csws.uoregon.edu

You can get involved with the Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS) by joining its community as an affiliate, friend, or community member, attending events like the Fall Open House and the Feminist Futures Roundtable, and taking part in initiatives that foster networking, collaboration, and mentorship. The center also invites people to follow and share its research through its media channels. These routes suit anyone—students, faculty, and off-campus community members—interested in feminist scholarship on gender identities and inequalities at the University of Oregon.

Start by Understanding What CSWS Does

CSWS has funded feminist scholarship at the University of Oregon for five decades. Its stated mission is to create, fund, share, and support research addressing the complicated nature of gender identities and inequalities. Faculty and student affiliates generate wide-ranging research on women's lives and intersecting gender identities, and the center disseminates that work to scholars, educators, the public, policymakers, and activists.

That mission shapes how you can plug in: as a participant in events, as an affiliate or supporter, or as an audience for research.

Join the CSWS Community

The homepage's main call to action is "Join the CSWS community," framed around affiliates, friends, and community members. The page describes CSWS members at work "collaborating, presenting, and sharing ideas," so joining is positioned as a way into an active scholarly network rather than a passive mailing list.

Practical starting points:

• Affiliates — faculty and student affiliates are the core of the research community; the site's Funding section covers present opportunities and past awards for this group.
• Friends and community members — the Fall Open House explicitly welcomes "affiliates, friends, and community members."
• Graduate students — a dedicated info session explains the grant funding cycle and what kinds of gender-related research and creative work qualify (see below).

The site does not publish membership fees or a login requirement on this page, so treat any cost or access terms as something to confirm directly with the center rather than assuming free or open access.

Attend an Event

Events are the most concrete entry point, and the homepage lists upcoming ones with dates, times, and locations.

The Fall Open House is described as a gathering to share inspiration, celebrate collective work, and renew commitment to advancing feminist research and social change—a low-pressure way to meet the community. The graduate info session, hosted by Director Sangita Gopal, walks through the funding cycle and eligibility for gender-related research and creative work.

To verify details or find additional events, use the "All Events" link on the homepage, since the roundtable location is still listed as TBD.

Take Part in Initiatives and Mentorship

Beyond single events, CSWS runs initiatives that foster networking, collaboration, and mentorship within its community of feminist scholars. The homepage points to an Initiatives section for learning how to get involved. If your goal is ongoing connection rather than a one-time visit, this is the section to explore after attending an event.

Follow and Share the Research

As a research center, CSWS disseminates new knowledge across media platforms to scholars, educators, the public, policymakers, and activists. Following its media output is a low-commitment way to stay connected, and sharing that work extends its reach. The site also offers a "Give to CSWS" option for those who want to support the mission financially.

A Quick Path to Decide

• Want to meet people first? Attend the Fall Open House on Nov 6 at Hendricks 330.
• Graduate student seeking funding? Go to the Nov 20 info session at noon in the Jane Grant Room, then review the Funding section.
• Interested in sustained involvement? Read the Initiatives section and consider becoming an affiliate.
• Not local or short on time? Follow CSWS media and share its research.

One caveat: the homepage gives event dates and times but not years for the fall events, and the roundtable location is unconfirmed. Confirm current scheduling through the center's events listing before making plans.

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.

CSWS hosts a mix of community gatherings, conference programming, and funding information sessions. The site currently lists three upcoming events: the CSWS Fall Open House (Nov 6, 3:00pm, Hendricks 330 — CSWS Jane Grant Room), the Feminist Futures Roundtable in Portland (Nov 13, 3:15pm, location TBD), and an Info Session on Graduate Student Grants (Nov 20, 12:00–1:00pm, Hendricks 330 — CSWS Jane Grant Room). Each is open to a somewhat different audience, so the right one to attend depends on whether you are a community member, a conference participant, or a graduate student seeking funding.

Event details at a glance

What each event covers

CSWS Fall Open House

The Open House is a gathering for affiliates, friends, and community members to share inspiration, celebrate collective work, and renew commitment to advancing feminist research and social change. It is also a chance to connect with others who support the CSWS mission and learn about the center's impact in the community and beyond. If you are new to CSWS and want a low-pressure introduction to the people and work behind it, this is the most direct entry point.

Feminist Futures Roundtable (PDX)

This roundtable takes place within the 49th Annual Utopian Studies Conference, held in Portland, Oregon, on Nov. 12–14, 2026, with CSWS as local sponsor. The session is listed at 3:15pm with the location still to be determined. Because it is tied to a larger conference, check the conference program for access details before planning to attend.

Info Session: Graduate Student Grants

Director Sangita Gopal leads this session for graduate students who are new to the CSWS grant funding process. She explains the grant funding cycle and what kinds of research and creative work related to gender qualify for CSWS funding. The session runs 12–1 p.m. in the CSWS Jane Grant Room (Hendricks 330). If you are a graduate student considering applying, attending this before you draft a proposal is the practical way to confirm your project fits the criteria.

How to use this list

• Want to get involved with CSWS generally? Start with the Fall Open House on Nov 6.
• Already attending the Utopian Studies Conference? Add the Feminist Futures Roundtable on Nov 13 to your schedule, but confirm the room once it is posted.
• Planning to apply for graduate funding? Attend the Nov 20 info session, then review the funding opportunities and past awards described on the CSWS site.

Dates, times, and locations above reflect the current listings; the roundtable location is marked TBD, so verify it closer to the date. For events beyond these three, the site's "All Events" link is the place to check for additions.

The Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS) at the University of Oregon funds and supports feminist scholarship by faculty and student affiliates, whose work examines the complexity of women's lives and the intersecting nature of gender identities and inequalities. CSWS then shares that research across media platforms with scholars and educators, the public, policymakers, and activists. If you want to know what kind of work the center backs or how to follow it, the site's Research and Media sections are the places to start.

What kind of research CSWS supports

CSWS describes its mission as creating, funding, sharing, and supporting research that addresses gender identities and inequalities. Two features of that research stand out from the center's own description:

• It is affiliate-driven. Faculty and student affiliates generate wide-ranging research rather than working from a single fixed agenda.
• It treats gender as intersecting. The center frames the work around the "intersecting nature of gender identities and inequalities," not gender in isolation.

The site notes that CSWS has funded feminist scholarship at the University of Oregon for five decades, and its Research section is where current projects are profiled. If you want concrete examples of what qualifies, that section is the most direct source; the center also runs an information session for graduate students new to its grant process, where the director explains what kinds of research and creative work related to gender qualify for funding.

How the research is shared

CSWS positions itself as a research center that disseminates new knowledge rather than keeping it internal. Its stated audiences are:

The Media section of the site is the hub for this outreach. Events are a second channel: the center's programming is designed to foster networking, collaboration, and mentorship within its community of feminist scholars, which is how work in progress gets discussed before and alongside publication.

How to see what CSWS is currently working on

1. Go to the CSWS site and open the Research section to read about affiliate projects.
2. Check the Media section for how findings are presented to public and policy audiences.
3. Look at Events for talks and roundtables where current work is presented — the listing includes items such as a fall open house, a feminist futures roundtable held alongside the Annual Utopian Studies Conference (for which CSWS serves as local sponsor), and a graduate student grants info session.
4. If you are a prospective affiliate or grant applicant, the Funding section covers present opportunities and past awards, which is the clearest record of the kinds of projects the center has backed.

What to keep in mind

The site presents CSWS's mission and programming but does not publish a full public archive of every funded project on the homepage; details live in the Research, Funding, and Media sections. Funding amounts, eligibility rules, and deadlines are not stated on the page summarized here, so confirm them on the Funding pages or at the graduate grants info session before planning an application. For questions about whether a specific project fits, the grant information session is the center's own recommended starting point for newcomers to its process.

CSWS is a research center at the University of Oregon that creates, funds, shares, and supports feminist scholarship on gender identities and inequalities. It is the right starting point if you are a UO faculty member or graduate student looking for research funding, a student new to the grant process, or a community member who wants to attend events and follow the center's work. The center has funded feminist scholarship at UO for five decades.

What CSWS does

The center's stated mission is to address "the complicated nature of gender identities and inequalities" through research. Its work runs along four lines described on its site:

• Research — Faculty and student affiliates produce wide-ranging work on women's lives and the intersecting nature of gender identities and inequalities.
• Funding — CSWS has funded feminist scholarship at UO for five decades, with current opportunities and past awards documented on the site.
• Initiatives — Event programming and special initiatives build networking, collaboration, and mentorship among feminist scholars.
• Media — As a research center, CSWS disseminates new knowledge to other scholars and educators, the public, policymakers, and activists.

Who it serves

The site names its audiences directly: UO faculty and student affiliates, the broader scholarly community, the public, policymakers, and activists. In practice, that means different entry points:

Scale and history

The homepage gives a few concrete markers of the center's footprint:

• 1973 — CSWS established
• 1983 — Harris Endowment received
• $3.5m — figure associated with the 1983 endowment milestone
• $3m+ — given for gender research at UO

These figures are the ones the site itself displays; treat them as the center's own summary rather than an audited total.

Getting involved: events and funding

CSWS runs an active events calendar. Upcoming listings on the homepage include:

• Fall Open House — a gathering for affiliates, friends, and community members at Hendricks 330 (CSWS Jane Grant Room), 3:00pm.
• Feminist Futures Roundtable (PDX) — held in connection with the 49th Annual Utopian Studies Conference in Portland, Oregon (Nov. 12–14, 2026), for which CSWS is local sponsor.
• Info Session: Graduate Student Grants — Director Sangita Gopal explains the grant funding cycle and what kinds of gender-related research and creative work qualify for CSWS funding; 12–1 p.m. in the CSWS Jane Grant Room (Hendricks 330).

For funding, the practical path is to read the current opportunities and past awards pages first, then attend the graduate info session if you are new to the process. The session is explicitly aimed at students unfamiliar with how CSWS grants work, so it is the lowest-effort way to learn what qualifies before drafting a proposal.

What to check before relying on details

Event dates, room assignments, and funding deadlines change by term. The homepage shows one roundtable location as "TBD," which is a reminder to confirm specifics on the individual event or funding page rather than the calendar summary. If you plan to attend or apply, verify the current listing on csws.uoregon.edu before making travel or submission plans.