Patrice L. Engle Dissertation Grant

The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) has launched 2022 Patrice L. Engle Dissertation Grant to support junior students interested in a career in global early child development who are from or doing research in low- or middle-income countries.

Program Supports

• The Patrice L. Engle Dissertation Grant in Global Early Child Development supports:

  • Dissertation research in global early child development with a one-year Grant for $5,000. The developmental focus of the research should include children, prenatal to 6 years of age living in low- or middle-income countries, as defined by the World Bank. Potential topics could include (but are not limited to):

    • The effectiveness of different models of parenting support on early child development.

    • Examination of how child care programs promote child development and family involvement.

    • The effectiveness of 2-generation programs that provide maternal and child support.

    • Innovative strategies to integrate programs that promote early child development with health or nutritional services for young children.

    • Innovative strategies to integrate child development interventions with social protection services or programs to promote maternal mental health or education.

    • Innovative strategies to involve fathers and other extended family members in early child development programs.

    • Development of measurement strategies, indicators, and assessment tools for children and family interactions that can be implemented with reliability in low-resource settings.

    • Strategies for effective scale-up of demonstration programs.

• ​If selected to receive a grant, the applicant will be provided with a free 2-year SRCD student membership.

• Grantees are encouraged to submit an abstract to the SRCD Biennial meeting following the completion of their research. Grantees from low- or middle-income countries are encouraged to apply to SRCD for international travel funds to attend the SRCD Biennial Meeting.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any field of study that links to global early child development is acceptable;

• Attend a recognized university in the United States or a recognized non-US university that can receive and process grant awards from the United States, with preference given to students from low- or middle-income countries;

• Be enrolled and in good standing in a doctoral program at a degree-granting university, and have advanced to candidacy and completed required coursework;

• Be committed to completing a dissertation in global early child development, as demonstrated by approval from a dissertation committee;

• Agree to report progress to The Patrice L. Engle Grant Committee by submitting an interim report 6 months following the receipt of funds, a final report at 12 months, and notice of delays or irregularities;

• An applicant in a high-income country who proposes to conduct secondary data analysis with no involvement in a low or middle-income country would not be viewed as responsive;

• The advisor must agree that the applicant is in good standing, is ready to complete the dissertation, and that the advisor will supervise the applicant and ensure that the reports are submitted.

Selection Criteria

• Career and project relevance to global child development;

• The promise of the research plan in terms of creativity, innovation, significance, and intellectual rigor;

• Need for funds to conduct the research;

• The likelihood of success includes advisor support.

Deadline: June 30, 2022

For more information, visit SRCD.