BRADEN GRANT FOR THE STUDY OF ORAL NARRATIVE

Applications due March 1, April 1, and May 1, 2012
Grants up to $3,000

The Stanford Storytelling Project is pleased to announce the establishment of a new grant program to support undergraduates interested in (1) researching oral traditions or (2) creating an oral history of a group or institution. Grants of up to $3,000 will be awarded in the winter and spring quarters for research to be conducted in the spring or summer of 2012.

We invite students interested in oral traditions to propose projects to study the craft of oral narrative in any tradition, culture, or medium—from ancient traditions and indigenous cultures to contemporary radio and performance. Students might study the oral tradition of a particular region (e.g., northern Italy, the Pacific Northwest), language (e.g., Portuguese, Quechua), or group (e.g., Lakota, Maori, Korean immigrants). Students might also study a specific oral tradition or genre such as German folklore, Zen Buddhist teaching tales, or the medieval ballad. Or students might study modern forms of oral narrative like those produced live by groups like The Moth or for broadcast by programs such as This American Life, StoryCorps, or Radio Lab.

We also invite students to propose projects to collect narratives in order to create an oral history of a specific community. Students might collect stories from groups that form around specific interests or identity (e.g., gay rights, gaming, organic farming, open source computing, Occupy Stanford). Students might also collect stories of a small, physical community, such as a village or neighborhood (e.g., where one might be living abroad for a term or summer of research). Students are encouraged to choose groups or communities that have not already been well documented and that are small enough to make for a manageable project. Students may belong to the group or community they study.

All undergraduates are eligible and application can be made through the UAL website (link below). Proposed research may be part of a larger project or stand alone but its scope should be commensurate with the budgeted time and funds. As part of the award, students may receive recording equipment as well as training in interviewing and audio recording, if necessary.

Students should consult the following undergraduate grant guidelines before making an application. These include detailed eligibility guidelines and details about the length and format of the application. Following these guidelines will insure a strong application. Applications deadlines are March 1, April 1, and May 1, 2012.

To submit or for any questions about the award, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

STORIES FROM POWER AWARD

Beginning in the fall of 2011 The Stanford Storytelling Project will make a new award to students completing courses in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric. The Stories from Power Award will be made to up to 8 students per quarter and offer these students the opportunity to turn the research pieces they have developed in their courses into audio essays that will be broadcast on KZSU and podcast on iTunes as part of the project’s regular programs. The award gives students in their first two years at Stanford the chance to publish their research and showcase it in a non-print medium for a wide audience.

Students nominated will work with staff from the Storytelling Project (Lecturers, Stegner Fellows, Oral Communication Tutors, and experienced student producers) at the start of the following quarter. In 3-4 short meetings, the staff will help students narrativize the research they have done, coach them in telling the story aloud, and then record, edit, and mix the final audio (and/or video, if appropriate). The converted pieces will then be featured in the project’s KZSU radio show, iTunes podcast, and website.

Students must be nominated for this award by lecturers in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric but should feel free to ask about the opportunity and ask to be considered. For any questions about the award, please contact storytellinggrants@stanford.edu.