Collaborative Research Grants

Successful Grants from Prior Years

Application Deadline: August 1

To fulfill its commitment to advance research in religion, each year the AAR awards grants to support projects proposed by AAR members and selected by the AAR Research Grants Jury. The research projects can be either collaborative or individual.

Grants range from $500 to $5000.

Collaborative research grants are intended to stimulate cooperative research among scholars who have a focus on a clearly identified research project. They may also be used for interdisciplinary work with scholars outside the field of religion, especially when such work shows promise of continuing beyond the year funded. Collaborative project proposals are expected to describe plans for having the results of the research published.

These grants can provide funds for networking and communication. Funds may also be used to support small research conferences. Conference proposals will be considered only if they are designed primarily to advance research. Conferences presenting papers that report on previous research will not be considered. 

Funds are not provided for research assistance, supplemental salary, stipends, released time, publication and/or subvention costs, transcription costs, or travel to attend the AAR Annual Meeting.

Please view the Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.

2019–2020 Research Grant Application Cycle: May 1 to August 1, 2019

Deadline: Proposals must be uploaded to the AAR website by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on August 1, 2019.
 

General Information

• Notification of the application status will be sent to the Project Director by January 31, 2020.
• For awarded projects, funds are disbursed January 1 through June 30 of the award year.
• For awarded projects, expenses can be undertaken anytime within the calendar year of the award year.
• By January 31 of the following calendar year, awardees must submit an expense report as well as a brief report on the research supported by the AAR grant.
• The Project Directors must maintain their AAR membership throughout the grant period.

Qualifications and Eligibility Requirements

A group must apply through an AAR member designated as the Project Director. The Project Director must meet the qualifications and membership eligibility requirements. Not all project collaborators need to be AAR members.

• All Project Directors must be current members of the AAR and must maintain their AAR membership throughout the grant period.
• The Project Director must be a current AAR member and have been a member for at least the previous year. To be eligible to apply for the 2019-2020 grant cycle, a Project Director must be a 2019 AAR member and have been a 2018 AAR member as well.
• Groups cannot have a Project Director or collaborator who has received an AAR research grant in the previous five (5) years. For the 2019–2020 grant cycle, this includes any previous research grants received after 2014.
• Project Directors must have completed the doctorate.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit their application and materials through the AAR’s online Research Grant Proposal Submission system.

Hard copies or e-mailed copies of application materials will not be accepted.  

Applicants should be prepared to upload the following required materials. All of the proposal materials should be compiled into a single document in PDF or Word format:

1. COVER PAGE - Include the following:

• Project Director's name
• Project Director's institutional affiliation (if applicable)
• Project title
• Grant type—individual or collaborative
• Requested grant amount (USD)

2. ABSTRACT

• 50 words or fewer describing the project

3. PROJECT BUDGET

• List budget items with amounts; explanation of these expense items can be included in the two-page description of the project
• 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

4. TWO-PAGE FOCUSED DESCRIPTION

• Description of the research project with details about the aims and significance, and explanation about 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

5. CURRICULUM VITAE

• No more than two pages. Collaborative project proposals should include CVs of no more than two pages for each collaborator

Please note the following: Additional material will not be considered. Incomplete proposals will not be considered.

Criteria for Evaluation

All eligible research grant proposals (collaborative and individual) will be reviewed and assessed by the AAR Research Grants Jury 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 researchgrants@aarweb.org.