AOFYE Research Grant Guidelines - Grant Application Open Until April 28th!

RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATION - click here

AOFYE, in collaboration with the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (NRCFYESIT), invite applicants for their 2021 Research Grant Competition. AOFYE and the NRCFYESIT will jointly award one grant in the amount of $750 to promote original, descriptive, or evaluative research; philosophical studies; or institutional assessment or evaluation on issues surrounding admissions, orientation, and/or the first-year experience. Scholars from around the globe are invited to submit applications for this grant.

Please contact Charmaine Troy at charmaine.troy01@gmail.com at if you have any questions about the grant selection process or submission criteria. To apply for the AOFYE Research grant, please click here.

Grant Eligibility:

All ACPA members are eligible and graduate students in particular are encouraged to apply for this research grant. Research at all stages will be considered, although priority will be given to projects that are further along in the research process (i.e., recently or soon to be completed). The AOFYE Commission and the National Resource Center are equal co-sponsors of the $750 award, which will be paid to the principal investigator of the study. Members of the AOFYE directorate board are not eligible to apply. Because of the funding support provided by the National Resource Center, faculty, staff, and students from the University of South Carolina and its system campuses may not apply.

Grant Selection Timeline:

Completed grant applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST, April 28th, 2021. 

Grant Selection Process and Criteria:

After an initial review to ensure applications are complete and meet all requirements, proposals will be blind-reviewed and evaluated by scholars and practitioners who are current members of ACPA, including AOFYE commission members and staff of the NRCFYESIT. Proposals will be evaluated on the extent to which they:

  • Address an important topic within student affairs in higher education related to admissions, orientation, or the first-year experience;
  • Clearly articulate an original research project that utilizes sound research design and methodology;
  • Have the potential to significantly impact theory, practice, and/or policy related to admissions, orientation, and/or first-year programming;
  • Describe a project that is nearing completion. (Research at all stages will be considered, although priority will be given to projects that are further along in the research process.) 

Grant Requirements:

  • The principal investigator must be a current member of ACPA, and must maintain that membership throughout the term of the grant. Commission membership is not required. Commission Directorate members are not eligible to apply.
  • The principal investigator shall submit a semi-annual progress report to the Commission Chair by August 1 and February 1 for the duration of the research. This report should include notification of any changes in the original project proposal.
  • The principal investigator is expected to submit a final report to the Commission Chair within 90 days of completion of the project. In addition to providing a summary of the project, the final report should articulate the outcomes and implications of the research.
  • The principal investigator is required to submit a program proposal presenting findings of the funded project at an ACPA National Convention after completion of the study. A copy of this proposal shall be submitted to the Commission Chair.
  • Grant recipients are strongly encouraged to submit the study and research findings to an ACPA publication.

Grant Application Procedures:

Applicants for the 2021 AOFYE/NRCFYESIT Research Grant must submit a completed application. In addition to contact information for the principal investigator and any other researcher(s), grant applications must include a proposal consisting of:

  • Title of Proposal
  • A brief (80 words or less) abstract of the proposed research
  • A 3-5 page description of the study (double-spaced with margins no smaller than 1 inch and font no smaller than 11-point), including:
    • Statement of problem/research questions
    • Brief literature review
    • Description of research participants
    • Description of instrument, interview protocol, or other data collection tool
    • Procedures for data collection
    • Description of data analysis
    • Description of findings (preliminary or final)
    • Theoretical and/or practical relevance of the findings for student affairs
  • An appendix that includes a detailed budget and explanation of how the funds will be used, a project timeline, copies of the instruments to be used (if applicable), and a reference list.
  • Link to apply