2024 ACR-AMA Grants on TCR: 2024 ACR-AMA Grants on Transformative Consumer Research

Transformative Consumer Research (TCR) focuses on matters of well-being. TCR projects leverage social science theories to conduct rigorous research designed to develop insights that can be acted upon by consumers and/or their agents (e.g., family members, professional caregivers, NGOs, policy makers, social enterprises, organizations). The purpose of TCR is to uphold and improve well-being for individuals, subgroups, societies, and/or the natural environment.

Purpose: The TCR Small Grant program is designed to:

1. encourage innovative exploratory inquiry that is consistent with TCR’s mission: About us | TCR (tcrwebsite.org).
2. provide seed funding* or supplemental funding for projects where early empirical confirmation is likely to fuel future research projects or facilitate pursuit of larger grants from other agencies and organizations.
3. support research with the potential to create positive societal impact.
4. prioritize funding support for researchers within the TCR community working at institutions and in parts of the world where research funding is scarce.

*Funding for most grants will range from $1,000-$3,000.

*This is not a comprehensive list, only a set of examples.

Submission Guidelines

Proposal Details: Submissions should include a 3-4 page project proposal that clearly outlines the project. Details to guide you in creating your proposal are outlined below:

Proposal sections should NOT include any personally identifiable information to facilitate double-blind review. Please submit a PDF file to the submission website and include the following sections (4-pages MAX):

1. Project Title
2. Keywords: Please supply 3-5 keywords for your project
3. Brief Project Abstract: Write a brief abstract (Max 150 words) that provides a high-level view of your project including your research question or focus, planned methods of inquiry, expected outcome, and the potential impact of the project.
4. Brief Literature Overview: Clearly, but concisely, connect your planned research project to a body of literature. Highlight what is known but importantly how your research will make a contribution to advance the body of work.
5. Overview of the Project Planned: Clearly state your research question and then describe your planned research methods. Be sure to provide sufficient detail that reviewers can evaluate your methods but also evaluate how the proposed methods of inquiry align with your budget proposal for this grant.
6. Research Impact: Describe the impact of your planned project across at least three dimensions:
   • What is the expected contribution of your work?
   • How does this research connect to the TCR mission? How might this research create positive societal impact?
   • How will this funding set you/your team up to conduct future research or facilitate your pursuit of grants/funding in the future?
7. Research Ethics Statement: Briefly state how you will ensure your research meets ethical guidelines for conducting research (e.g., seeking approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee).
8. Project Timeline: Provide a brief overview of your planned project timeline.
9. Overview of the Project Budget/Request for Funding: Provide an outline of the research budget. Be sure to review the overview of acceptable research expenses that can be covered by the TCR Small Grant Program (outlined above).

Personal Details submitted through website should include:

1. Personal Details: Name, position/title, email, address and (optionally) the web page of the principal investigator.
2. Institution Details: The name, website, country/region, organization (e.g., university name) of the principal investigator. List of all co-investigators and their institutions associated with the proposal.
3. Proposal Details: Title and abstract of the grant proposal. Please also INCLUDE the total of the funding request in U.S. dollars. This information would be used on the TCR website to describe the proposal if selected for funding.
4. OPTIONAL Statement of Financial Need: If you are applying for funding and work at an institution or in a country where research funding is scarce, please ADD a statement of finanical need BELOW the abstract in the submission window. Clearly separate this Statement of Finanical Need from your project abstract. How will this funding facilitate your ability to conduct research? Only include this in your submission window (not within the full proposal PDF).

Submit your proposal and personal to the submission website by the EXTENDED due date of September 15, 2024.

Evaluation Criteria

Criteria for Evaluation: Proposals will be double-blind reviewed by 2-3 members of the TCR research community and scored according to a rubric that evaluates the following elements (excellent - above average - below average - not acceptable)

• Abstract clearly and concisely proposes a project with a clear connection to the TCR mission.
• Literature review grounds the research and spotlights an opportunity for their research to make a contribution.
• Planned project is clearly explained, methods planned seem appropriate for the research question proposed, and rigorous.
• Research aligns with TCR mission and has potential for societal impact. Articulates a path for future research.
• Project timeline and budget proposed are feasible.
• TCR prioritizes funding for researchers with strong proposals who work in institutions or countries where other funding for research is scarce.

Decisions: Notifications of funding decisions will go out on November 1, 2024. Should your proposal be accepted, you will be required to comply with the following guidelines:

1. Agree to the funding requirements outlined above (e.g., funding may not be used for salary/researcher compensation or university overhead/indirect costs).
2. Seek approval of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee.
3. Complete the appropriate U.S. tax forms, required for BOTH domestic and international researchers. All ACR research payments are reported annually to the United States Internal Revenue Service as ACR non-employee compensation.
4. Acknowledge the funding support from the Transformative Consumer Research (TCR) Committee, the Association for Consumer Research (ACR), and the American Marketing Association (AMA) in any presentation, publications or press communiqués associated with this research project.
5. Provide a brief close report, one year after the financial award is distributed.

Contact

The proposal and cover letter should be uploaded per the instructions above. DO NOT send proposals via mail or email.

Questions about this CFP can be sent to:

• Melissa G. Bublitz (TCR Small Grant Coordinator)
• Advisory Committee on Transformative Consumer Research
• School of Human Ecology | University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 4220 Nancy Nicholas Hall | 1300 Linden Drive
• Madison, Wisconsin 53706
• mgbublitz@wisc.edu