The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition invites applications for the 2026-2027 Paul P. Fidler Research Grant, which is designed to encourage the development and dissemination of knowledge that has the potential to make a national impact and improve the transition experiences for college students. Application submissions will be accepted through 11:59PM ET Monday, July 13th 2026.
Comprehensive Award Package
The Paul P. Fidler Research Grant award package includes:
- An award of $10,000.
- Priority consideration for publication in the Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition
- Registration to the 33rd National Conference on Students in Transition (virtual, September 30-October 2, 2026), where the awardee will be introduced.
- Registration to the 34th National Conference on Students in Transition (2027), where the research grant findings will be reported.
- Public announcement(s) from the National Resource Center (webpage, social media, etc.)
Eligibility
The Paul P. Fidler Research Grant competition is open to faculty, staff, and graduate students who plan to conduct research on issues of college student transitions. The following individuals are not eligible and may not be included as part of proposed research teams: National Resource Center staff and fellows; current members of our National or International Advisory Boards; and students, staff, and faculty of the University of South Carolina system.
Evaluation
Proposals will be evaluated on:
- the extent to which they focus on issue(s) related to college student transitions. Though all issues related to college student transitions will be considered, special consideration will be given to proposals addressing transitions outside of the first year of college.
- how the proposal articulates a strong research design.
- suitability of methods for the research question(s). Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies will be considered.
- the extent the proposal explores unique issues, subjects, analysis, participants and/or sample.
- potential for national impact on student success initiatives. The results of the research should be relevant to a broad audience.
Research must be the original work of the investigators and may not have been reported elsewhere. Please use APA 7 throughout the proposal.
Submission questions? Email NRCRSRCH@mailbox.sc.edu