Professional Development Grant Program for Graduate Students
The Marriage Strengthening Research & Dissemination Center (MAST Center) is pleased to announce our 2023 Professional Development Grant Program for emerging scholars interested in further developing their research expertise on (1) marriage, relationships, and families, and (2) healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) program implementation and effectiveness.
Finances are often a barrier to participation in valuable professional networking and career development opportunities. The MAST Center’s Professional Development Grants will provide up to 10 awards of up to $750 to support the cost of professional development opportunities during the 2023-2024 academic year. Past recipients have used their awards to help cover costs of activities including methods workshops and attendances at conferences of professional associations such as the American Sociological Association (ASA), the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR), the National Association for Relationship & Marriage Education (NARME), the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA), and the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood (SSEA).
The program is open to graduate students currently enrolled in U.S.-based programs in HMRE-related fields (e.g., human development, family science, sociology, demography, psychology, program evaluation), as well as individuals who received their master’s degree or Ph.D. within the last three years. Our team values equity and recognizes that systemic discrimination has negatively impacted the well-being of individuals, families, and communities from groups who are also underrepresented in the research field. Additionally, we recognize that individuals with lived experience in the criminal justice and foster care systems bring important perspectives that are too often missing in research. We strongly encourage people with these experiences, identities, and backgrounds to apply.
For questions, email mastrd@childtrends.org referencing “MAST Center Professional Development Grant Program” in the subject line. Applications are due no later than 5:00 PM ET on Friday, March 24, 2023.