About the ASA DDRIG Program
Award notifications: April 2025
The ASA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (ASA DDRIG) program supports theoretically grounded empirical investigations to advance understanding of fundamental social processes. Applicants who have completed their pre-dissertation requirements and are at the point of initiating or already conducting empirical dissertation research focused on advancing knowledge in any sociological sub-field regardless of method are welcome to apply.
Up to 25 awards of a maximum of $16,000 each will be given each year to support highly talented doctoral students who are conducting cutting-edge sociological research that has the potential to both advance scientific knowledge and contribute to the public good. Along with this direct support, ASA DDRIG recipients will receive one year of membership to ASA as well as registration to the ASA Annual Meeting.
Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion is a priority of ASA. We are committed to recruiting a diverse applicant pool and supporting doctoral students from underrepresented groups and institutions.
ASA is grateful to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for its support of this program through two awards. The first award funded the program from 2020 to 2024 and the second is funding the program from 2024 to 2028. For more information about the relationship between the ASA DDRIG and NSF, see our FAQs.
2025 DDRIG recipients (TBA Spring 2025)
Please note that there have been changes to the ASA DDRIG requirements. Please review before applying. Click on each section to view the contents.
Proposals must be submitted by a Research Scholar who meets all of the following criteria at the time of application:
- Applicants must be doctoral students enrolled at a PhD-granting institution of higher education accredited in and whose campus is physically located in the United States.
- Applicants must have completed all departmental pre-dissertation requirements at the time of their application, including having successfully completed all coursework, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation prospectus defense, or equivalent.
- Applicants must be sponsored by a faculty member at the institution where the applicant is enrolled. This is typically the dissertation advisor, but it does not have to be. ASA Officers (as defined in Article IV of the ASA bylaws) are not eligible to be research sponsors on ASA DDRIG proposals.
- Applicants may not have previously received an NSF-funded DDRIG, whether administered directly by NSF (such as the DRMS DDRIG), by ASA, or by another organization (such as the APSA DDRIG or ASU LSDG).
See FAQs for more information on eligibility.
Applications must be submitted by the Research Scholar online through ASA’s dedicated grants submission platform. Directions for creating an account can be found in the FAQs. The link to the ASA DDRIG application will be made available in August. Application instructions are provided below so students and sponsors can begin preparing their materials. For your convenience, we have created a Proposal Checklist tool.
Proposal formatting requirements.
These requirements apply to all documents uploaded as part of the proposal. The guidelines are designed to assure fairness in the application process by requiring that all applicants describe their projects within the same space limitations. All submissions will be reviewed by the ASA DDRIG Program Officer for compliance to assure fairness. Failure to comply with these requirements may lead to a proposal being returned without review.
- Documents should be single-spaced and use 12-point Times New Roman font. Font sizes of less than 12 points may be used for formulas, figure labels and tables.
- Paper size should be 8.5 by 11 inches.
- Margins should be 1 inch on all four sides There should be no text outside the margins other than the required header (see next bullet).
- Each document should include the proposal component centered at the top of the first page (e.g., “Project Description”). In addition, each document should have a repeating header with the proposal title; no other information may be included in the header. In the case of very long titles, the title may be truncated.
- All documents of more than one page should be paginated.
- Hyperlinks, footnotes, endnotes, and appendices are not permitted.
- All documents must be uploaded as pdfs and labeled using file name: “Scholar Initials_Component” (e.g., “CVS_Project Summary”).
- You must use the provided ASA DDRIG biosketch, budget, CPS, and letter templates which are preformatted and just need to be filled in and saved as pdfs. Just select “enable editing.”
See this DDRIG Sample Document for example of proper formatting. If you have troubling downloading a template, we suggest you try a different browser.
Proposals should include only the materials listed below and only the requested information in the required format. Proposals should be written for a general sociological audience. Applicants should not assume reviewer expertise in the area or methods used in the proposed project. As such, applicants should avoid jargoned statements and explain any specialized terms or methods. All proposal documents must be submitted by the Research Scholar through the grant platform.
Project details (entered online). The application includes sections that ask for name and contact information for the Research Scholar and Research Sponsor, followed by project details. The title of the project should emphasize the primary scientific question or contribution that will be addressed by the project, be that theoretical, methodological, or both. The title should not suggest that the outcome of the research is a foregone conclusion. The title should be understandable to a scientifically literate reader with no prior knowledge of the specific area of study. Applicants must also list primary place of performance, total amount requested (not to exceed $16,000), and proposed start and end dates for the grant. Start dates cannot be before May 1 nor after December 1 of the year they are granted. (See FAQs for more information.)
Project summary (500 words maximum). The Project Summary should be a succinct description of the project and contain 3 clearly labeled sections:
Overview: includes the central research question and its significance, a short summary of the research plan including methods to be used, and an indication of how the grant is expected to improve the overall dissertation.
Intellectual Merit: describes how the project will advance sociology substantively and or methodologically by describing how the project fits within and extends the existing sociological literature.
Broader Impacts: describes how the project will benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.
Project description (5,000 words maximum excluding figures and tables but may not exceed 10 pages including figures and tables). Offering a clear statement of the work to be undertaken and the intended scientific and broader contribution, the project description should speak to the review criteria and include the following information:
- Research question: A general description of the research question, its significance, and how it fits into the existing sociological literature, including the theory, hypotheses and/or argument the dissertation will apply.
- Research activities and methodological approach: A full description of the research activities and the methodological approach(es) that would be supported by the grant, including their purpose in the context of the overall research project. For projects using hypothesis testing, it should be clear that the hypotheses could be disproven with the chosen methods. For projects using exploratory epistemological approaches, such as grounded theory, it should be clear that the methods allow for the emergence of unexpected findings and that the validity of findings will be tested through approaches such as triangulation. It is also advisable to include a discussion of the limitations of the research design and data.
- Preliminary work: If applicable, a discussion of any pilot programs, pre-analysis, or initial data collection completed and how the grant supported activities are necessary to confirm or build on initial findings.
- Other experience: A discussion of any specialized skills or experience that are not apparent in the proposed work that would speak to the scholar’s positionality, qualifications, or other aspects of feasibility (for example, access to research population, equipment, language or methodological skills, etc).
- Research plan and timeline: A well-developed research plan including a timeline for the grant-supported activities and an explanation of how funds will improve the dissertation.
- Intellectual merit: A clearly labeled Intellectual Merit section that explicitly explains how the proposed research will advance knowledge production in sociology by expanding on existing theories, filling gaps in knowledge, and or making methodological contributions.
- Broader impacts: A clearly labeled Broader Impacts section (separate from the Intellectual Merit) that explicitly explains the proposed project’s potential contributions to society, including identifying who will benefit, how, and the specific project activities that will be taken towards those outcomes.
References cited (no word limit). This should be a separate document that includes all references cited in the project description. Citations should use ASA format.
Interview or Survey Guide (optional; 2,500 words maximum). Proposals can include an interview guide or survey instrument. No information or explanatory text about the guide or instrument is allowed.
Biographical sketches (2 pages maximum, use ASA DDRIG Biosketch Template). Bio sketches are required for research scholar and sponsor. The biographical sketches should include the name of the individual, their professional preparation, employments/appointments listed in reverse chronological order, up to five products (including publications, presentations and datasets) that are most closely related to the project, as well as up to five additional products. If appropriate to the project, a list of up to five synergistic activities is also allowed. Please do not include any other information.
Budget sheet (use ASA DDRIG Budget Template). Projects longer than 12 months should include information for each year of support requested, but the total requested project budget cannot exceed $16,000 regardless of the length of the project. Grant funds can be used for the following activities:
- Travel and related expenses to conduct archival or fieldwork away from the home campus.
- Data collection including fielding surveys and questionnaires, conducting focus groups and interviews, and dataset acquisition.
- Data transcription or translation services.
- Equipment necessary for the conduct of the project that will be devoted to the project over the duration of the award.
- Payment to research subjects or assistants.
- Non routine material or supplies needed to complete the project.
- Methodological training needed for the completion of the project.
- Travel to attend professional meetings, including the ASA Annual Meeting. (ASA DDRIG recipients receive one year of membership to ASA as well as registration to that year’s annual meeting so those costs should not be included in the budget.)
- Living expenses, including dependent care (please see the FAQs for more information on allowable expenses).
INDIRECT COSTS ARE NOT PERMITTED.
Budget justification (1,500 words maximum). Applicants should address each budget line and provide detailed information about the planned use of the funds, how the amounts were determined, and a timeline for expenditures. Budget requests should be reasonable and appropriate to the project. Budget justifications should be as specific as possible.
For sources of support that would be concurrent with the DDRIG, please explain in your budget justification how the DDRIG will support expenses not covered by the other sources. If the requested DDRIG funds are not sufficient to complete the project as proposed, please explain how additional sources of support will cover the shortfall. The ASA DDRIG can be held concurrently with other awards and funding sources provided that the funds are not for the same expenses (“double dipping”). However, a scholar may not accept more than one NSF-funded DDRIG, regardless of whether administered directly by NSF (such as the DRMS DDRIG), by ASA, or by another organization (such as the APSA DDRIG or ASU LSDG). Applicants must report other sources of current and pending support (see below).
Current and pending support (use ASA DDRIG CPS Template). The research scholar must report all sources of current and pending support, including fellowships, grants, and stipends. The ASA DDRIG proposal is considered pending and should be listed. For each current and pending source of support, the timing and total amount of the award should be listed. (See FAQs for important information regarding concurrent funding.) Applicants should address potential concurrent sources of support in the budget justification (see above).
Data management plan (1,000 words maximum). The data management plan should include four elements:
- An explanation of the types of data, software, curriculum materials, and other materials that will be produced.
- A description of how that data will be managed and maintained during and after the project (including standards for data and metadata format and content; plans for protecting of identifiable data and intellectual property).
- A discussion of how de-identified data, metadata, or data collection tools will be made readily available to potential future users through institutionally based archives, repositories, and/or distribution networks beyond the individual researcher so that the products may be accessed on publicly available sites by others over long periods of time. This is in keeping with NSF’s policy on Data Management Plans (PAPPG, Chapter II.C.2.j).
- If the proposer feels it would be inappropriate or infeasible to share specific data-related products, they should provide informed and detailed reasoning to support their position.
(See FAQs and Resources for more on data management plans.)
Statement on departmental context and scholar-sponsor collaboration (500 words maximum). In no more than 500 words, applicants should describe the context in which the work will take place, detailing if and how the work will benefit from the exchange of ideas and feedback from an intellectual community within and beyond the department. This section should also describe specifically how the research scholar and research sponsor collaborated in the development of the proposal, and how they established shared expectations for their ongoing collaboration, including but not limited to details such as the frequency of written and face-to-face communications, what each party will do at specific project milestones, how often and in what form feedback will be given, and expectations for authorship, research presentations, and publication.
Research sponsor certification (use ASA DDRIG Sponsor Letter Template). The faculty member serving as the research sponsor for the proposal must complete and sign the sponsor certification letter. The Research Scholar should upload the certification with their other proposal documents.
Statement from outside collaborators (optional but must use ASA DDRIG Collaborator Letter Template). Letters from individuals or organizations outside the research scholar’s home institution with whom the research scholar will collaborate or who will provide in-kind support on the project are allowed as supplemental materials submitted along with the proposal. Failure to include a statement from an essential project collaborator could negatively impact evaluation of project feasibility. It is not necessary to include statements from dissertation committee members or other individuals at the scholar’s institution (see FAQs for more information on collaborators). The Research Scholar should upload the collaborator letter/s with their other proposal documents.
Ethics and human subjects. Applicants will be required to acknowledge that the research scholar and research sponsor have read and agree to adhere to the ASA Code of Ethics. The applicant will also need to indicate whether the project involves human subjects and when Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval or exemption was obtained or if such certification is pending. For projects involving human subjects and requiring IRB review, funds will not be released until documentation of a successful review is provided to ASA.
The ASA DDRIG program aims to support a broad range of scientifically rigorous projects that will create new knowledge and enable breakthroughs in the field of sociology. Proposals are recommended for funding by a review panel composed of PhD sociologists representing the full range of diversity within the discipline, including demographic, institutional, methodological, and substantive areas. Final decisions will be made by the ASA DDRIG program staff based on individual reviewer evaluations and compiled review panel recommendations.
Proposals are evaluated for intellectual merit, or the potential to advance fundamental sociological knowledge, and broader impacts, or the potential to benefit society. Proposals should clearly articulate how both will be achieved through the proposed project, with specific project activities that represent steps towards these outcomes. Within this context, the following criteria will be considered:
- Project clearly articulates the potential to advance knowledge production in sociology by expanding on existing theories, filling gaps in knowledge, and or making methodological contributions.
- Project clearly articulates the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.
- Research design is clearly conceived, empirically rigorous, and likely to be successfully completed as proposed.
- Budget is clearly justified, appropriate to the proposed timeline and activities, and necessary to the improvement of the project.
- Scholar is qualified and supported to conduct the proposed activities.
Please note that meeting the above criteria does not guarantee that your proposal will be successful as each year we receive more meritorious proposals than we can fund. Additional resources on proposal writing including more information on the NSF framework for understanding broader impact and intellectual merit can be found on the FAQs and Resources page.
Decision notices will be emailed in April. Most ASA DDRIG grants will be awarded for one year, although funds can be extended across two years if justified by the structure of the dissertation project. Please note that the total amount granted will not exceed $16,000 regardless of the length of the project. The full dissertation does not need to be completed during the grant period, but all awarded funds must be used during that time. Disbursements will be made to the research scholar’s graduate institution. Please consult with your sponsor and your institution’s office of sponsored research to determine how they will disburse funds to you should you receive the grant. In addition to grant funds, ASA DDRIG Research Scholars receive a one-year ASA membership and conference registration to that year’s ASA Annual meeting. (See FAQs for complete proposal process timeline.)
Click here to view frequently asked questions and resources.
For questions and additional resources, please contact:
Program Officer
ASA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant Program
[email protected]
202-247-9847