Conference Scholarships

RWA Spectrum Grant
Daylight Scholarship
Kate Duffy Memorial Fund
Sherrilyn Kenyon Grant
Cathie Linz Memorial Fund
Beverly Jenkins Diverse Voices Sponsorship
2019 First-Timers Scholarship

RWA Spectrum Grant

The purpose of the RWA Spectrum conference grants is to demonstrate RWA’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity by ensuring that authors of Diverse Background are represented at RWA’s National Conference. RWA wants to affirm the principle that when Romance authors and the Romance genre more closely reflect the diversity of society, RWA, the publishing industry, and readers will benefit. The grant is available to published or unpublished authors, be they members or non-members of RWA.

Per RWA's Policy and Procedure Manual, "Diverse Background" refers to a member of RWA who comes from a historically underrepresented background. These backgrounds include, but are not limited to, underrepresented communities of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, and religion.

Each grant will provide conference registration, attendance at the Librarian Day breakfast or luncheon, plus $1,000 for travel. Non-monetary benefits may include:
  • Consideration for conference programming and inclusion on panels
  • Participation in the Literacy Autographing
  • Inclusion on RWA’s VIP list for invitations to receptions and parties

The 2019 Application Deadline has passed. 

 

Daylight Scholarship

The Daylight Scholarship, funded by Sylvia Day, will award up to five scholarships for the payment of conference registration fees for the RWA Conference. Applicants must be RWA members who are 2018 or 2019 RITA finalists. Members may apply by submitting a personal letter stating their financial need, their serious pursuit of a romance writing career, and why they believe attendance at the conference in the year of their application will benefit their romance writing career.

The fund is overseen by Romance Writers of America. Email info@rwa.org with questions.

Application deadline: April 15, 2019.

 

Kate Duffy Memorial Fund

The Kate Duffy Memorial Fund honors the memory of Kate Duffy, a longtime editor for Kensington Publishing, who passed away in September 2009. The fund will award a scholarship for the payment of conference registration fees for the RWA Conference. Applicants must be RWA members who are PAN eligible.  Applicants will be asked to include a statement stating the applicant’s financial need, their serious pursuit of a romance writing career, and why they believe attendance at the conference in the year of their application will benefit their romance writing career.

Scholarship funds will be disbursed to the extent that member donations made to the Kate Duffy Memorial Fund cover the disbursement. The fund is overseen by Romance Writers of America.

Application deadline: April 15, 2019.

 

If you would like to donate to the Kate Duffy Memorial Fund, email accounting@rwa.org.

 

 

Cathie Linz Memorial Fund

RWA established a memorial fund to honor the memory of romance author and first RWA Library Liaison Cathie Linz, who passed away in March 2015. The fund will award at least four scholarships for the payment of registration fees for the Librarians Day portion of the RWA Conference. Applicants should be librarians, library school students, or library paraprofessionals providing services related to popular romance fiction or interested in learning more about the genre. Email libraries@rwa.org with questions. Application deadline: April 15, 2019. Award recipients will be notified by May 15, 2019.

Application deadline: April 15, 2019.

If you would like to donate to the Cathie Linz Memorial Fund, email accounting@rwa.org.

 

 

Beverly Jenkins Diverse Voices Sponsorship

Avon Books, in honor of romance trailblazer Beverly Jenkins, established the Beverly Jenkins Diverse Voices Sponsorship to encourage writers from Diverse Backgrounds to be more fully represented at the RWA annual conference. Current members of RWA who have entered the Golden Heart or RITA Award Contests and meet RWA's definition of being from a Diverse Background are eligible to enter. One recipient will be selected from among the eligible applications.

Per RWA's Policy and Procedure Manual, "Diverse Background" refers to a member of RWA who comes from a historically underrepresented background. These backgrounds include, but are not limited to, underrepresented communities of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, and religion.

Avon Books will provide the following for the Sponsorship Recipient:
  • Conference registration
  • Travel and lodging (up to $2,500)
  • A one-on-one meeting with a member of the Avon Books editorial team
  • An invitation to several exclusive Avon events during the annual conference
Applications will be sent to RITA entrants following the current year's deadline for book submissions. Applications will be sent to Golden Heart entrants following the current year's entry deadline. 

The 2019 Application Deadline has passed. 

 

 

2019 First-Timers Scholarship

Funded by an anonymous member paying forward the scholarship they received for their first conference, the First-Timers Scholarship will award one scholarship for the payment of the conference registration fee for RWA2019. Applicants must be RWA members who have never attended an RWA Annual Conference before. Members may apply by filling out the linked application, which asks applicants to state their financial need, their serious pursuit of a romance writing career, and why they believe attendance at the conference in the year of their application will benefit their romance writing career.
 
The fund is overseen by Romance Writers of America. Email communications@rwa.org with questions.

The 2019 Application Deadline has passed.