The William George Shuster Research Grant for Young Scholars

Purpose of the Grant

Established as a memorial to William George Shuster by his brothers Ron and Bob, the William George Shuster Research Grant for Young Scholars supports study at the Marion E. Wade Center in Wheaton, IL, which archives published works and unpublished papers by and about C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams. The grant is designed to encourage young scholars to visit the Wade Center and engage in archival research on one or more of the Wade authors with a goal for presentation or publication. Awards will be for travel-related expenses, including meals and housing, and will typically range from $250 to $1,000, which may not cover all the projected expenses of an applicant.

About William George Shuster

William George Shuster (1946-2017) graduated from Wheaton College in 1968. After serving two years in the Army, he worked as a reporter on a number of local papers in southeast Pennsylvania, where he grew up. He then went into business journalism, winning many awards and authoring the book Legacy of Leadership (2003). Dedicated to sharing his Christian faith and loving the people he encountered every day, George found inspiration in the books of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Dorothy L. Sayers.

Criteria for Shuster Grant Awards

• Shuster research grants are awarded based on proposals that entail archival research on the premises of the Marion E. Wade Center in Wheaton, IL
• Applicants must be currently enrolled in high school, college, or graduate school, or else be early in their post doctorate career
• Applicants must live seventy-five miles or more from the Wade Center
• Preference will be given to scholars who have never before studied at the Wade  
• Though it is possible to receive a Shuster Grant in successive years, preference will be given to new applicants
• The Wade Center reserves the right to not award a grant in any given year

Applicants are expected to

• Familiarize themselves with published and unpublished materials relevant to their research project that are listed on the Wade Center website
• Complete and submit all components of the application during the month of April in any given year
• Obtain one recommendation from someone who can attest to the quality of the applicant’s academic work, including the person’s relationship to the applicant as well as his/her confidence in the likelihood that the project will be completed for presentation or publication
• Anticipate email notification by May 15 as to whether they have received the grant
• Feel welcome to apply in successive years

Grant Recipients

• Should plan to present their travel, housing, and meal receipts to the Wade Office Manager at the end of their visit, so that their reimbursement can be granted within 30 days
• Are responsible for any government-imposed taxes on the grant income
• In order to qualify for an exemption, international recipients must have an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) and either complete a W-8BEN to claim the exemption or file a US tax return to apply for a refund. Exemptions depend upon the scholar’s citizenship and cannot be guaranteed by the Wade.
• Other responsibilities of the grant recipient:
  • Visit within a year after the grant is awarded, with the understanding that if the research visit does not occur within a year, the grant may be rescinded by the Wade
  • Check with the Wade to schedule or change their research dates
  • Contact the Wade at least two weeks in advance of their research visit, noting which materials they want to use
  • Provide a one-page report to the Wade within six months of their research visit that outlines the progress of their project
  • Allow the Wade to highlight on its website any public news stories and photographs related to a recipient’s work based upon this research
  • Deposit a copy of any published work resulting from this research with the Wade Center for inclusion in its collection
  • Acknowledge the Marion E. Wade Center and the Shuster Grant in any published or presented work related to this research

To apply for consideration of a Shuster Grant, applications must be submitted during the month of April in any given year:

• Complete the application form
• Submit one Letter of Recommendation, either mailed to the address below or sent via email with subject line “Shuster Grant Recommendation”

Attn: Shuster Research Grant Application Committee
Marion E. Wade Center
Wheaton College
501 College Ave.
Wheaton, IL 60187