Guidelines for Action Research Grant Applications Awarded by
NCSLMA
Grants for Action Research in the School Library Media Center:
The North Carolina School Library Media Association (NCSLMA)
is pleased to offer an Action Research Grant for a school
librarian or an advanced library student who is a member of
NCSLMA. Applications should include research-based
proposals that focus directly on the effects of innovative
strategies on student learning in the school library media
center.
Purpose:
To improve student learning by encouraging school librarians
and library school students to implement innovative
instructional strategies in the school library.
Eligibility:
In addition to being a current NCSLMA member, an applicant
must be a practicing school librarian in a public or private
school in North Carolina or a school library student in an
approved graduate program. Preference for students will be
given to those doing practicum or field experiences. Only
research-based proposals that focus directly on the effects of
innovative teaching strategies on student learning in the
school library will be funded.
Grants:
The winning applicant will receive up to $1,000 to cover the
costs of books and other resources, supplies, materials, etc.
associated with the research project. The grant funds cannot
be used to cover stipends, travel, student field trips, or to
purchase equipment items costing over $500. Books and other
materials purchased with NCSLMA funding will stay in the
school where the study was performed.
Criteria for Judging Grants:
The criteria by which proposals are selected include the
following:
1. Direct focus on effective, innovative teaching/learning
research.
2. Impact: Wide dissemination potential, reproducibility, and
applicability to other school library media programs.
3. Cost effectiveness and justification of itemized
expenditures.
4. Clear and realistic statement of objectives, implementation,
and assessment.
5. Demonstrated need:
a. Importance of the project to meet the needs of
students served.
b. Unavailability of funds from other sources.
Application Procedures:
Complete the proposal cover form, using no more than five
additional pages to outline the proposed action research
project and proposed budget. These additional pages should
include an explanation of the research question and objective
of the project, rationale explaining why this research is needed
and how the project will meet the needs of the students
involved, a detailed description of the how the research will be
conducted, a proposed timeline for the project, a budget
proposal explaining how the grant funds will be used, a
statement regarding the potential impact of this research on
both your students and the school library media field, and an
explanation of how the outcomes of the research will be
evaluated including any assessment tools that will be used in
the course of the research (surveys, questionnaires, interviews,
etc.). Please see the scoring rubric for information on how each
section of the proposal will be weighted. In scoring the
applications, we will be looking for evidence that the project
has been thoroughly planned and thought out.
Funding Procedures:
In order to avoid large upfront costs to the grant recipient, the
NCSLMA treasurer will mail a check in the amount of the
project’s proposed budget made out to the grant recipient’s
school after the grant is awarded. It is the responsibility of the
grant recipient to complete an expense report itemizing the
expenses for the project. This report should be sent to the
NCSLMA treasurer after the project is completed and no later
than May 30 of the operating year of the grant.
Requirements Regarding NCSLMA Conference/ Blog:
The grant recipient will be required to present a one hour
concurrent session regarding the research grant project at the
NCSLMA conference in the fall following the academic year the
grant was awarded. Additionally, the grant recipient will be
required to write three posts for the NCSLMA blog, the first
detailing the goals of the research, the second being an
announcement of the session at conference, and the third
being a reflective post to share the results and the lessons
learned from the project. The third post will occur after
conference.