PROGRAM EXTENDED

Objective of the Program

The Doctoral Summer Research Scholarship Program recognizes that many accounting doctoral programs require a summer research paper, usually in the first or second summer of the doctoral student’s program. The Program also recognizes that accounting doctoral students often have a special need for financial support and time off from teaching and/or service as a research assistant during the summer in which they are working on the summer research paper. The purpose of this program is to provide summer financial support for Ph.D. candidates in accounting from accredited programs to enable them to work on their summer research paper without the time commitment to teaching or other competing research priorities. The scholarship is intended to replace the funding the student receives from summer teaching or service as a research assistant; the student may then direct his or her focus toward completion of a high-quality summer research paper.

Program Requirements

Research proposals may be from any area in management accounting, but the relationship between the topic and management accounting must be clear. Proposals will be evaluated based on the relevance of the topic to management accounting practitioners and the potential contribution of the research to the field.

Scholarship recipients must complete the summer research paper as required by the student’s doctoral program. The application should be supported by a forecasted submission timeline aligning with the deliverables below. The research paper will be considered for inclusion in IMA’s research library. The expected timing for the deliverables is:

1. Draft to be received by August 15.
2. Final paper to be received by October 15.

In line with ethical research standards determined by the student’s institution, any research project intended to employ human subjects must have received any applicable institutional review board (IRB) approval prior to submission, and proof of the approval must be with the submission.

Program Stipend and Benefits

The scholarship winner will receive a $5,000 stipend. Payment of stipend will be: $1,250 on June 15; $1,250 on July 1; $1,250 upon receipt of the initial draft of the deliverable or on August 15, whichever comes later, and $1,250 upon receipt of the final approved research paper.

Scholarship winner will also receive a free one-year membership in IMA. In the event the winner is already a member of IMA, the individual will receive his or her next year of membership free.

Evaluation of Applications

Application due date has been extended for 2015 to April 15. Applications will be reviewed by the directors of the Research Foundation Awards Committee for relevance and appropriateness of research topic. The top three projects will be selected for funding. Notifications regarding scholarship applications will be sent to all applicants by May 31.

Application Requirements

In addition to the official application form, please submit a letter that documents your need for research funding and indicates that you, if awarded a scholarship, will spend the summer engaged in research rather than teaching; a letter from your mentor/supervisor faculty member indicating the foregoing of teaching and/or other departmental research service; the detailed research proposal indicating, at minimum, a problem statement, purpose, rationale, and methodology; and any relevant IRB approval. 

Applications should be sent to:

By mail to:
Doctoral Summer Research Scholarship Program
IMA (Institute of Management Accountants)
10 Paragon Drive, Suite 1
Montvale, NJ 07645
MUST BE POSTMARKED BY APRIL 15

By e-mail to:
research@imanet.org