EMDR Research Foundation: Research Grant Awards

The EMDR Research Foundation, established in 2006, funds research to advance EMDR therapy, a proven trauma treatment. Offering grants up to $40,000, the foundation prioritizes evidence-based practices, addressing global trauma burdens, and enhancing clinical evidence. Eligible applicants include researchers with relevant doctorates and experienced clinicians, fostering collaborations between academia and practice. Proposals are welcomed from both U.S. and international researchers, provided they are submitted in English with budgets in U.S. dollars.

The Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Research Foundation story began in 2006 when it was formed to raise funds to support research in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy. For nearly 20 years, the EMDR Research Foundation has been dedicated to promoting quality, unbiased research in EMDR. With the support of EMDRIA (EMDR International Association) and Dr. Francine Shapiro, the EMDR Research Foundation became an independent 501c (3) non-profit organization.
About EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy approach that has proven effective for the treatment of trauma by approximately 24 randomized controlled trials and has been recommended as a first-line trauma treatment in the international practice guidelines of numerous organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association (2004).
Controlled research studies are needed to evaluate EMDR therapy’s effectiveness with other disorders, as suggested by preliminary research and anecdotal reports.The EMDR Research Foundation recognizes this need with the following research priorities: Advancing Evidence-Based Practice; Addressing the Global Burden of Trauma; and Building Clinical Evidence
EMDR Research Grant Awards
Grant awards of up to $40,000 are available for post-doctoral students, university faculty or clinician conducting research on EMDR.
Areas of Priority
The current research priorities are adopted by the EMDR Research Foundation:
1st Priority – Advancing Evidence-Based Practice: Increase the availability of quality EMDR research in areas where we already have a foot-hold in the literature but where more evidence is needed. Specifically, those areas are in the use of EMDR therapy to treat anxiety, depression, military PTSD, phantom limb pain, and to enhance recovery from the impact of cardiac events and the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
2nd Priority – Addressing the Global Burden of Trauma: Investigate the use of EMDR in natural or man-made disaster responses, by determining the effectiveness of the following protocols: early intervention protocols, the child or adult group protocols, or the use of EMDR standard protocols in disaster response.
3rd Priority – Building Clinical Evidence: There are several areas where EMDR therapy is being used, clinical observations are positive, and there are some research indicators of success. However, more research is needed to build a body of literature in these populations or diagnostic categories, including but not limited to addiction, eating disorders, dissociative disorders, additional medical/somatic conditions, and suicide prevention and to address the impact of suicide.
These priorities apply to research across the lifespan so that a study might address, for example, adolescent addiction, or geriatric depression.

Eligibility

A researcher who has earned a doctorate in social work, psychology, nursing or a related field, who is affiliated with a college, university, or research institution, is eligible to apply for this grant. Practitioners/clinicians who possess relevant research experience are encouraged to apply. Collaborative partnerships between researchers affiliated with a college, university, or research institution and practitioners/clinicians with expertise in EMDR are encouraged and preferred. If the research grant is awarded, the affiliated institution must assume responsibility for and serve as the fiscal agent for the project. The principal investigator will assume responsibility for and serve as the fiscal agent for any project without an institutional affiliation As an international organization the EMDR Foundation accepts proposals from U.S. and international researchers, however, applications must be submitted in English and budgets developed in U.S. dollars.