ISP $2,000 Dissertation Award For 2007

ISP $2,000 Dissertation Award for 2008

One goal of Influencing State Policy (ISP) is to increase the Social Work profession's effectiveness in affecting state policy and legislation. Since 1997, ISP has been assisting social work faculty and students in learning about the formation, implementation, and evaluation of state-level policies. ISP now sponsors an annual $2,000 cash award to a social work Ph.D. student whose dissertation-in-process is focused on social policy research at the state (non-Federal) level.

Why the emphasis on State Policy?

The "new Federalism" is shifting greater responsibility and autonomy to the 50 states for providing services and designing welfare programs. Priorities and fund allocations are being set in state capitals amid intense competition for state dollars. Some states are privatizing their health and social services. If social workers do not exert leadership in contributing to these decisions, others will shape social policy in the future. The NASW Code of Ethics requires all social workers to advocate for changes in policy and legislation.

Who is eligible?

Any student currently enrolled in a social work Ph.D. program in the United States of America. All doctoral coursework and all comprehensive / oral / qualifying exams must be successfully passed by the deadline of November 15, 2008. Dissertation may not be completed at the time of application.

When is the deadline?

A completed application with all supporting materials must be postmarked by November 15, 2008.

What must be submitted?

Each applicant must provide ISP with the following:

A separate single cover sheet with the applicant's name, address, phone, and email, and title of the executive summary.
Executive summary (2 pages maximum) of an approved* dissertation prospectus. (Do not include your name on these pages). Prospectus is defined as a detailed, well-developed statement of proposed research, usually 30-60 pages in length, not a brief preliminary overview of a study.
Personal statement (2 pages maximum) by the applicant indicating how s/he expects the research to influence state level policy(s) and social work practice and an estimate of the potential number of persons who are affected by this policy(s).(Do not include your name on these pages)
A letter from the Ph.D. student's dissertation chairperson attesting to the student's enrollment status, successful completion of coursework and exam(s), certifying that the prospectus is approved* and the expected date for completion of the dissertation.
One copy of the dissertation to ISP upon its completion.

What should be the focus of the dissertation?

The dissertation must be a research study that addresses some aspect(s) of a state-level policy and its impact or implications for social work practice or clientele. Any arena of practice is eligible, e.g., aging, mental health, disabilities, substance abuse, advocacy, health, etc. Research outcomes or analyses will be broadly interpreted as long as there is a clear link to a state-level policy or legislative process. Examples include how a federal policy may affect state policies or programs. Or, how poverty/low-income recipients with children served by state programs is associated with inadequate nutrition in New York. Or, how stalking legislation with automatic police reporting affects levels of domestic violence in New Mexico. Or, how drug prescription policies in Florida affect the rate of non-compliance by older persons.

Where do I send my application?

Please send six (6) copies of all materials (Items #1-4) to:

Jane Hoyt-Oliver
jholiver@malone.edu
Department of Social Work
Malone College
515 25th Street NW
Canton, OH 44709-3897
330-471-8185

What else do I need to know?

The anonymous application materials (Items #2 & 3 above) will be scored by an appointed 4-5 person committee using the following criteria: relevance of research to social work practice; use of an appropriate methodology; clarity and organization; and potential to influence state policy (Items #1 and 4 above are for administrative purposes only). All applicants will be notified by January 15, 2009 of the final award decision. The cash award will be forwarded within fifteen days of the final decision.

In addition to the $2,000 cash award, the winning applicant will be guaranteed a time slot to present his/her findings at an annual ISP member's meeting held in conjunction with CSWE's annual meeting. An engraved plaque will also be awarded to the winning applicant and presented at a national conference. A complimentary one-year membership in ISP will also be awarded.