Advancing Academic-Research Careers (AARC) Award

Please read carefully, as several requirements for the AARC Award have changed in 2012.

Purpose

The AARC Award is intended to support the academic-research careers of junior-level faculty in the field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD). Unlike a traditional research grant, the AARC Award provides funding for mentored development of both teaching and research skills. Up to six awards of $5,000 each will be awarded in 2012.

Two awards will be dedicated to applications that focus on mentored activities related to both the teaching and conduct of clinical practice research. Clinical practice research in CSD refers to research that focuses on the prevention, identification, assessment, and treatment of communication and related (e.g., swallowing and balance) disorders. ASHA has expanded AARC funding to include these two additional awards in order to accelerate clinical practice research needed to support evidence-based practice.

The applicant, working in conjunction with mentors, develops teaching and research plans tailored to the applicant's career stage. The plans propose specific teaching and research activities to be completed under the guidance of the mentors during the 18-month funding period. These plans are submitted as part of the AARC application.

Acceptable mentored teaching activities include, but are not limited to, these examples:

• learning new teaching or mentoring techniques
• attending or presenting at a conference on the scholarship of teaching and learning
• leading a mentoring program, such as a journal club
• incorporating theories of teaching and learning into courses
• incorporating contemporary technologies (e.g., social media, telepractice) or instrumentation (e.g., fMRI) into course work and student mentoring
• developing new curricula or unique learning opportunities, such as problem based learning, interprofessional education, distance learning, or student research opportunities

Acceptable mentored research activities include, but are not limited to, these examples:

• learning a new research methodology or technique
• attending or presenting at a research conference
• participating in a training course on data analysis
• training in another research lab
• preparing a research manuscript or grant application
• conducting a feasibility study or collecting pilot data

Eligibility Requirements

The applicant must meet the following requirements at the time of the award decision: 

• research doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent)
• full-time tenure or non-tenure track faculty appointment in a CSD department in an academic institution in the United States (postdoctoral fellows are not eligible)
• primary responsibilities in teaching and conducting research
• fewer than 6 years of teaching/research experience or experience below the level of associate professor
• membership in ASHA

The mentoring arrangement must meet the following requirements:

• The team must comprise at least two mentors.
• One mentor supports the applicant's teaching plan, and one supports the applicant's research plan.
• All mentors must have research doctorates.
• At least one mentor must be a faculty member in a CSD department.

Application Material Requirements

Application materials must be submitted as PDF attachments. Please see the application instructions for detailed descriptions of what to include in the following required materials:

• completed online application form
• cover letter
• mentored teaching plan
• mentored research plan
• budget proposal for the 18-month funding period
• curriculum vitae
• a letter of recommendation from each member of the applicant's mentoring team
• a letter of support from the applicant's department chair (or equivalent)

All application materials must be sent to academicaffairs@asha.org and received by May 15, 2012.

View former AARC Award recipients.

Questions? Please visit the AARC FAQs. Still have questions? Contact the Academic Affairs and Research Education unit at academicaffairs@asha.org.