Research Grants

Business for Social Good research grants support innovative, early-stage student research examining how business can be a force for social good, which we define as actions that benefit the planet and/or the people that live on it. This can include business actions that foster social responsibility, social impact, ethical business, and/or sustainability. Relevant topics include (but are not limited to) work examining:

• Social responsibility.
• Justice, equity, diversity, decolonization, Indigenization or inclusion.
• Cause marketing.
• Impact investing.
• Social entrepreneurship.
• Ethical decision-making/purchasing.
• Charitable giving. 
• Positive workplace citizenship behaviours. 

Objective: To support and encourage academic research involving graduate students and post-doctoral researchers in the domain of business for social good. 

Eligibility: The Principal Investigator must be a tenure-track faculty member at UBC and the Co-Applicant must be a graduate student or post-doctoral researcher at UBC.  

Details: First place is a total amount of $4,000, divided equally between a $2,000 graduate student stipend and a $2,000 allocation towards research costs. A limited number of additional smaller grants may also be awarded.

Decision Criteria: Proposals will be reviewed by a committee and decisions will be based on:

• Application quality: Priority will be given to projects that the reviewers deem to have a high likelihood of leading to published research and/or additional grant funding. 
• Research relevance and impact: Preference will be given to topics that are strongly linked to the theme of business for social good and that seem likely to generate practical insights with potential for real societal impact. 
• Student training and experience: Preference will be given to applications that explicitly outline how the graduate student will receive specific training and experience that is relevant to their degree and their future career.
• Need for funding: Preference will be given to applications making a strong case for (1) why the funding is needed for ongoing or forthcoming research (as opposed to completed research) and (2) how funding will move this research forward. Note that travel costs are ineligible, unless travel is integral for data collection.

Application Procedure: In a maximum of three pages (double-spaced and 12-point font), proposals should cover:

• Applicant information: List the name, rank (e.g., PhD student, Assistant Professor, etc.), and affiliation (e.g., division or department at UBC) of both the Co-Applicant and the Principal Investigator. 
• Project summary: Clearly summarize the proposed research, including:
  • The project title
  • The research question and theoretical background
  • The proposed project methodology
  • The theoretical and practical implications of the project
  • The project status (noting that this grant is intended to support forthcoming or ongoing projects rather than completed projects).
• Training: Clearly outline the role of the graduate student or post-doctoral researcher and discuss the specific training and/or experience that the research project will provide for them. 
• Need for funding: Briefly describe how grant funding would be used to achieve project goals, noting that travel costs are ineligible, unless travel is integral for data collection.

Application Deadline: Applications are due by 11:59pm on July 15. and should be emailed to Kirstin Appelt, Academic Director, Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics <kirstin.appelt@sauder.ubc.ca>. Proposals will be reviewed by a panel and decisions will be announced in September. 

EDI Catalyst research grants provide seed funding for UBC Sauder research related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). The goal of the funding is to catalyze new research in the EDI space and to set up applicants to apply for additional funding from other sources, including university or national sources. Relevant topics include (but are not limited to) work related to:

• Underrepresented or marginalized identities including, but not limited to, Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour, gender identity, individuals from 2SLGBTQ+ communities, those with visible and invisible disabilities, and members of other historically marginalized groups. 
• Anti-racism and allyship.
• Economic and social disparities.
• Equity and social justice in society and organizations.
• Barriers and facilitators of inclusion and belonging in organizational and societal contexts.
• Antecedents and outcomes of equity, diversity, and inclusion in organizational and societal contexts.

Objective: To support and encourage academic research in the domain of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UBC Sauder by providing recipients with seed funding to move EDI research forward and enable researchers to apply for additional funding.

Eligibility: The Principal Investigator should be a tenure-track research faculty member, graduate student, or post-doctoral researcher at UBC Sauder. If a UBC Sauder graduate student or post-doctoral researcher applies as Principal Investigator, their Co-Applicant must be a UBC Sauder tenure-track research faculty member. 

Details: Seed funding may be requested in amounts of up to $5,000 per proposal. Funding is based on limited funds and will be disbursed based on the below criteria, along with the number of requests for funding. 

Decision Criteria: Proposals will be reviewed by a committee and decisions will be based on:

• The quality of the application: Priority will be given to projects that the reviewers deem to have a high likelihood of leading to published research and/or additional grant funding.
• Relevance and impact of the research: Preference will be given to topics that are clearly relevant and impactful in the EDI space.
• Need for funding. Preference will be given to applications making a strong case for (1) why the funding is needed for ongoing or forthcoming research (as opposed to completed research) and (2) how funding will move this research forward in terms of publication and/or future funding applications. Preference will also be given to projects that have not already received UBC Sauder funding (e.g., the Exploratory Grants program). Note that travel costs are ineligible, unless travel is integral for data collection.

Application Procedure: In a maximum of two pages (double-spaced and 12-point font), proposals should include:

• Applicant information: List the name, rank (e.g., PhD student, Assistant Professor, etc.), and affiliation (e.g., division or department at UBC) of the Principal Investigator as well as any Co-Applicants. 
• Project summary: Clearly summarize the proposed research, including the project title, research question, and the proposed project methodology.
• Need for funding: Briefly describe how seed funding would be used to move forward the research project, lead to published work, and/or lead to an application for additional grant funding. The proposal should clearly outline the budget for the requested funds, noting that travel costs are ineligible, unless travel is integral for data collection.

Application Deadline: Applications are due by 11:59pm on January 31 and should be emailed to Kate White, Senior Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability at Katherine.White@sauder.ubc.ca. Proposals will be reviewed by a panel and decisions will be announced in February.