The purpose of the Junior Scholar Grant is to encourage and support the scholarly work of newer scholars who are in the field of Religious Studies and who live in the Southwest Region. The Grant may provide seed money for an initial project, but may also provide support for a project pursued by a Junior Scholar whose research agenda is already established.

One or two grants of up to $2000 may be given annually, with funds provided by the Southwest Commission on Religious Studies.

Previous Recipients

Applicants for the Grant must be members of one of the participating societies and on the faculty or staff of a sponsoring institution of the Commission. Applicants for the Grant shall ordinarily have completed their dissertation and have served in a faculty or staff position no more than ten years. Applicants should complete the Junior Scholar Grant application form, with special attention to the larger research project and how the Grant would assist in completion of the project.

In the year following the Grant, the Junior Scholar will provide the Board of Directors of the Southwest Commission a written report on research completed.

Application and all additional materials should be submitted by February 1. Click on the link below for more specific submission deadline information.

Junior Scholars applicants should attend the Regional Meeting reception in order to receive the grant.

The Application Process

In order to apply for the Junior Scholar Grant, follow the directions below:

 1. Email a letter of application to swcrs.mail@gmail.com on or before December 1. The letter should include the following:

• Name
• Email address
• Position and rank
• Total number of years teaching and number of years at current institution
• Title and nature of research project
• Specific indication regarding how the grant will assist in the completion of the project, e.g., supplies, necessary travel, released time from summer teaching
• Tentative time schedule for the entire project and current status
• Some indication of the anticipated form of the published results (books or articles) and where the results might appear (publisher, if known, for a book and journals to which an article would be submitted)

2. Request two persons familiar with your scholarly work to send letters of support. Letters should be postmarked no later than February 1.  Letters of support may be emailed to swcrs.mail@gmail.com or mailed to the SWCRS at

Stacy L. Patty, Secretary-Treasurer

Department of Religion

5601 19th Street

Lubbock, TX 79407-2099

3. E-mail a current curriculum vitae to swcrs.mail@gmail.com on or before February 1.