The SRF recognizes that dissertation program structures vary, but suggests that applicants will have completed at least half of their home institution’s program requirements, including preliminary or qualifying requirements (such as coursework, comprehensive examinations/research proposal defense) prior to submitting an application. Ideal applicants will be sufficiently advanced in their doctoral programs to have well-defined dissertation plans and early enough in the execution of their dissertation work to benefit from the support of dissertation expenses and the SRF Dissertation Scholars Workshop that will be held during the first year of the grant period. Previous recipients of the SRF Dissertation Research Grant Program funds are not eligible to apply for additional funds.

The SRF plans to name a cohort of SRF Dissertation Scholars and provide financial support up to US$10,000 per grant awarded.

Financial support will cover direct research and data collection expenses (e.g., purchase of data or subscriptions to databases, surveys, and respondent incentives, interviews of research subjects and related travel) and travel expenses for the 2021 and 2022 SMS Annual Conferences for participation in SRF Scholar activities (travel expenses are allowed in instances where degree completion occurs before the 2022 Conference). Ineligible expenses include but are not limited to: compensation for the Scholar’s time, purchases of software or equipment, copyediting and other expenses associated with the dissertation document, university overhead, tuition and other personal expenses, and expenses for conference travel other than to the 2021 and 2022 SMS Annual Conferences.

SRF grant funds are available only for expenses as approved at the time of the proposal’s funding. While the SRF recognizes that doctoral students and their dissertation advisors/committees may determine that it is appropriate to change the execution of research during a dissertation, reviewers’ recommendations and SRF decisions are based on research design elements stated in the proposals. Similarly, grant funds are available only for approved expenses that remain part of doctoral students’ dissertation work; SRF dissertation grant funds are not available for post-dissertation research agendas. Determination of eligible and ineligible expenses rests with the SRF.

To remain eligible for funding, the Scholar cannot be employed full-time and cannot have completed degree requirements. (Students whose program requires Ph.D. students to be full-time employees of the University should contact the SMS office using the email address listed at the end of the call.)

When a proposal is accepted for funding, the SRF will prepare a written agreement that details the responsibilities of both the Scholar and the SRF. For most expenses, funds are disbursed on a reimbursement basis. In some cases, an expense may be paid directly by the SMS Executive Office.

Dissertation Scholars are expected to provide the following deliverables: periodic update reports, an executive summary of the research findings, a copy of the dissertation, and documentation of the expenses incurred. All Scholars are expected to participate in the SRF Dissertation Scholars Workshop at the 2021 SMS Annual Conference and the SRF Scholars Session at the 2022 SMS Annual Conference. Scholars participating in these activities will receive Annual Conference registration fee waivers and may be reimbursed for up to $2,000 (total) for travel to the 2021 and 2022 SMS Annual Conferences if that travel is included in the grant proposal budget.  

Grant recipients will retain the copyrights to all materials prepared in connection with the funded project. However, it is expected that the SRF will be granted an irrevocable, royalty-free license in perpetuity to use such materials for non-commercial purposes furthering the mission of the SRF. The SRF requires that any publication of the resulting research in articles or other forms includes an acknowledgment that the research was funded in part by the SRF of the Strategic Management Society.

The SRF online submission system will open in August 2020. The submission deadline is October 1, 2020. Notification of SRF Dissertation Scholar Awards will be made by January 1, 2021. Submissions will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• Contribution to strategic management theory: Are the frameworks employed, the data to be used, and/or the potential results to be obtained likely to make a new and substantial theoretical or empirical contribution to the academic field of strategic management?
• Conceptual and empirical contributions: Does this dissertation study a new phenomenon? Even if the phenomenon is not new, is the dissertation’s empirical base novel?
• Novelty of the research topic/question: Is this dissertation likely to start a new or redirect an existing line of inquiry in the field of strategic management?
• Research design and methodological rigor: Are the data appropriate for the theory being built or tested? Are the procedures appropriate for the research questions? Is there adequate description of the methods used? Is validity properly justified?
• Quality of writing: Is language used consistently? Are the arguments made clearly? Does the writing flow naturally?
• Managerial implications: Is this dissertation likely to yield important advice for managers in private or public organizations?
• Expected impact of the funding: Is SRF funding likely to make a significant difference to the quality, scope, or other characteristics of the dissertation that will enhance its conceptual and/or empirical contribution to theory and/or practice?