through your presentation highlight a marginalized conversation, topic, or issue in the field? 

Prepare a brief budget narrative (no more than 150 words). Your budget narrative is the story that will help explain the need for this award and how the funds will be put to use.