RESEARCH GRANT: CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Purpose: The purpose of this call for proposals is to fund studies which increase our understanding of group work. Two grants of up to $1,000 each will be awarded for research projects which meet the criteria listed below. Projects must address at least one of the following focus areas: group leadership, group membership, group processes, or training and supervision in group work practice. Projects may also address any of the four group work types (i.e., task, psychoeducational, counseling, or psychotherapy), as well as mixed groups.

Who May Apply: Professional and student members of ASGW are eligible to apply for this grant. The Principal Investigator and any co-investigators must be ASGW members at the time the application is submitted. Student researchers are especially encouraged to apply. Individuals may submit (or be a member of a submission team) for only one proposal. Multiple submissions by any researcher (individually or as part of multiple research teams) will not be accepted.

Grant Award Period: 1 year (January 1, 2023-December 31, 2023)

Deadline for Proposal Submission:

The deadline for proposal submission is Friday, October 14, 2022 @ 11:59pm EST. Funding decisions will be made by November 30, 2022, and recipients will be notified by December 9, 2022. Recipients will be recognized at the ACA conference 2023. Recipient(s) are encouraged to be present to accept their award.

Proposal Submission Instructions:

Submit one copy of the proposal with cover page and proof of ASGW membership to Dr. Yanhong Liu (yliu363@syr.edu), ASGW Research Committee Chair. Include the phrase, “ASGW Research Grant” in your email subject line. The cover page should include the following information: Project title, Principal Investigator’s name, title, organizational affiliation, address, telephone number, and email. The cover page should also include the names, titles, affiliations, and email addresses of all co-investigators. Proof of ASGW membership for all investigators should also be attached.

In addition, please submit one blind copy of the proposal that contains no identifying information about the investigators in the title page, page headers, or text. Proposals containing any identifying information or submissions that do not include one blind copy will be disqualified.

Proposal Format:

Proposals must adhere to the following format:

APA 7^th edition.
The proposal may be a maximumof six double-spaced pages, including a brief budget. Proposals exceeding the six -page limit will not be considered.
Title page, references, and appendices will not be counted in the six-page limit.
Documents must be submitted in PDF format.

Proposal Outline:

Proposals must include the following sections:

Abstract (250 words or less)
Background/Rationale
Methodology
Ethical Considerations
Project Timeline
Budget
Plan(s) for Dissemination
References
Essential Appendices

Evaluation Criteria:

Research proposals will be evaluated by ASGW’s Research Committee and scored on a 5-point scale for the following areas:

Quality of the Proposed Research: Proposed topic is within the scope of group work, with a research question centered on better understanding group leadership, group membership, group processes, or training and supervision in group work. The work is innovative.
Relevance: The proposed topic is relevant to group work as evidenced by a well-organized, succinct literature review, including diversity, multicultural, or social justice implications.
Research Methodology: The research methodology is well-detailed, appropriate for the research question, and follows accepted practice for quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods design.
Ethical Standards: The proposal addresses ethical standards for research with human subjects. Researcher(s) should include information on whether the proposed research has IRB approval, or if IRB approval is pending. IRB approval is not required for proposal submission; however, award recipients are expected to obtain IRB approval or proof of exempt status for any project funded by ASGW.
Project Timeline: The project timeline clearly shows the chronological order in which key activities will be undertaken and/or completed. The project timeline demonstrates that each key activity/task can be realistically completed during the grant award period.
Budget: Clear, itemized, and research-focused budget. The budget for the research project is sound given the methods and scope of the proposed project. Only expenses budgeted for conducting the study will be considered; presentation expenses and primary researcher remuneration will not be considered. Other funds being used to support the project must be disclosed in the budget. Funds may not be used for time compensation, such as GA work, unless you provide the employee with a 1099 Form submitted to the IRS. The budget may include payment for time if the recipient (e.g., transcription company, statistical consultant) accounts for the self-employment or business income and provides a receipt. Receipts must be maintained by the Principal Investigator and made available upon ASGW request.
Plan for Dissemination: The proposal must contain a clear, feasible, and appropriate plan for dissemination of research findings.

Award Terms:

Final Report: As a condition of accepting the grant award, awardees are required to submit a final report no later than six months after the end of the one-year award period. As part of the final report, awardees will either:
- Provide proof of proposal submission for presenting project findings at the biannual ASGW Conference. A presentation at the ACA World Conference, ACES Conference, or other Division conference(s) would be acceptable alternative outlets.

Provide proof of manuscript submission of the project findings to a refereed journal for publication consideration. As the flagship journal of our Division, we strongly encourage submissions to the Journal of Specialists in Group Work.

Acknowledgment of Support and Agreement: The researcher(s) will include an acknowledgment of ASGW’s financial support in all reports, presentations, or publications related to the approved project.
Unspent funds will be returned directly to the Association for Specialists in Group Work.

Requests for further information should be directed to ASGW Research Committee Chair, Dr. Yanhong Liu (yliu363@syr.edu).