2024 Call for Proposals
The Strategy Research Foundation (SRF) of the Strategic Management Society (SMS) announces its 2024 Research in Strategic Management (RSM) Program. The RSM grant program aims to support research on a rotating set of themes central to the field of strategic management.
The theme for the 2023 and 2024 program cycles is “New Thinking in Corporate Strategy Research.” A foundational question in the field of strategic management asks how firms and managers make choices about firm scope and boundaries. Combined with the recent theoretical advances and empirical innovations, managerial and contextual changes in the business environment have opened new avenues for approaching corporate strategy research. This call for submissions seeks proposals that revisit this core strategic question with fresh theoretical perspectives, in contemporary contexts, or through advanced data and methodological approaches.
Proposals are required to tackle questions and phenomena that inform corporate-level dynamics and provide insights for corporate-level decision making. We encourage theoretical and especially empirical proposals. All submissions are required to articulate how the proposed research contributes to this theme, to strategic management theory, and to relevant managerial practices.
A few illustrative topics and questions are below:
· Whether, when, and how do corporate decisions become strategic decisions? What are the tradeoffs involved in and consequences of choices about firm scope, scale, and geographic reach? What assumptions about firm objectives and economic activity underpin the strategic significance of the decisions?
· How do managers pursue corporate strategic decision making? What is the interplay between corporate managerial decisions and organizational form and structure? What decision-making tools and methods guide managers? How does the nature and composition of corporate management teams influence decisions about corporate scale and scope?
· Whether, when, and how do corporate mergers, acquisitions, alliances, and divestitures retain their strategic value for achieving resource allocation and reconfiguration within and across firms? What other approaches can add, substitute, or complement these corporate development modes?
· How do contemporary contextual trends influence the antecedents, processes, and consequences of corporate strategic decision making? Three trends are notable. How does the emergence and diffusion of technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, connectivity, and distributed manufacturing influence corporate strategy in the industry 4.0 era? How does the increasing emphasis on ESG objectives and purpose impact corporate strategy choices? How might diversified businesses be organized and managed differently considering the changing structure and preferences of the workforce?
All applications should articulate how the proposed research contributes to answering this thematic question. Submissions drawing on a variety of theoretical perspectives to address specific research questions are welcome, providing the contribution to strategic management theory and practice is evident.
· Target Applicant: A full-time faculty member or post-doctoral researcher affiliated with a university, who is a current member of the Strategic Management Society.
· Funding & Key Terms: Grants of up to US$25,000 to support direct research expenses such as data collection and research assistance. No institutional overhead will be paid.
· Submission Deadline: October 1, 2024
· Grant Period: January 1, 2025 — December 31, 2026
Eligibility
All proposals are required to identify a Principal Investigator (PI). The PI, who leads the research effort and to whom the grant is awarded, must be a full-time faculty member or post-doctoral researcher affiliated with a university and a member of the Strategic Management Society at the time of submission and throughout the grant period. Also, the PI is the sole recipient of a grant even when proposal includes Co-Investigators (CIs).
At any time, a single individual is permitted to serve as a PI or CI on only one proposal across all SRF programs. Further, individuals named in a previously funded SRF proposal may not participate in a new proposal until expiration of the prior award. Individuals named on a proposal must disclose any prior SRF awards and demonstrate that the project in the current proposal is distinct from their previously funded research. All SRF grants aim to support research that has not been undertaken. Thus, completed work is not eligible for funding.
Funding & Deliverables
The SRF plans to award multiple RSM grants of up to $25,000 each during the 2024 funding cycle. Recipients will be named SRF Scholars. Recipients are expected to use the awarded funds within the grant period.
The SRF program provides financial support to cover direct research expenses for data collection, student research assistance, and other activities that enable the conduct of the research project. Examples of ineligible expenses include conference travel and registration fees, compensation for PI or CI time, teaching buyouts, purchases of software or equipment, and university overhead. As the program aims to foster future research, reimbursement for previous expenditures is not permitted. Determination of eligible and ineligible expenses rests with the SRF.
For proposals accepted for funding, the SRF will prepare an agreement to be executed by the PI detailing the responsibilities of both the PI and the SRF. Grant funds awarded will be disbursed at the start of the two-year grant period beginning January 1, 2025.
The SRF requires regular progress reports as well as a final report on the project. The PI will submit a progress report every six months of the grant and a final report within three months of the end of the grant. The final report will include an executive summary of the research findings and documentation of expenses incurred.
Submission Guidelines
Proposals (in English) are to be submitted by the PI through the online submission system.
Submissions will include the following:
· Submission title
· Amount requested in US Dollars
· Name and academic affiliation of PI
· Names of any other CIs and their affiliations
· Summary (500 words) of the proposed research project
· Research Proposal of up to 10 pages, single spaced, with the following structure:
1. Specific research question(s) to be addressed, including how the research addresses the 2023-2024 RSM program theme, review of the relevant literature from the field of strategic management, and expected contributions to both the theory and the practice of strategic management
2. Research design, including descriptions of data and analysis techniques
3. Cited references
· Timetable/schedule (including a description of any work completed to date)
· Detailed budget in US Dollars, including disclosure of other sources of funding
· Expected impact of SRF funding on the quality of the research
· CVs for the PI and any CI(s)
· Disclosure of any personal or business relationship between researchers and organizations providing data, field access, or other assistance that could potentially create a conflict of interest
· A description of any non-disclosure agreements governing the research, including discussion of restrictions on publishing outcomes
· A letter from the Dean’s Office of the PI’s primary academic institution confirming support for the funding application and acknowledging any institutional financial resources provided to the project
· Disclosure of any relationship with SRF Co-Chairs or the RSM Program Director, which may create the perception of a conflict of interest: potential conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, advising, co-authoring, or consulting relationships
Proprietary Rights & Acknowledgements
Grant recipients will retain copyright to all materials prepared in connection with the funded project. However, the SRF will retain an irrevocable, royalty-free license in perpetuity to use such materials for non-commercial purposes furthering the mission of the SRF. The SRF requires that any publication of the resulting research in articles or other forms includes an acknowledgement that the research was funded in part by the SRF of the Strategic Management Society.
Timetable & Evaluation Process
The SRF submission deadline is October 1, 2024. Notification of RSM grants awarded will be made by January 1, 2025. Submissions will be reviewed using the following criteria:
· Contribution to strategic management theory: Are the frameworks employed, the data to be used, and/or the potential results to be obtained likely to make a new and substantial theoretical or empirical contribution to the academic field of strategic management?
· Contribution to strategic management practice: Is this research likely to yield important advice for managers in private or public organizations and make a significant contribution to the practice of strategic management?
· Novelty of the research topic/question: Is this research likely to start or redirect a line of inquiry in the field of strategic management?
· Research design and methodological rigor: Are the data appropriate for the theory being
· developed or tested? Are the procedures appropriate for the research questions? Is the description of the methods to be used adequate? Is validity properly justified?
· Likelihood of project success: Are the qualifications of the research team appropriate for
· the proposed research? Do the researchers have sufficient access to resources (financial and non-financial) to carry out the project?
· Expected impact of the funding: Is SRF funding likely to make a significant difference to the quality, scope, or other characteristics of the project that will enhance its conceptual or empirical contributions to theory and practice?
Questions?
Please send any questions about the Research in Strategic Management Program by email to srf@strategicmanagement.net.
2024 Call for Proposals
The Strategy Research Foundation (SRF) of the Strategic Management Society (SMS) announces its 2024 Will Mitchell Dissertation Research Grant Program and calls for grant proposals associated with doctoral students’ dissertations. Proposals should describe original research in strategic management that is required for the award of a research doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent).
Will Mitchell Dissertation Research Grant Program funds are intended to supplement other financial
resources available to students and to support elements of their research that enhance the quality, expand the scope, augment the research design, or in some other way enrich their dissertation projects.
· Target Applicant: A full-time student studying strategic management in a research doctoral program at an accredited institution. Ideal applicants are at the dissertation stage with 2-3 years remaining at the time of application.
· Funding & Key Terms: Grants of up to US$10,000 to support dissertation research expenses such as data collection that are required for completion of the doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent). No institutional overhead or researcher stipends will be covered.
· Submission Deadline: October 1, 2024
· Grant Period: January 1, 2025 — December 31, 2026
Eligibility
The SRF recognizes that dissertation program structures vary but suggests that applicants will have
completed at least half of their home institution’s program requirements, including preliminary or qualifying requirements (such as coursework, comprehensive examinations/research proposal defense) prior to submitting an application. Ideal applicants will be sufficiently advanced in their doctoral programs to have well-defined dissertation plans and early enough in the execution of their dissertation work to benefit from the support of dissertation expenses and the SRF Dissertation Workshop that will be held during the first year of the grant period. Previous recipients of SRF WMDRG program funds are not eligible to apply for additional funds.
All SRF grants aim to support research that has not been undertaken. Thus, completed work is not eligible for funding.
Funding
Financial support will cover direct research and data collection expenses (e.g., purchase of data or subscriptions to databases, surveys and respondent incentives, and interviews of research subjects and related travel) as well as up to US$2,000 related to travel expenses for participation in SRF activities at the 2025 and 2026 SMS Annual Conferences. Research activities with funding limits include: Research Assistance (capped at US$4,000); Transcription Services (capped at US$4,000). Examples of ineligible expenses include but are not limited to: compensation for the Scholar’s time, purchases of software or equipment, copyediting and other expenses associated with the dissertation document, university overhead, tuition and other personal expenses, and expenses for conference travel, except as noted above. Determination of eligible and ineligible expenses rests with the SRF.
When a proposal is accepted for funding, the SRF will prepare a written agreement that details the responsibilities of both the Scholar and the SRF. Grant funds awarded will be disbursed at the start of the two-year grant period beginning January 1, 2025 and are expected to be used by the end of the grant period.
Deliverables & Activities
Recipients of the Will Mitchell Dissertation Grants are expected to provide the following deliverables: periodic update reports, an executive summary of the research findings, a copy of the dissertation, and documentation of the expenses incurred. All Scholars are expected to participate in the SRF Workshop at the 2025 SMS Annual Conference and the SRF Scholars Session at the 2026 SMS Annual Conference. Scholars participating in these activities will receive Annual Conference registration fee waivers.
Submission Guidelines
All proposal materials must be in English. A submission consists of the following:
· Dissertation title
· Applicant name
· Doctoral institution
· Dissertation advisor
· Name of outside committee members, if any (to avoid conflict in review process)
· Amount requested (in US Dollars)
· Anticipated doctoral program completion date
· Three keywords that characterize the proposed research
· Summary (500 words) of the proposed research project
· Research proposal of up to ten (10) pages, double-spaced, with the following structure:
1. Specific research question(s) to be addressed, review of the relevant strategic management literature, and expected contributions to the field of strategic management
2. Research design, including description of proposed data and analysis techniques
3. Cited references
· Timetable/Schedule
· Detailed budget in US Dollars, including specific items proposed for SRF funding and sources of support other than SRF
· Expected impact of SRF funding on the quality of the research
· Applicant’s CV
· A recommendation letter from the applicant’s dissertation advisor in support of the proposal. This letter will be requested through the submission portal and should be completed by the dissertation advisor. It should include a statement of the applicant’s stage of completion in the dissertation work and doctoral program, verification that the research components for which funding is sought have yet to be undertaken and are anticipated to be part of the applicant’s dissertation, and a description of the difference the award would make to the quality or nature of the dissertation.
Proprietary Rights & Acknowledgements
Grant recipients will retain the copyrights to all materials prepared in connection with the funded project. However, it is expected that the SRF will be granted an irrevocable, royalty-free license in perpetuity to use such materials for non- commercial purposes furthering the mission of the SRF. The SRF requires that any publication of the resulting research in articles or other forms includes an acknowledgment that the research was funded in part by the SRF of the Strategic Management Society.
Timetable & Evaluation Process
The SRF submission deadline is October 1, 2024. Notification of SRF Will Mitchell Dissertation Scholar Awards will be made by January 1, 2025. Submissions will be reviewed using the following criteria:
· Contribution to strategic management theory: Are the frameworks employed, the data to be used, and/or the potential results to be obtained likely to make a new and substantial theoretical or empirical contribution to the academic field of strategic management?
· Conceptual and empirical contributions: Does this dissertation study a new phenomenon? Even if the phenomenon is not new, is the dissertation’s empirical base novel?
· Novelty of the research topic/question: Is this dissertation likely to start a new or redirect an existing line of inquiry in the field of strategic management?
· Research design and methodological rigor: Is the data appropriate for the theory being built or tested? Are the procedures appropriate for the research questions? Is there adequate description of the methods used? Is validity properly justified?
· Quality of writing: Is language used consistently? Are the arguments made clearly? Does the writing flow naturally?
· Managerial implications: Is this dissertation likely to yield important advice for managers in private or public organizations?
· Expected impact of the funding: Is SRF funding likely to make a significant difference to the quality, scope, or other characteristics of the dissertation that will enhance its conceptual and/or empirical contribution to theory and/or practice?
Questions?
Please send any questions about the Dissertation Research Program by email to
srf@strategicmanagement.net.
The SMS is accepting submissions of proposals for Special Conferences to take place in 2025 and beyond to be submitted by August 11, 2024. July-August and December dates for 2025, and January-June 2026 are of particular interest.
Each proposal should be sent through this form and should include:
- Summary logistical information for the conference
- Contacts and/or link(s) as appropriate for organizers and partner institutions, etc.
- Letter of support from host/partner institution
- Description of theme for the conference
- Detailed plans for how the conference will promote theory-practice collaboration or regional development and engage new audiences for SMS
Full information about proposing and hosting an SMS Special Conference can be found on the SMS Website:
If you have not already, we encourage you to review this page and the Call prior to moving forward with your proposal. If you have any questions about this process or Special Conferences in general, please contact Anna Allen, SMS Director of Membership and Events (aallen@strategicmanagement.net). Special Conference proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Committee of the SMS Board of Directors after the submission period has closed.
For technical assistance with this submission process, please contact Submittable Customer Service.