ALAO RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATION

GENERAL INFORMATION
The Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO) seeks to promote research, and each year the ALAO Executive Board may award up to $500.00 to support and encourage research projects proposed by ALAO members. Multiple grants whose total funding does not exceed $500.00 may be awarded. Both ongoing and new research projects are considered. Grants are intended to help in funding such incremental research costs as the organization of data, the hiring of interviewers or other assistants, charges for computer time, and modest travel costs associated with research. Grants may not be used for purchase of equipment. Grants are limited to investigations related to issues in libraries, librarianship, and information science and technology.

HOW TO APPLY
Include the following in your application:

  1. Completed ALAO Research Grant Application Form.

  2. A written proposal of no more than two pages, single-spaced. Include the objectives of the research, a brief discussion of previous work on the topic, the methodology that will be used, plans for evaluation, the potential importance of the research results, and an estimate of the amount of time to be spent at each stage of the project. Avoid the use of acronyms and jargon without appropriate reference to full names and definitions. Please be clear and complete with your proposal. The Committee evaluates each application as is and will not ask for further clarifications.

  3. A current vita from the named applicant(s).

  4. A budget sheet. Briefly list the projected expenses for the project. Consider all direct and indirect costs, such as staff time, printing and postage, supplies, and services required to complete the work. Note any other anticipated sources of support for the project and include supporting evidence (i.e., a letter from your institution). Clearly identify which expenditures will be met by ALAO Research Grant funds.

Email completed applications to Chair, Research & Publications Committee as an email attachment. You can copy and paste the application form into Word to do this.

DEADLINE
All items must be received or postmarked no later than May 1 of the award year. All applicants will be notified by phone or e-mail when complete applications are on file.

PROPOSAL REVIEW
Proposals are considered by the Committee in consultation with the ALAO Executive Board. To avoid a conflict of interest, current members of the Committee are not eligible for grant awards. Further, no member of the Research and Publications Committee evaluates proposals received from a colleague at the Committee member's institution. In judging proposals, the Committee considers such matters as the uniqueness of the work, the importance of the results to academic libraries, relationship to other similar work, proposed methodology, and the clarity and completeness of the proposal itself. Preference will be given to projects which are to be completed in less than two years. Applicants may be asked to provide further information during the review process.

AWARD NOTIFICATION AND POST-PROJECT REPORT
Grant recipients, if any, will be notified by the Chairperson of the Committee by September 1 of the award year. Any award(s) will be announced at both the ALAO Annual Conference and in the ALAO Newsletter. Recipients are not required to attend the annual conference in order to receive the grant. The grantee will submit a summary of the results of the project to the ALAO Research and Publications Committee within two months of completing the work. The Committee will submit the summary or an abstract of the report for publication in the ALAO Newsletter. The Committee also encourages grantees to submit reports and articles for publication in the professional literature.

QUESTIONS?
Contact the Chair of the Research & Publications Committee

Return to the Research and Publications Committee Page