ASA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants

ASA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: American Sociological Association
Amount: Up to US $16,000
Last Updated: August 05, 2025

Summary

The ASA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants support doctoral students in sociology conducting empirical research. With a focus on advancing sociological knowledge, the program offers up to 25 awards of $16,000 each. Recipients not only receive financial aid but also gain membership to the American Sociological Association and registration for the ASA Annual Meeting, promoting engagement in the sociological community and enhancing research capabilities.

Overview

Background The American Sociological Association, founded in 1905, is the national professional membership association for sociologists and others who are interested in sociology. ASA members include students, faculty working in a full range of institutions, and people working in government agencies and nonprofit and private sector organizations. Mission ASA’s mission is to serve sociologists in their work, advance sociology as a science and profession, and promote the contributions and use of sociology to society. Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants Up to 25 awards of a maximum of $16,000 each will be given each year to support highly talented doctoral students who are conducting cutting-edge sociological research that has the potential to both advance scientific knowledge and contribute to the public good. Along with this direct support, ASA DDRIG recipients will receive one year of membership to ASA as well as registration to the ASA Annual Meeting.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Proposals must be submitted by a Research Scholar who meets all of the following criteria at the time of application:Applicants must be doctoral students enrolled at a PhD-granting institution of higher education accredited in and whose campus is physically located in the United States.Applicants must have completed all departmental pre-dissertation requirements at the time of their application, including having successfully completed all coursework, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation prospectus defense, or equivalent.Applicants must be sponsored by a faculty member at the institution where the applicant is enrolled. This is typically the dissertation advisor, but it does not have to be. Applicants do not need to be in sociology PhD programs, but their projects should utilize a sociological perspective, be based in the sociological literature, and clearly contribute to the advancement of sociological knowledge.There are no restrictions on the number of applications that can be submitted from a single institution.There is no limit on the number of times that a person can serve as a sponsor, either during a specific funding round or over the course of the faculty member’s career.Use of FundsGrant funds can be used for costs directly associated with conducting research, such as: travel expenses to research sitesdata collection activitiesdata transcription or translation servicesequipmentpayments to research subjects or research assistantsany necessary trainingLiving expenses, including dependent care, are also allowed, as are travel expenses to attend professional meetings, including the ASA Annual Meeting.

Ineligibility

ASA Officers (as defined in Article IV of the ASA bylaws) are not eligible to be research sponsors on ASA DDRIG proposals. Applicants may not have previously received an NSF-funded DDRIG, whether administered directly by NSF (such as the DRMS DDRIG), by ASA, or by another organization (such as the APSA DDRIG or ASU LSDG).Indirect costs are not permitted.