Grants from The Catholic Biblical Association of America for the Promotion of Biblical Scholarship

 Application Form    Checklist     Guidelines
Grant Recipients

Application deadline: MAY 15
Applications will be accepted beginning March 1.

PART I: Guidelines

Purpose of the Grants from the CBA

The Catholic Biblical Association of America seeks to promote Biblical Scholarship by providing financial assistance for specific projects advancing these goals. Accordingly, the CBA is offering funding for appropriate Biblical projects under the title:  Grants from the CBA.

CBA will accept applications for grants that deal with Biblical Scholarship broadly conceived. Some examples are:

  • Biblical Scholarship (particularly original research by Catholic scholars)
  • Archaeological Research
  • Academic Conferences where the applicant is making a substantial contribution
  • Research Projects 

No funds can be applied to past projects, but only to future ones. Normally, funds are given for a project that last one year, one semester, or for a short program (e.g. during the summer). In exceptional circumstances, projects longer than a year would be required to apply for grant money each year.

Eligible Applicants

The CBA accepts applications only from Full members of The Catholic Biblical Association of America (CBA) who have paid their membership dues at the time of application. One application, per individual, per year will be accepted for review and possible funding. 

If members of the CBA Committee for Research Support desire to make an application, they must recuse themselves from the committee’s work for the year in which they apply for a grant.

Typical and Maximum Grant Awards

The typical grant will be between $2,000 and $15,000 unless circumstances warrant otherwise.

Application Process and Guide

Applications will be available in English only through The Catholic Biblical Association of America to its membership. If the applicant is working with an Institution or Organization, the name and signature of an official representative of the sponsoring Institution / Organization is required on the application form.

Results of applications will be communicated to each applicant concerning their application.

Applications will be evaluated on the basis of merit. Preference is normally given to applicants who have not received a grant from the CBA in the recent past. Recipients of research grants from the CBA, such as sabbatical grants or dissertation fellowships, are expected to present their supported research in a Research Report or panel at the Annual General Meeting within two years of receiving the grant.

Post-Award Expectations

All applicants that receive funds from the Grants of the CBA will sign a grant agreement containing conditions in addition to those described herein. No project is officially funded until both parties approve and sign a CBA grant agreement. CBA reserves the right to withhold money or cancel a contract for due cause.

Project funding begins with the signing of an agreement and extends through the period agreed to according to the project time line, up to one year. If the grant money is not used within two years of grant notification, it will be automatically canceled. 

The CBA may request distribution rights for funded projects proposed by individuals. The times at which the CBA would exercise these rights are negotiable.

All individual grant recipients agree by their applications to include acknowledgment the help of The Catholic Biblical Association of America in their final products.

All recipients of the Grants from the CBA will be required to submit a post-project final report. Guidelines for completing this report will be provided to the awardees with the award letters. In general, all final reports will document how the funds awarded were used assess the project's outcomes in relation to defined goals, and detail the audience and effectiveness of the project.

Recipients of Grants from the CBA will normally be expected to present a portion of their funded research to CBA membership within two years of the conclusion of their grant period. Grant recipients are especially encouraged to deliver a research report or other (e.g., Continuing Seminar, Task Force, panel) presentation of their funded research at the AGM.

Note: monies remaining over and not accounted for will be returned to The CBA by three months after the end date of the project agreed upon in the contract.

Summary of Application Process

  • Applications received by CBA (cba-office@cua.edu) by MAY 15. 
    N.B. if within a week of submitting your application, you have not received from the CBA Office an email response confirming receipt of the application, please call the office (202-319-5519) and leave a message.
  • CBA reviews proposals and makes final determination by JULY 1.
  • CBA notifies applicants by JULY 10.
  • Preparation and signature of grant agreement.
  • Payments to recipients by check, electronic transfer, or wire transfer.
  • Follow-up and evaluation.

Funding of any future projects is conditioned on receipt of reports for previous project(s).

PART II: Instructions for Preparing a Grant Application

Only grant applications from Full Members of The Catholic Biblical Association of America who have currently paid their CBA membership dues will be considered.

Project Title: Please give the project a short, descriptive title.

Project Description and Budget: All applications must clearly state the project's purpose, activities, costs, resources, relevant experience of the applicant or project principals, desired outcomes and systems of accountability. Describe the area and people to be effected directly by the project. Applications must include a complete financial budget. Summarize the budget on the application form and attach a detailed budget.

Signatures: All applications must be signed by the primary CBA member heading the project.

Deadline: Submit all application materials to the CBA (cba-office@cua.edu) as an attachment by MAY 15.

All applications must be submitted with the electronic form provided. In order to assist you in submitting all required materials, we have provided a list below that recapitulates the required information.

A properly completed application will include all of the following items:

  1. Completed "Grant Application Form"

  2. Project Description (Detailed) including:
    1. Detailed Description of Project (A clear statement of the thesis, scope, and argument of the project. Requests for travel funds must explain  why the travel is necessary for the project.)
    2. Benefits and Importance of Project
    3. A bibliography of twenty secondary sources most directly relevant to the project.
    4. Distribution / Promotion of Results

  3. Relevant Experience of Applicant(s)—including specify ways the applicant has been active in the CBA (e.g., attendance at AGM, participation in online programs, service on editorial board, publication in CBQ, CBQMS, or CBQ Imprints, committee service, chairing committee(s), service as officer, sponsorship of new members).

  4. Proposed Detail Budget

  5. Proposed Timeline

  6. Evaluation Process Following Completion of Project

  7. CV of Applicant(s)—no more than four pages single-spaced.

  8. Check List filled out

General Guidance

Be concise, but thorough. Emphasize the facts. Answer only the questions asked. If citing statistics, provide original sources. Do not include attachments (e.g., brochures, newsletters, newspaper clippings, etc.) unless directly relevant to a program for which funding is requested. 

N.B. The CBA Office will acknowledge receipt of all applications via a reply email. If you have not received an email response, please check your SPAM folder. If there is not a response, call the CBA Office (202.319.5519) and leave a message. The staff will return the call within business hours (M-F, 9am-5pm).

Criteria employed by the CBA Committee on Research Support

  1. Eligible applicants should be involved in the CBA, e.g., attending annual meetings periodically, being part of a CBA board, publishing in CBA venues such as CBQ, CBQMS, etc. The application should be specific about this involvement.
  2. CBA grants are not meant to fund doctoral studies.
  3. Applications should be specific about the contribution the project makes to biblical scholarship, especially Catholic biblical scholarship.
  4. Applications should include a one-page bibliography of salient relevant works pertaining to the topic.


Contact

The Catholic Biblical Association of America
431 Caldwell Hall
The Catholic University of America
620 Michigan Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20064 
United States

Phone: 202.319.5519 (Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM, Eastern, leave a message) 
Email: cba-office@cua.edu