Call for Research Grant  Applications

The Global Society of Online Literacy Educators (GSOLE) invites interested members to apply for research grants. In this inaugural year, we anticipate making two awards of $500 each.

Application Deadline: February 10,  2017

Focus  of Submissions

GSOLE invites proposals for funding research projects that focus on the teaching or learning of reading, alphabetic writing, and digital composition literacy in online environments. We are most interested in research proposals that

• Investigate effective teaching practices
• (Re)consider current or innovative theories of online literacy instruction
• Examine the technologies used
• Explore the impact of fully online and hybrid learning environments
• Consider online literacy instruction from different stakeholder perspectives

See more information about these areas and a preliminary list of questions at https://www.glosole.org/research-questions.html

Within this context, proposed research projects should contribute to the process of defining, developing, or enhancing educators’ understanding of practices associated with teaching and learning in the online writing classroom or the direct results of such education in various business and technical writing settings. We encourage applications from all segments of writing studies to include, basic writing, ESL, first year writing, and technical and professional communication. Multi-institution proposals are highly encouraged.

 

Organization of the  Proposal

Applicants must be members of GSOLE and should submit a 2–3 page proposal (single spaced, 12- point font, 1 inch margins) with the following sections:

• Cover Page: Provide a cover sheet that includes the following information (does not count against length requirements):
  • Name(s) and institutional affiliations of all individuals who will be participating in the project
  • Name and contact information for the project leader
  • Acknowledgement statement that the submitter (for research done by individuals) or the project leader and the entire research team (for group research projects) are members of GSOLE at the time the proposal is submitted
  • Acknowledgement statement that the researcher(s)/proposal submitter(s) understand(s) and is/are willing to adhere to the obligations of the grant recipient (outlined in the next sections of this call)

• Research Question/Problem: Explain the problem the proposed project is attempting to examine or the research question the proposed project is attempting to In so doing, submitters also need to explain
  • The significance of this problem or question to the field
  • How this proposed project is connected to, is based upon, or builds upon current and previous research into the core online literacies of reading, alphabetic writing, and digital composition

• Research Methods: Provide an overview of the proposed research method(s) and methodology that the researcher or research team plans to use to examine this problem or answer this question
  • How this approach effectively addresses the proposed problem or research question
  • Whether IRB approval at the institutional level is necessary (and, if so, whether it already has been obtained)

• Project Timeline/Schedule: Include an annotated 12-month project timeline that notes
  • The various major research activities/tasks associated with the project
  • When each of these major tasks should be completed
  • What deliverables should result after the completion of each major task
  • What final, overall deliverable should result from the completion of the overall research project Note: If institutional-level IRB approval is necessary for this project, the application for such approval must be included in the project timeline. (Funding will not be released until an IRB approval or exemption has been obtained and submitted to the GSOLE Research Co-Chairs for review.)

• Project Budget: Provide an itemized budget for the various items that would be In presenting this information, note that
  • Institutional overhead and indirect costs are not allowed/not covered
  • Funds may be used for travel and other expenses, supplies, student research assistants (graduate or undergraduate), participant compensation, software, research related to data collection, and other materials essential to conducting the research as proposed
  • Proposals with matching or in-kind contributions are strongly encouraged

• Short CV: Include a short CV of approximately two pages for each member of the research team (these CVs do not count in the page totals)

Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding.

 

Criteria for Selection

Proposed projects will be evaluated for funding based on the following criteria:

Member of GSOLE

• Membership will be verified by GSOLE, and proposals will not be considered if anyone on the research team is not a member of

Significance and connections to online reading, alphabetic writing, and digital composition literacies

• How does the proposal address an important problem/issue that is relevant to GSOLE, its members, and the larger online literacy education community?
• How will scholarly knowledge and educational practice be advanced through this project?
• In what ways does the proposal make clear connections to existing research in the field?
• In what ways is the project innovative and original?

• In what ways does the project employ novel approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies that will help advance knowledge and practice in the online literacy education field?

Methods and methodology

• Are the methods and methodology clearly explained?
• Are the methods and methodology appropriate for the problem being examined or for the research question/s being asked?
• Will the research as described result in useful findings regarding online literacy research and/or practice?
• Is there a clear indication that the IRB process has been or will be completed?
• Can this project be completed within the required 12-18 month time frame?

Budget effectiveness

• Are all costs and expenditures clearly explained?
• Do cost and expenditures make sense in terms of how they are connected to the overall aims of the project and methods presented in the proposal?
• Do the project outcomes justify the project’s expenses?

Requirements  of Grant Recipients

All grant recipients must agree to do the following

• Send formal progress reports at 6 months and 1 year
• Submit a research article to GSOLE’s Research in Online Literacy Education (ROLE) journal or practical project to the Online Literacy Open Resource (OLOR) within one year of the project’s completion. (While submission does not guarantee publication, GSOLE reserves first right of refusal to publish the research stemming from the In either case, the project will undergo peer review with mentoring assistance available.)
• Consent for a summary of the research to be placed on the GSOLE website
• Consent that additional publications or presentations resulting from the research should acknowledge GSOLE grant support for the related project
• Optional: Grant recipients may ask GSOLE to store and share their raw data through the website to the academic

Guidance  and Questions

Questions relating to GSOLE’s Research Grants Program, the proposal submission guidelines, or the proposal submission and review processes should be emailed to Lisa Meloncon and Alice Horning (GSOLE Research Co-Chairs) at research@glosole.org.

Submitting  the Proposal

Proposals should be received by 11:59pm EST February 10, 2017 for full consideration. Email proposals as .rtf, .docx, or .pdf attachments sent to research@glosole.org.

Awards will be announced at the GSOLE meetings of the ATTW/CCCCs in March 2017. An Open- Membership Meeting will be held at 7:00 PM PST on Wednesday, March 15. Meeting room TBA.

The Global Society of Online Literacy Educators (GSOLE) is offering two research fellowships ($500.00 each) in 2017 for scholars who are studying online literacy problems in alphabetic writing, reading, and digital composition. The complete call for applicants is attached to this email.