Reminder: Veteran Transitions Research Initiative are Calling for Applications for a Research Competition

Reminder, applications are due June 1st. Below is additional information about the competition.

The Veteran Transitions Research Initiative (VTRI) at Duke University Fuqua School of Business invites researchers to propose projects aimed at investigating the complexity of military veterans’ experiences as they transition to post military employment.

More information about the application can be found here. If you have any questions regarding the competition please contact us at vtri@psych.ucsb.edu.

Timeline/Key Dates

• June 1, 2023: Applications due. Applications can be submitted here.

• July 1, 2023: Following application review, up to 10 teams will be invited to present their proposed research at the 2023 VTRI conference. One representative from each team will represent their team at the conference.

• July 15, 2023: By this date, invited teams must confirm their representative’s attendance at the 2023 VTRI conference.

• October 4-6, 2023: The 2023 VTRI conference where team representatives will give 15 minute presentations on their proposed research to conference attendees and judges. The judges will consist of a cross-functional panel of academic leaders and industry experts.

Overview

The VTRI seeks to fund diverse teams of researchers from fields such as social psychology and organizational behavior to inspire novel investigations into military veterans’ transition to civilian employment. As discussed in our 2021 Perspectives on Psychological Science paper, social psychologists and organizational behavior researchers have the ability to make significant advances in improving the transition experiences of military veterans by drawing from the unique theoretical perspectives of our fields.

We anticipate supporting the work of up to 10 teams. Awarding $5,000 to four teams, $10,000 to three teams, $15,000 to two teams, and $20,000 to one team.

Basic Requirements

• A Primary Investigator with a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in psychology, organizational behavior, or a related field must lead each team.

• Invited teams must send at least one member to present at the 2023 VTRI conference at Duke University from October 4-6, 2023. VTRI will issue $2000 honorariums to one team member who is presenting at the conference. These honorariums will be distributed after the conference and are intended to offset travel and lodging expenses.

• Teams who are awarded funding must send at least one member to present on the progress of the funded research at the 2024 VTRI conference in the Fall of 2024.

• Applicants can serve as Primary Investigator for only one team.

Evaluation

The evaluation process will consist of two stages.

Application (due June 1, 2023 at 11:59pm PST)

The initial stage will consist of completing a simple Google Form where your team will upload a two page, single-spaced white paper describing your proposed project.

VTRI representatives will review the application white papers and will make final decisions on what teams are invited to present at the 2023 VTRI conference. We plan to invite no more than 10 teams to send representatives to the 2023 VTRI conference to compete for funding. We will announce decisions on which teams are invited to the next stage of the competition no later than July 1, 2023.

Applications can be submitted here. (Note: A Google account is required to complete the application.)

Conference Pitch (during the 2023 VTRI conference [October 4-6, 2023])

At the 2023 VTRI conference at Duke University, invited team representatives (one per team) will present to the conference attendees and judges for 15 minutes followed by 5 minutes of questions. The judges will consist of a cross-functional panel of academic researchers  and industry leaders.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What is the scope of how big the project should be?

Applicants should indicate what research they would conduct in 1-2 years that this research gift would (help) fund. One way to think of it: What would be the potential scope, topic, and impact of one empirical paper that would emerge from the proposed research? This research gift may launch a series of several papers of course, but thinking in terms of what one major paper would look like, and what would be the potential impact in terms of application and theory.

• What criteria will evaluators use?

Applications will be evaluated using the two criteria of broader impact and intellectual merit (borrowed from National Science Foundation). Broader impact is the capacity to influence society focused in particular on the transition of veterans into the workforce. Intellectual merit is the capacity to advance basic knowledge - how might this research advance basic theory or understanding.