Call For Applications: 2024-2025 The M. Garren Tinney Fellowships

Are you a writer who has been working on a major project?  A collection of stories?  A manuscript of essays?  A novel?  A poetry collection?  A longform article?  A memoir? Something else entirely?  

Would you benefit from assistance in completing this writing project, seeing it through to its conclusion?  If so, the M. Garren Tinney Fellowships, coordinated by the Writing Program, is the perfect opportunity to receive support, guidance, and financial assistance to complete your project.

Instead of the development and drafting of a writing project, the focus of these fellowships is to provide an opportunity for UCSB undergraduate students who have already created the heart of their writing work and seek to finish it and (importantly) with the goal of getting the finished writing project or manuscript out into the world.  The M. Garren Tinney Fellows will work with faculty mentors to complete the writing project or manuscript, but also on editing/revision and professional development.   

Details include:

    • There will be a minimum of two fellowships; each of the student awardees will be recognized as a “M. Garren Tinney Fellow.” 

    • Each fellowship will be $3,000 per student, for funding to complete a final draft of a manuscript or other "finishing" of a substantive writing project. 

    • Writing work will be centered on Winter and Spring quarters.

Eligibility:

    • Undergraduates at UCSB with a preference for students who are English majors or minors, Writing & Literature majors, Writing Program minors, and Comparative Literature majors or minors who have shown a commitment to the practice of writing and are interested in pursuing original writing projects at UCSB and writing-related careers.  Undergraduates in other majors are encouraged to apply and will be considered. 

    • Preference is given to creative writing projects or manuscripts, but all types of genres of writing are considered. 

    • Students should be in good academic standing and at least in their third year. 

    • Students should have the majority of an original writing project or substantive manuscript draft written (this can be envisioned as a book or other large-scale writing project).   

    • Preference will be given for students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds as well as those who have demonstrated financial need as defined by the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office at UCSB.

    • Students with another writing fellowship (such as the Raab Fellowship) are ineligible.

    • Students must be enrolled through the entire academic year to be eligible.

    • Please fill out the Google form by November 1, 2024 to be considered.

About the Fund:

In loving memory of Michael "Garren" Tinney's life and experiences, Donna "Dee Dee" Tinney--Garren's mother--established the M. Garren Tinney Memorial Fund at UCSB through a generous gift in June 2023 to honor the memory of her son and his interest in and passion for writing.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact Robert Krut at rkrut@ucsb.edu.  Thank you!