Award for the best paper written by a graduate student in English for a graduate course in the previous academic year. Papers can be revised and will be judged on their potential for publication in an academic journal.  Application materials:  A copy of your paper with title page with your name on it (please do not put your name on the other pages).

This award of $1000 can be used to facilitate a graduate student’s progress in the program. Application materials: make a case for how this open-ended award could help you complete a specific task, such as studying for comprehensive exams, ready an essay for publication, preparing to teach a new class (250 words), plus a recommendation from your advisor.

The Sue Crowley Award for Inclusive Excellence is a scholarship of $1000 that can be used in the US or abroad for such purposes as taking a summer course outside of MU, traveling to an archive, attending a conference or for other professional development. Application materials: a description of the research project, conference, course or opportunity with an explanation of how it contributes to your course of study (250 words) plus a recommendation from your advisor.

This scholarship in the amount of $750 for a graduate student in the department at any stage of graduate work, with "preference given to parents returning to college for an advanced degree.” Application materials: a brief statement describing your stage in the program, your progress to degree and noting your status as a parent or caregiver (250 words) plus a recommendation from your advisor.

This fellowship awards $500 to a graduate student who has had an essay accepted or who has presented at a prestigious academic conference during the preceding calendar year (Fall or Spring 2023). Application materials: abstract of the paper (up to 250 words), brief description of the conference and its significance to your graduate work (up to 250 words)

These fellowships provide one course release per semester in the year students are completing their dissertations. Eligibility: All PhD students who have passed comprehensive examinations may apply except those who have exceeded their originally funded time in the program. (Five years for those entering with an MA or MFA, six years for those entering with a BA.)  Applicants should submit a pdf with a cv, a 2-page letter describing their dissertation project (its significance and contribution). A one-page recommendation from the advisor is also required and should be sent as a separate pdf. Applications will be judged on the quality of the dissertation materials submitted and feasibility of finishing in the year of award.  Recommendation and applicant letters should speak to both criteria. 

This fellowship provides $3000, but no course releases, to support a graduate student who is completing the dissertation. Eligibility (as specified in the endowment): “a doctoral student in American or English Literature at the dissertation-writing stage. Preference is given to students with dependents, especially young children.”  Please note that this last is a preference, not a requirement for the award; some past recipients have not had dependents. However, this award is for PhD students in literature only; students in Creative Writing and in English Language and Linguistics are not eligible.

English Department Graduate Student Travel Awards provide up to $1000 of support for graduate students giving papers at professional conferences either in the US or abroad. 

Grad Student Travel Awards
If students are awarded a grant (including travel grants) from an external entity outside the university, the MU English department will match that grant up to $500. Graduate students are eligible for one matching grant per fiscal year.

Awards for conference travel are also available from other organizations on campus:

English Graduate Student Association (EGSA)
EGSA Professional Fund

MU Graduate Professional Council (GPC)
Three deadlines a year for travel and professional development funding:
Travel Awards

MU Graduate Studies 
Travel Scholarships
(note only 1 travel or dissertation research grant during each grad student’s career at MU)

Donald K. Anderson Teaching Award

English PhD students are invited to apply to the English department for nomination to the Donald K. Anderson Graduate Teaching Assistant Award.   

The English department may nominate one graduate student for this award; please see the link to the Graduate School above and guidelines below to be considered for this honor. In past years, strong candidates have been in the 4th or 5th year of the program; while any PhD student may apply, those in the early years of the program are less likely to be competitive.

If you wish to be considered for nomination, please submit a teaching portfolio. See the Graduate School link for what to include. No letters at this stage, please.

The department nominee will be selected by a committee of English faculty and graduate student representatives who are not being considered for nomination, in early December. Nominations are due to the Graduate School in early February.

Due date for submissions is December 2. 

The William Peden Award for Outstanding Teaching of Creative Writing

The William Peden Award is awarded annually to an outstanding graduate student instructor of creative writing.

All current MU English graduate teaching assistants with at least .25 FTE appointments are eligible for this award. Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of demonstrated excellence and lasting impact in the following areas: successful performance in the classroom; enthusiasm and commitment; mentoring of undergraduates; and satisfactory progress towards degree.

If you wish to be considered, please submit the following materials: a 1-page cover letter in which you comment directly on how you fulfill the criteria for the award; a CV; a 1-page statement of teaching philosophy; 2 sample syllabi from creative writing courses; descriptions of between 3-5 assignments; and full packets of teaching evaluations from 2 creative writing courses.

To apply for the award, log in to Scholarship Universe, search for the award, and follow the instructions there.

The winner will be selected by a committee of English faculty and an EGSA representative who is not being considered.

If you have any questions, email the Director of CW, Gabe Fried, at friedg@missouri.edu.

Due date for submissions is April 3.

The Gil Porter Award for Outstanding Teaching of Literature

The Gil Porter Award ($500) is awarded annually to an outstanding graduate student instructor of literature.

All current MU English graduate teaching assistants with at least .25 FTE appointments are eligible for this award. Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of demonstrated excellence and lasting impact in the following areas: successful performance in the classroom; enthusiasm and commitment; mentoring of undergraduates; and satisfactory progress towards degree.

If you wish to be considered, please submit the following materials: a 1-page cover letter in which you comment directly on how you fulfill the criteria for the award; a CV; a 1-page statement of teaching philosophy; 2 sample syllabi from literature courses; descriptions of between 3-5 assignments; and full packets of teaching evaluations from 2 literature courses.

Please send your materials in one PDF file to Nancy West (nmwest@missouri.edu). 

The winner will be selected by a committee of English faculty and an EGSA representative who is not being considered.

Due date for submissions is April 3.

The Gus Reid Award for Outstanding Teaching of Composition

The Gus Reid Prize ($1000) is awarded annually to three outstanding graduate student instructors of composition.

All current MU English graduate teaching assistants with at least .25 FTE appointments are eligible for this award. Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of demonstrated excellence and lasting impact in the following areas: successful performance in the classroom, especially related to student engagement and experience and program goals; enthusiasm for teaching composition and commitment to continuing development and/or collaboration as an instructor of composition; and satisfactory progress towards degree, if applicable. Additionally, the award guidelines stipulate that each recipient “should not only be a good writer but an even better critic – one who views the job and self with both discipline and light-heartedness.”

If you wish to be considered, please submit the following materials: a 1-page cover letter in which you comment directly on how you fulfill the criteria for the award; a CV; a 1-page teaching philosophy; 2 sample syllabi from a first-year or intermediate composition course; project descriptions of between 3-5 major writing projects for first-year or intermediate composition; and a full packet of teaching evaluations from 2 composition courses.

Please send your materials in one PDF file to Cheryl Hall (hallch@missouri.edu). The winner will be selected by a committee of English faculty and an EGSA representative who is not being considered. 

Due date for submissions is April 3. 

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

LITERATURE EMITTING DIODES presents poetry and prose by talented writers in public venues on a scrolling LED display. LITERATURE EMITTING DIODES began as a monthly publication in Chicago in 2015, and in recent years, has partnered with the Undergraduate Juried Showcase and the George Caleb Bingham Gallery in the School of Visual Studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia to found an Undergraduate Juried Writing Competition. 

Now an annual writing competition sponsored by the MU Creative Writing Program, the competition solicits unpublished writing of up to 500 words from MU undergraduate students of any major. One work will be chosen for display on a scrolling LED sign outside the George Caleb Bingham Gallery on the MU Campus. The winning writer will also receive a publishing award from THERETHERENOW, a Columbia-based curatorial and publishing project founded and run by Travis Shaffer, an Assistant Professor in MU's School of Visual Studies, to produce a limited-edition print publication.

LITERATURE EMITTING DIODES is a project of PARTIAL PRESS, a small press based in Columbia, Missouri, established and run by Carley Gomez and Levi Sherman. The MU Creative Writing Program is grateful to Carley and Levi of PARTIAL PRESS for founding the LED Undergraduate Writing Competition, and is excited to begin hosting the annual competition in 2020.

For more information about PARTIAL PRESS, THERETHERENOW, and the George Caleb Bingham Gallery, please visit the following websites:

https://partialpress.net/

http://www.theretherenow.com/theretherenow

https://visualstudies.missouri.edu/gallery/bingham

COMPETITION RULES

No more than three unpublished poetry and/or prose submissions per student; each submission cannot exceed 500 words. Authors must be undergraduate students at the University of Missouri. Formatting will not be retained by the LED display. All standard English letters, numerals, and punctuation will display. Submissions will be reviewed by jurors from the MU English Graduate Student Association.

In addition to display at the George Caleb Bingham Gallery, the winner will receive a broadside publication award from THERETHERENOW, a Columbia-based curatorial and publishing project. THERETHERENOW will create a limited-edition print publication and launch it with a reading event at the beginning of the semester following the competition, usually in the early spring. 150 copies will be split evenly among the MU Creative Writing Program, THERETHERENOW, and the winning writer. Three runners-up will also be invited to read their selected submission at the reading.

• 1 winner, 3 runners-up
• Deadline: November 6th

This award was established in 2000 by Margaret Leong of Columbia, Missouri. The competition is open to all students currently enrolled at any of the University of Missouri campuses.

Please see Scholarship Universe for detailed award information, including the deadline. 

Open to current graduate students in English at MU, this award recognizes excellence in poetry writing. A first and second place prize will be awarded.

Please see Scholarship Universe for detailed award information, including the deadline. 

Open to current graduate students in English at MU, this award recognizes excellence in fiction writing. A first and second place prize will be awarded.

Please see Scholarship Universe for detailed award information, including the deadline. 

Open to current graduate students in English at MU, this award recognizes excellence in creative nonfiction writing. A first and second place prize will be awarded.

Please see Scholarship Universe for detailed award information, including the deadline. 

The Academy of American Poets sponsors a prize for the best poem by a student currently enrolled at MU. Please email Gabriel Fried (friedg@missouri.edu), Director of Creative Writing, for more information. 

Any currently enrolled student may apply, though preference is given to graduate students. In order to be eligible for the award, you must demonstrate that you have applied to a summer workshop or residency. You are not required to attend that summer workshop or residency; you must only demonstrate that you have applied and give your reasons for applying.

Please see Scholarship Universe for detailed award information, including the deadline. 

Recognition for excellence in teaching, awarded to a graduate student instructor of creative writing at the University of Missouri each year.

Please see Scholarship Universe for detailed award information, including the deadline.