What Funding Opportunities Does CSWS Offer for Feminist Research?

The Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS) at the University of Oregon funds feminist scholarship through research grants aimed at faculty and student affiliates, and it runs information sessions to explain the grant funding cycle and what kinds of gender-related research and creative work qualify. If you are a UO graduate student or faculty member working on gender identities and inequalities, the practical starting points are the center's Funding section and the graduate grant info session. Eligibility details beyond "faculty and student affiliates" and specific award amounts are not stated on the homepage, so confirm them with CSWS directly before applying.

Who the funding is for

CSWS describes its affiliates as faculty and student researchers who "generate wide-ranging research on the complexity of women's lives and the intersecting nature of gender identities and inequalities." The homepage ties funding to two groups:

• Graduate students — a dedicated info session is offered for students new to the CSWS grant process.
• Faculty affiliates — the center states it has funded feminist scholarship at UO for five decades, with present opportunities and past awards listed under Funding.

Membership in the CSWS community is framed as open ("Join the CSWS community..."), but the homepage does not spell out whether affiliation is required before applying. Treat that as a question for the center.

What the grants cover

According to the homepage, CSWS funding supports "research and creative work related to gender." The graduate info session is described as explaining "what kinds of research and creative work related to gender qualify for CSWS funding." That phrasing suggests the scope is broader than conventional social-science projects and can include creative work, but the homepage gives no list of eligible disciplines, project types, or budget categories.

How the funding cycle works

The homepage points to a grant funding cycle explained at the info session rather than publishing deadlines and stages itself. The one dated example is the Info Session: Graduate Student Grants on Friday, Nov. 20, 12–1 p.m., in the CSWS Jane Grant Room (Hendricks 330), hosted by Director Sangita Gopal. For anyone planning an application, that session is the most concrete way to learn the timeline and review criteria.

Steps to get started

1. Check the Funding page on csws.uoregon.edu for current opportunities and past awards — the homepage explicitly directs readers there.
2. Attend the graduate info session if you are a student new to the process; it covers the funding cycle and qualifying research.
3. Confirm eligibility and deadlines with CSWS, since the homepage does not publish amounts, application windows, or required affiliation status.
4. Review past awards to gauge the range of funded work before drafting a proposal.

Expected result: you leave with a clear picture of whether your project fits CSWS's gender-focused remit and what the application timeline looks like.

Scale and track record

The homepage offers a few figures that indicate the center's scale:

These figures describe the center's history of funding rather than current grant sizes. Do not read them as indicative of individual award amounts.

Beyond grants: initiatives and events

Funding is one part of what CSWS offers affiliates. The center also runs event programming and special initiatives intended to foster "networking, collaboration, and mentorship" among feminist scholars, and it disseminates research through media channels to scholars, educators, the public, policymakers, and activists. Upcoming events listed on the homepage include:

• CSWS Fall Open House — Nov. 6, 3:00 p.m., Hendricks 330 (CSWS Jane Grant Room), open to affiliates, friends, and community members.
• Feminist Futures Roundtable (PDX) — Nov. 13, 3:15 p.m., part of the 49th Annual Utopian Studies Conference in Portland, Nov. 12–14, 2026, with CSWS as local sponsor.
• Info Session: Graduate Student Grants — Nov. 20, 12–1 p.m., Hendricks 330.

For a prospective applicant, the open house and roundtable are low-commitment ways to meet the community before applying; the info session is the one to prioritize for funding questions.

Common sticking points

• Assuming the homepage lists deadlines. It doesn't; the Funding page and info session are the stated sources.
• Assuming amounts. No grant sizes appear on the homepage — ask CSWS.
• Skipping the info session. It is the only described mechanism for learning the funding cycle and qualifying research, so students new to the process should treat it as required reading in event form.