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Grants

About the ASHE Grants Program

The ASHE Grants Program supports innovative research that advances the study of higher education. Through competitive funding opportunities, the program empowers scholars—especially graduate students and early career researchers—to pursue projects that inform policy, practice, and theory across diverse contexts. The program reflects the Association’s commitment to scholarly rigor and mentorship. Grant recipients benefit from visibility within the ASHE community and contribute to shaping the future of the field. 

The Grants Program was launched in 2024 as part of the ASHE at 50 Fundraising Campaign. We are grateful to Drs. Kristen A. Renn and Melissa McDaniels for creating the first-ever endowed grant for ASHE members. 

Are you interested in creating a named grant or have questions about the Grants Program? Contact ASHE Executive Director Jason P. Guilbeau, PhD, CAE at jason@ashe.ws.

Review Process

  • Each application will be reviewed by at least three reviewers.

  • The review is a masked review, and identifying information of each applicant should be removed prior to distribution to the committee. Any reviewer who identifies a conflict of interest will have the specific review reassigned.

  • The rubric used will be based on the evaluation criteria listed above to ensure objectivity and consistency in review.

  • The respective grants committee will make a final decision based on the review criteria.

Awards Timeline

  • Early September: Open call for applications

  • Late September: Applications due

  • October: Committee review of nominations

  • Late October: Notification  of committee decisions

Due to the number of submissions and the review process, no late submissions will be accepted; as such, applicant are encouraged to submit their nominations well in advance of this deadline. 

Notification & Fund Distribution

  1. Once recipients are selected, the Executive Director will notify recipients.

  2. This grant’s purpose is to achieve a specific objective and to produce a report or similar product that improves and enhances the scientific understanding of higher education. As such, the grant is not considered taxable according to the guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/private-foundations/grants-to-individuals). The funds can be used for research-related expenses such as course buyout, summer salary, travel to secure data enclaves or scholarly conferences, books, computer equipment, and other expenses directly related to conducting this research.

  3. Recipients will receive the grant check within three weeks of the award letter.

Contact

If you have any questions, please reach out to awards@ashe.ws.

Dr. Kristen Renn is Professor of Higher, Adult, & Lifelong Education at Michigan State University, has been a member of the Association since 1997, served as ASHE president in 2018-2019, where she led and guided us through a strategic planning process as we prepared for our 50th Anniversary, and is one of the leading researchers of LGBTQ issues in higher education.

Dr. Melissa McDaniels is Associate Executive Director & Associate Scientist at the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) in the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has over twenty-five years of experience as a researcher, policy-maker, and leader in the service of inclusive and equitable institutional practices that support the professional development of academics of all career stages, and has been a member of the Association since 2003.

Research Grant

The Drs. Kristen Renn & Melissa McDaniels Dissertation Research Grant will provide dissertation support for a doctoral student studying sexual orientation and/or gender identity in higher education or mentorship in higher education.

The 2024 Renn & McDaniels Dissertation Research Grant will be an award of $500.

Evaluation Criteria

To qualify for the grant, an applicant must be:

  • A current member of ASHE at the time of application.

  • A graduate student at the time of application who has defended their proposal and/or received IRB approval for their dissertation study.

  • Completing dissertation research on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in higher education or mentorship in higher education.

When reviewing applications, the Grants Committee will make decisions based on the following preferred and demonstrated attributes:

  • The applicant’s relevant research and academic experience.

  • Significance of the research question or purpose.

  • The conceptual clarity and potential contribution of the proposal.

  • The relevance to higher education.

  • The strength of the methodological model and proposed analysis.

  • Significance of the applicant's need for funding.

Expectations of Recipients

As a recipient of this grant, you agree to the following:

  1. Submit a thank you letter or video for the grant donors. More information will be sent to you after the conference.

  2. Grantees will be required to submit their final dissertation.

  3. Grantees will submit a 1-2 page summary of how the funding impacted their work.

  4. Materials should be submitted electronically to the Association’s Executive Director.

All reporting requirements and deadlines will be outlined in the award letter.

Application Materials

A completed application, submitted through the link below, will include the following:

  • First and Last Name

  • Email Address

  • Telephone Number

  • Institution

  • Agreement to ASHE Policies: Applicants will be required to review and agree to uphold various policies of ASHE including membership policies, ethics policies, conflict of interest policies, and diversity policies.

  • Title of Dissertation

  • A MASKED* description of the dissertation study (up to 500 words) and should include:

    • A masked bio of the researcher, suggested 50-100 words

    • The research question or purpose and significance to higher education, suggested 200-250 words

    • The research study methods and analysis plan, suggested 200-250 words

  • A MASKED* budget that includes:

    • An itemized list of anticipated research-related expenses

    • A narrative that indicates the applicant's need for funding in no more than 150 words.

  • A MASKED* Letter of Support (uploaded as a PDF): Applicants should upload a letter of support from their faculty advisor, dissertation committee chair, and/or a member of their dissertation committee. This should include the status of the applicant's advancement to candidacy and either application and/or receipt of IRB approval for the study.

  • Timeline

  • Applications for the grant will open in August 2025.

  • Applications are generally due in Late September.

  • Notifications will be sent out in late October.

Grants Committee

  • Katherine C. Aquino
    Associate Professor St. John's University
    Member
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  • Jessica Belue Buckley
    Clinical Associate Professor University of Louisville
    Member
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  • Jason Guilbeau
    Jason Guilbeau
    PhD, CAE Executive Director Association for the Study of Higher Education
    Executive Director (ex officio, non voting)
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  • Travis T. York
    Director of Inclusive STEMM Ecosystems for Equity & Diversity (ISEED) American Association for the Advancement of Science
    Chair
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  • Leticia Tomas Bustillos
    Leticia Tomas Bustillos
    Senior Program Officer Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
    Board of Directors Representative
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