Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join?

Any individual can become a SIOP Visionary Circle donor. Operated in collaboration with the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Inc. (SIOP), the SIOP Visionary Circle is a charitable program of the SIOP Foundation. SIOP Visionary Circle donors need not be members of the Society, but each must create a SIOP website login account username and password..

When can I join the SIOP Visionary Circle?

You can become a visionary at any time. If you wish to vote in a particular program year, we must receive your pledge or donation by June 30 of the prior year.

What are some of the ways I can make my donation?

Donations can be made several ways, including by credit card or by check. For credit card processing, submit your gift through our online donation platform which opens soon.

To submit via mail, please print and complete the donation form. Please follow instructions and mail check as directed.

Is my donation 100% tax deductible?

Yes, 100% of contributions are tax deductible. SIOP Foundation is a nonprofit organization exempt from federal taxes under the Internal Revenue Code Section (501)(c)(3). EIN 34-1875995

What are my obligations if I join?

Our only requirement is a minimum donation of $1,000. The purpose of the SIOP Visionary Circle is to award innovative project grants. As a Visionary, you will be invited to review the finalists’ proposals, listen to their presentation (either in person or online), and submit your online vote for the winning project. You also have the option to serve various volunteer roles, but it is not a requirement. 

What is the process for the annual Visionary Circle?

Each SIOP Visionary Circle cohort runs from July 1 through June 30. Donors who make their pledge or gift by June 30 will be recognized as a Visionary at the following year’s annual conference. For example, those Visionaries who make or pledge their gift by June 30, 2019 are part of the inaugural Visionary Circle and will be voting on the winning proposal during the 2020 SIOP Conference in Austin, TX. For the second year, those Visionaries who make or pledge their gift after June 30, 2019 but before July 1, 2020 will be part of the 2nd Visionary Circle which will award the research grant at the 2021 annual SIOP Conference.

Can I complete my donation over time?

Yes, you can make a pledge to be paid over a 12-month period. As long as your gift is paid in full by March 31 you will be eligible to vote for that year’s Visionary Circle. In the unlikely event that a pledge is not fulfilled, the donor’s gift to date will be awarded, as intended, to the grant recipient but the donor will not be able to vote for the grant proposal.

Can I contribute publicly traded stock?

Unfortunately no.

I want to give more than $1,000. Do I get more than one vote?

Donors of any amount above $1,000 receive one vote in that grant cycle. Any amount given over $1,000 provides additional funding for the winning project proposals.

If I am unable to attend the annual conference, can I still cast my vote?

Yes, although we strongly encourage attendance at the annual conference, you may vote online. At least 2 weeks prior to the annual conference, the Visionaries for the cohort will receive information on the finalists that have been selected by the awards subcommittee. The presentations will be presented live via the internet. Voting will open immediately after the presentations on Thursday and will close at noon on Saturday. The winning grant proposal will be awarded at the closing plenary.

Are grants awarded to private, non-academic, for-profit organizations?

Yes. 

Are Visionary Circle donors eligible to receive the Visionary Grant?  

Yes. We have consulted legal counsel. Also, the SIOP Awards Committee conflict of interest rules will be followed. In keeping within those guidelines, members of the Visionary Circle Awards Subcommittee are not eligible to submit a proposal for that cycle.  Each visionary donor has only one vote. We recognize the potential for a conflict of interest, but, in fact, the review of letters of intent and then the voting by the visionaries themselves involves so many people from different perspectives that the concern about donor direction of a fund is minimized. So, visionary donors can provide letters of intent, and if they were to be selected in the first round to submit a full proposal, they would continue to be eligible.

Are master’s students allowed to participate?  

We require only that the project director be a current SIOP member.   Note the lower case “m” in “member”.  Thus, for every Student Affiliate member of SIOP, the answer is yes.  The same is true for Associate members.  Non-members are allowed to be members of project teams whether they are SIOP members or not.

By what date do you have to be a SIOP member?

The membership year is July 1 thru June 30. Your dues will need to be current when you upload the Letter of Intent.

Is it okay for a multidisciplinary team of researchers to join an I/O psychologist to submit a proposal? Or are you looking primarily for I/O psych researchers?

That's an interesting nuance and we would accept the multi-disciplinary team if there is an I-O psychologist willing to take them on. We are willing to read the Letter of Intent and render a decision by the end of July.

In the above question, there is phrasing that states… “if there is an I-O psychologist willing to take them on”.  Does this phrasing mean that the project director needs to be an “official” I-O psychologist?  

With regard to multi-disciplinary teams, the project director does not need to be a “psychologist”. The director needs to be a member of SIOP. There are three categories of member types:  Member (voting rights), Associate (non-voting professional member), or Student Affiliate (needs the endorsement of a Member).  

Are research teams preferred over single sole authored submissions?  

The short and clear answer here is no. There is the possibility for multiple project director depending on how you decide to organize internally, and there is no preference given one way or another.

I have a project idea but won’t propose it due to being retired.  Can you recommend a PI to me?

No, the leadership of this effort is not in a position nor is it willing to recommend project director or other team members.  We suggested that you might post the idea on social media (SIOP LinkedIn and Facebook groups) and contact other potential participants that way.

Is the review process blind at the stage of LOI?

No. We ask for the identity of the project director and other key personnel. The conflict of interest process that the awards committee follows calls for disclosure of conflicts and potential conflicts, so some amount of identification is needed.