Now in its 17th year, the NCAA Graduate Student Research Grant Program aims to stimulate research on college sports by providing financial support to graduate students in social and behavioral science fields.
A review panel comprising eight athletics administrators and faculty from NCAA member schools has selected five research proposals to fund in the 2023 cycle of the NCAA Graduate Student Research Grant Program. Their work will help inform NCAA member schools and the public on key topics.
"It is exciting to see the great research that graduate students are doing that will benefit our student-athletes," said Rebecca Spencer, chair of the panel and professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences and faculty athletics representative at Massachusetts. "The awardees' research will provide important insight into sources of stress and psychosocial well-being and ways we may better empower and develop leadership in our student-athletes.
"These awards are very important for these graduate students to conduct their research and present it to their peers at professional conferences. Overall, these awards will contribute greatly to the career development of these five awardees, in addition to the impact these findings will have for our student-athletes."
Awards for these one-time grants are set at a maximum of $7,500. Recipients are expected to culminate their project in an article written for publication in a scholarly journal or in a completed master's thesis or doctoral dissertation.
Grants were awarded to the following graduate students:
- Paul Yuseung Doh, Texas A&M: "Beyond the fields and courts: Enhancing cultural intelligence for career readiness and social-psychological well-being among student-athletes."
- Karina Jolly, Troy: "Cultivating leaders beyond sport: Athletes' perceptions of student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC)."
- Amanda Kaufman, Miami (Ohio): "Exploring empowerment amongst intercollegiate LGBTQIA2S+ athletes through photovoice analysis."
- Claire Wanzer, Delaware: "Increasing social support effectiveness to improve NCAA athletes' collegiate experiences."
- Joseph White, Memphis: "Effort-reward imbalance among student-athletes: Relationships with exploitation, well-being, performance satisfaction, stress, and burnout."
It is anticipated that the 2024 NCAA Graduate Student Research Grant call for proposals will be released in February, with proposals due in May.
Members of the external review panel, which selected the grant recipients:
- Panel chair Rebecca Spencer, Ph.D., faculty athletics representative, professor of psychological and brain sciences, Massachusetts.
- Jodi Canfield, Ph.D., associate dean for student life and community standards, St. Lawrence.
- Micah Dobson, Ph.D., faculty athletics representative, assistant professor of recreation management, Shaw.
- S. Marlon Gayadeen, Ph.D., faculty athletics representative, associate professor of criminal justice, Buffalo State.
- Colleen Lelli, Ed.D., faculty athletics representative, professor of education, Cabrini.
- Heather Ryan, Ph.D., deputy director of athletics/student-athlete experience and senior woman administrator, Duke.
- Rene Salinas, Ph.D., faculty athletics representative, professor of mathematical sciences, Appalachian State University.
- Thomas Saylor, Ph.D., faculty athletics representative, professor of history, Concordia-St. Paul.