While there is no absolute limit to the amount you may apply for, almost all grants are in the range of $200 to $2,000.

Absolutely. Group and team projects are welcome, especially if the team members are from different majors and areas of study.

There is no set limit to the amount of money you can apply for. The amount that will be awarded depends on the nature of the project, the amount of funds available, and the merits of the proposal, not the number of students working on it.

Not at all. The King Creativity Fund is designed to support students who want to do pursue something that is outside their normal course of study.

No, the Fund would like to help students who have extracurricular ideas. The Fund has supported a variety of projects, including a drum corps, the development of an Indian Culture Month and an independent film society.

Yes, all projects need a faculty or staff mentor/advisor. Any member of the Southwestern University faculty, staff, or administration who knows something about your topic may serve in this role. This means that you can work with a professor, librarian, coach, student life staff member, administrator, etc. You can even have more than one advisor/mentor.

Your advisor/mentor must write a (brief!) letter of recommendation on your behalf. This is required as part of your application: when you complete the proposal GoogleForm, you will click to confirm that you have reached out to your advisor/mentor and that they will be sending a letter along to our team (emailed to Dr. Jessica S. Hower, at howerj@southwestern.edu) by the proposal deadline. The purpose of the letter is to give us another perspective on your project and demonstrate that you will have, in that mentor/advisor, the expertise and support that you need (specific to the project you are pursuing) to be successful. 

After your proposal is accepted, you will work closely with your advisor/mentor over the course of the project–to answer questions, troubleshoot, and otherwise help you achieve your stated ends. 

With the King Creativity Fund, “creative” does not mean only “artistic” in the sense of painting, music, theatre, etc.. While artists and performers are welcome to participate, and frequently do, the Fund thinks of “creativity” in a broader sense: the unusual, different or innovative application of ideas and methods.

Absolutely! The Committee encourages students to try unusual, innovative and daring ideas.

Definitely not. King funds are used to pay for expenses of your project, so they do not count as income that will affect your financial aid.

No, you can do your project anywhere you need to, as long as your advisor is able to work with you, and see the project, and you can present something on campus as part of the Symposium in April.

That’s fine—the joy is in the journey! The King Committee is less interested in outcomes and artifacts than in the process.

The only catch is that, after finishing your project, you have to submit a report to the Committee, and present it at the annual King Creativity Award program and banquet, held on campus near the end of the spring semester.

No, this program is designed for all students, regardless of where they are in their careers at Southwestern!

This fund was not set up to support regular projects that are done in the course of standard curricula. Rather, it is intended to make it possible to try something that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do. Think outside the box!