The Design Writing Fellowship
The Application Process
The Application Process
Applications for the 2026 Design Writing Fellowship are now open and will close on December 1, 2025.
Fellows commit to working on a writing project with help from facilitators in one of the following three areas: Reviews, Articles, or Books. In addition to working on a project independently, the Fellowship includes a three-day, intensive virtual workshop during which participants learn about different modes of publishing, practice different writing strategies, and are introduced to editors. All Fellows must participate in the Design Writing Fellowship Program Workshop, which will be held virtually and synchronously over the course of three days on May 27th, 28th, and 29th.
There is no fee to apply for the Design Writing Fellowship, however there is a $500 fee to participate in it. A formal letter of acceptance will be provided so attendees can apply for funds from their home institutions and pay the workshop fee to reserve their place.
To Apply
Applicants must choose one of the three tracks listed below. All applicants are required to provide:
a CV
a 200-400 word narrative explaining how writing fits into the trajectory of their research/scholarship and why they want to participate in the fellowship
Each track has its own additional application requirements (see below). Submit applications using our convenient online forms (links below).
TRACK APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Track 1: Reviews
This track allows applicants who do not have a project in process to take part in the fellowship and benefit from the experience of workshop facilitators as well as fellow participants. Once accepted, participants will choose a book to review. The goal of this track is to publish finalized reviews in an academic journal. Participants on this track will complete a draft of their review prior to arriving at the workshop but do not need to have a review started in order to apply for the Fellowship.
Along with other application materials, applicants for this track should submit:
a CV
a narrative (200-400 words) explaining how writing fits into the trajectory of your research/scholarship and why you want to participate in the fellowship
a writing sample (200-400 words) or, if you do not have a sample, an expanded narrative describing how you want writing to fit into your creative practice or how it already aligns with your research
To apply to the Reviews Track, click here.
Track 2: Articles (Turning Teaching Into Publishing)
This track is open to applicants who are interested in turning their teaching into publishing in the form of an article for an academic journal. To apply, applicants need not have already begun an article based on their teaching. All who are accepted to this track will be expected to complete a series of four writing exercises over the winter. These will be scaffolded exercises, including and culminating in a rough draft of the article. (For a tentative schedule of assignments, see here.)
The goal of this track is to develop an article for submission to an academic journal. During the Fellowship Workshop, participants in the articles group will receive feedback from facilitators, as well as fellow participants, and will learn about the various steps needed to complete and submit a journal article for publication.
For more information, see track-specific FAQs here.
Applicants to this track should submit:
a CV
a Teaching Innovation Statement (please use the provided template)
a narrative (200-400 words) explaining how writing fits into the trajectory of your research/scholarship and why you want to participate in the fellowship
a writing sample (200-400 words) or, if you do not have a sample, an expanded narrative describing how you want writing to fit into your creative practice or how it already aligns with your research
To apply to the Articles: Turning Teaching into Publishing Track, click here.
Track 3: Books
This track is open to applicants who have already begun work to conceive a book project for publication by an academic or trade press. The goal of this track is to finalize a book proposal for submission to an academic or trade press. During the Fellowship Workshop, participants in the books group will receive feedback from facilitators, as well as fellow participants, and will learn about the various steps needed to complete a book project and submit a proposal to a press for publication.
Applicants to this track should submit:
a CV
a narrative (200-400 words) explaining how writing fits into the trajectory of their research/scholarship and why they want to participate in the fellowship
a book proposal that follows the format of this template (if applicants are working from a specific press’s proposal template, that is also fine, though that should be made clear in the application)
a writing sample (minimum 2000 words) consisting of content from one or more chapter
To apply to the Articles: Turning Teaching into Publishing Track, click here.