Research Grant

The MCS Division awards Outstanding Research Proposal Grants to support innovative and impactful scholarship that advances the field of mass communication. Each year, four competitive grants are awarded—two to faculty and two to students—to recognize and foster high-quality research at various stages of academic and professional development.

These grants support proposals that examine meaningful questions within mass communication, with particular emphasis on work that engages societal or macrosocial issues. Competitive proposals clearly demonstrate how the research addresses the dynamic relationship between media, communication processes, and society, aligning closely with the Division’s mission to advance understanding of mass communication in its broader social context. The MCS Division welcomes a wide range of methodological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Proposals are evaluated based on their originality, theoretical and practical significance, methodological rigor, and potential to contribute to ongoing conversations within the field.

Any member of the MCS Division who is currently teaching, researching or studying mass communication full-time is eligible. Members of the MCS Executive Committee are ineligible to apply. Proposals will be reviewed by the MCS Division Head, the immediate Past Head, and the MCS Journal Editor. Winners of the award must submit an article based on the grant proposal to Mass Communication and Society within two years of receiving notification of winning the grant. Winning the award grants the right of first refusal to the journal, but does not necessarily guarantee acceptance into the journal. 

Submission Details: 

Submit the following information electronically as ONE PDF and include the applicant’s name in the title of the file. Submissions should be made in English. Include the following information in your submission packet in the order listed below:

• The research proposal (no more than 5 pages; single-spaced), which includes the following sections: 
  • An overview of the study, stressing the importance of the topic and the fit with the Division’s mission. This section should include the research questions and hypotheses, if applicable.
  • A brief literature review citing the most relevant articles and describing where the project fits with past research.
  • Proposed methods, with as much detail as possible.
  • A proposed timeline from the inception of the project to the Mass Communication and Society submission. Note: The project must be completed within two years of the business meeting at which the award is granted.
• The applicant's curriculum vita (no more than five pages)
• Detailed project budget, showing how the research funds would be used. For the most part, hosting/entertaining expenses and personal memberships and subscriptions will not be funded, unless justified by the researcher. Overhead/indirect costs and salary are also not funded. 
• If matching funds are promised by another source, please include a letter (or e-mail) of support from the department chair or other administrator responsible for those funds. 

Submission Deadline: April 30th at 11:59 p.m. (EDT). The nomination PDF should be emailed to the MCSD Awards Chair. 

Award: $10,000 (faculty-led research proposals) & $2,500 (graduate student-led research proposal)