Sponsored by Division 15’s Policy Committee
Division 15 invites proposals for educational psychology research projects that have direct implications for educational policy. We consider proposals from different theoretical and methodological perspectives, and encourage scholars with diverse backgrounds to apply. Proposals should address pressing issues in education (broadly defined) and be explicit about the policy implications.
Proposal Requirements
Qualifications
All PIs must hold a doctorate and must be fellows, members, associates, or affiliates of Division 15. Individuals who are not currently APA or Division 15 members should consult the Division 15 website on how to become a member at www.apadiv15.org/join. Doctoral candidates can serve as Co-PIs (i.e., they are welcome to apply as collaborators of scholars with conferred doctoral degrees). Applications will be considered from individuals working in educational organizations (e.g., higher education institutions, school districts), research and development organizations, or other research venues that include a research ethics committee and can administer the funds.
Monetary Award
The grant program will allocate up to $12,500 to fund multiple grants ranging from $1,000-$5,000. Funds are awarded in one lump sum, to the recipient’s institution. The institution must agree to be responsible for administering the funds and accounting to the IRS. These funds cannot be used to pay indirect costs; funds are only provided for direct costs associated with conducting the research. As an example, funds may be used to pay for research assistant time, technology tools directly related to the research activities, participant incentives, and for travel to the APA conference. Funds may not be used for salary or stipends, APA Division 15 membership, or fees/travel to non-APA affiliated meetings/conferences.
What to Submit
- A Title Page with the title of the research proposal, author name(s), institution(s), address(es), email address(es), and abstract (150-200 words).
- A Blinded Project Narrative of up to 2000 words describing the proposed research, structured with the following sections:
- Statement of the Problem: Describe the problem that the research will attempt to address and the population that will benefit.
- Theoretical Framework: Explain the theoretical basis for this research.
- Research Question(s): State the research question(s) and describe how they align with the call for proposals.
- Research Design: Describe the research design, demonstrating how it is appropriate for the proposed project and aligned with the research question(s).
- Relevance for Policy: Explain the potential for this project to impact stakeholders and policy decision-makers.
- The references, tables (up to 2) and/or figures (up to 2) are not counted toward the word limit.
- Make sure to remove authors’ names in the project narrative.
- A 1-page Budget outlining how the monies will be expended and justification for why the funds are needed.
- A Timeline that includes the start and end dates of the project, as well as key project events and milestones including a plan for disseminating your work.
- A Current Vita for each author listed, including date of conferral of doctoral degree (or date of expected graduation).
- A Letter of Support from your institution, indicating the institution’s capacity to administer the funds (if awarded) and acknowledging the grant will not pay any indirect costs.
The policy committee will conduct a blind review of all proposals. Therefore, please use this form (https://forms.gle/KZBYLugzgkN76WGu8) to submit your PDF application. All submission components should be uploaded in 1 PDF file which can not exceed 10 MB. Your PDF should be labeled as LastName_Div15_2023.pdf. Please also complete all other fields on the form.
When to Apply
Completed applications should be submitted by no later than 11:59 PM (EST) on April 30, 2023. Awardees will be notified by June 1, 2023 for projects slated to begin no earlier than July 1, 2023. Project end dates should be no later than December 1, 2024.
Criteria and Obligations
Proposals will be evaluated based on their potential contribution to educational psychology and their scientific merits inclusive of the theoretical grounding of the work, the soundness of the methods, and the implications of the potential findings for policy and/or practice in educational psychology. The criteria for evaluation can be found below. Awardees will be expected to:
- Submit a 1-page final report at the end of the proposed project (December 1, 2024).
- Submit a proposal to present their findings at the 2025 Annual APA Conference.
- If invited, present their experiences and learning throughout the project at a future APA Conference invited session.
- Acknowledge the division in any presentations or publications that result from this funding.
Questions? Please contact Benjamin Brock at [email protected]
Criteria for Evaluation
Each of the below criteria will be evaluated on the following scale:
2 – Exceptional
1 – Meets Criteria
0 – Does Not Meet Criteria
- Describes the roles of a specific educational policy or practice.
- Addresses a pressing issue in education
- Has the potential to meaningfully contribute to the field of educational psychology.
- Research focus is clear and aligns with the call for proposals.
- Theoretical framework is clearly explained and appropriate for the goals of the proposed project.
- Research question(s) are clearly stated and aligned with the call for proposals.
- Research design is appropriate for the proposed project and aligned with the research question(s).
- Budget is identified and includes appropriate justifications for the use of funds.
- Timeline is identified and appropriate for the proposed project.
- Dissemination plan is well-thought out and appropriate.
- All application materials are submitted.