SPIRITUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH AWARDS

The Spirituality in Higher Education project at UCLA is now soliciting proposals from investigators who would like to conduct original research using a new and unique national longitudinal data base on undergraduates. Housed at UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) and supported by the John Templeton Foundation, this project has assembled a data base that focuses on students’ spiritual and religious development during the first three undergraduate years (Fall 2004 through Spring 2007). The longitudinal data base, which includes 14,527 students attending 136 institutions of all types, offers a unique opportunity to study a wide range of issues relating to students’ beliefs, values, and spiritual life. The purpose of this competition is to stimulate and encourage the study of students’ spiritual development in higher education by engaging qualified scholars in original research that utilizes these data.

For those investigators who wish to perform descriptive analyses of very small subpopulations (e.g., particular religious denominations), a second data base of 112,000 entering freshmen (Fall 2004) at 236 institutions is also available. Proposals may utilize only one of the two data bases.

Funded researchers will be required to attend two meetings at UCLA (travel expenses to be reimbursed by the Spirituality in Higher Education Project):

1. A one-day awardees’ meeting where project staff can answer questions regarding the data and the project on May 26, 2009 (attendees may want to arrive a day early); and
2. A final symposium where investigators will present and discuss their findings December 7-8, 2009.

Awards will be made to 10-15 recipients in the amount of $10,000 each. Recipients will be contracted with to conduct original research using the project data to prepare a final report of the findings. Awards will be paid in three installments ($2,000 upon selection; $3,000 upon receipt of midway progress report; and $5,000 upon receipt of final, publication-quality paper)

The deadline for receipt of proposals is March 1, 2009. All notifications will be made by April 15, 2009.