http://www.aarweb.org/programs/grants/Research/individual.asp
Individual Research Grants
Deadline: August 1
To fulfill its commitment to advance research in religion, the AAR each year grants awards ranging from $500 to $5000 to support projects proposed by AAR members and selected by the AAR Research Grants Review Committee. These projects can be either collaborative or individual.
These grants provide support for important aspects of research such as travel to archives and libraries, research assistance, field work, and released time. Grant awards range from $500 to $5000.
Funds are not provided for dissertation research, publication expenses, nor travel to attend the AAR Annual Meeting.
Grant Cycle
Proposals must be received at the AAR executive office by August 1. Award notification letters will be sent by the end of October. Project award funds are disbursed soon thereafter. The research project expenses can be undertaken anytime within that academic year up to the end of the following calendar year. For example, a proposal received August 1, 1999, and awarded in September may receive funds in October for project expenses incurred anytime from August 1999 to December 2000. Awardees are asked to submit an expense report as well as a brief report on the research supported by the AAR grant by the end of the next calendar year (2000 in our example).
Qualifications
- Applicants must be current AAR members who have been in good standing for the previous three years.
- Applicants will not be considered who have received an AAR Research Award in the previous five years.
- Applicants must have completed the doctorate.
Application Process
Applicants should submit their materials through the online research grants proposal submission form. The research grants online submission system is open between May 1 and August 1.
Applicants should be prepared to upload the following materials:
- Cover page that includes the following:
- Your name
- Your institutional affiliation
- Title of the project
- The grant type - Individual or Collaborative
- Abstract of 50 words or fewer describing the project
- Project Budget (List budget items with amounts. Explanation of these expense items can be included in the two page description of the project. Also list other sources of support - e.g., funds granted by your institution, funds requested from outside agencies - and indicate the total award amount sought from the AAR.)
- Two-page focused description of the research project that details its aims and significance and explains how the award would be used. Collaborative project descriptions should include brief descriptions of the scholarly role of each collaborator and a plan to have the research published.
- Curriculum Vitae of no more than two pages. Collaborative project proposals should include CVs of no more than two pages for each collaborator.
Additional material will not be considered, nor will incomplete proposals be considered.
Application materials must uploaded by August 1. We do not accept hardcopies of proposals.
Criteria for Evaluation
All grant proposals (collaborative and individual) will be assessed by the AAR Research Grants Review Committee using the following criteria:
- Clarity and focus of the research to be pursued
- Contribution to scholarship in a field or subfield of religion and significance of the contribution for advancing the understanding of religion or for advancing interdisciplinary discussions between religion and other humanistic and social science disciplines
- Adequacy of the overall work plan, including goals, objectives, and time frame for the completion of the project.
Contact Information
Send direct inquiries to Jessica Davenport at jdavenport@aarweb.org or call 404-727-4707.
