Sponsored Scholarship Program

Award Details

The Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC) Request for Proposals

Sponsored Scholarship Program

We are pleased to announce a call for proposals for our seventh year of the Sponsored Scholarship Program (SSP).

Proposals are due May 15th, 2026, by 11:59 PM (EST).

The goal of the SSP is to identify and fund quality research programs that further the mission and vision of AARC. Based on our commitment to supporting the growth of quality research and assessment in the counseling profession, we will be funding up to $20,000 in SSP grants this cycle. Recipients will be recognized at the 2026 AARC annual conference. Counseling students, counselors, counselor educators, and practitioner-scholars are highly encouraged to apply for this unique funding opportunity. 

SSP grants will be awarded in each of the following categories:

  • Professional PI (Faculty & Professional Members): Maximum budget of $4,500
  • Student PI: Maximum budget of $2,500

AARC welcomes proposals that focus on assessment practicesmeasurement development, and research examining counseling outcomes

All submissions that reflect the mission of AARC are welcome. We are particularly interested in proposals that demonstrate significant potential for assessment-informed public policy and advocacy efforts at the state, regional, or national levels that align with the AARC mission. Projects should describe how findings, interventions, or innovations will inform policy discussions and inform public policy and advocacy through evidenced-based assessment and counseling outcomes.  

Any inquiries should be directed to the AARC Grants Committee at the following email address: supportedscholarship@aarc-counseling.org

Submission Information

All submissions must be sent electronically to AARC Grants Committee Co-Chairs, George Richardson and Yu Pan, via email: supportedscholarship@aarc-counseling.org 

Deadline: May 15th, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST

Eligibility Requirements

  • Members of the Executive Council (excluding the student representative) are not eligible to apply for funding through this mechanism.
  • All individuals listed as PI or Co-PI must hold active AARC memberships.
  • An individual may only appear on one Sponsored Scholarship Proposal as PI or Co-PI.
  • Individuals are only eligible to receive one AARC grant-funded award this year across all AARC grant-funded opportunities and they cannot receive an award in two consecutive years.
  • Applicants who do not meet eligibility criteria will not be considered.

Submission Guidelines

Proposals that do not follow these guidelines may be disqualified from review:

  • Proposals must be submitted in PDF format, including: 
    • An anonymous or masked copy for review
    • A separate PDF copy with proposal authors, affiliations, and associated information
  • No indirect costs (IDC) are funded in this RFP
  • All budgets may only be up to the maximum amount listed for the associated PI
  • Proposals should be no more than 5 single-spaced pages (excluding title page and references)

Inquiries can be emailed to supportedscholarship@aarc-counseling.org.
Proposal requirements are on located below.

 

Proposal Requirements

To be considered for funding, all proposals must address the following:

  1. Title page:
    • Category of submission (e.g., Professional PI, Student/New Professional PI)
    • ACA membership numbers for all PIs
    • A statement confirming that all PIs and Co-PIs listed on the proposal are current AARC Members
  2. Purpose statement
  3. Description of congruence with AARC mission
  4. Need for project
  5. Methodology (participant characteristics, procedure, data analysis, strategies to ensure ethical compliance of research)
  6. Public policy implications
  7. Plan for dissemination of results
  8. Research mentorship plan appropriate to award category
    • Professional: Describe plan for mentoring students and/or new professionals, as relevant to project
    • Student and New Professional: Describe plan for receiving mentorship from senior faculty or professional researcher
  9. Proposed timeline
  10. General budget (no indirect costs [IDC] allowed)
  11. Funding consideration statement: Indicate whether you wish to be considered for partial funding, or whether you only wish to be considered for full funding.

Requirements for Awardees

  • Complete paperwork to process allocations of funds, including submitting an IRB approval letter for the research project within three months of the award announcement, and specify if the check is written to the PI or the institution/organization
  • Complete project within 12 months of receiving funding
  • Submit a 2027 AARC Annual Conference proposal (research poster or content presentation) based on the project 
  • Recognize the AARC SSP in any professional or scholarly products yielded from the awarded program
  • Submit a 10-minute video summarizing the project purpose and design 
  • Submit a progress report by 2/15/2027, and a final executive summary of the research project and findings (template will be provided by the AARC Grants Committee) by 9/1/2027
  • Serve as a grant proposal reviewer during the 2027 award cycle

Please direct all inquiries and submissions to the AARC Scholarly Grants Committee at supportedscholarship@aarc-counseling.org

Proposals are due May 15st, 2026, by 11:59 PM (EST). 

2025 Grant Recipients

Student Outcomes and School Counselor Perspectives on the Hope Rising Intervention: A Mixed Methods Study

  • PI: Sangeun Lee, The Ohio State University

The Development and Validation of the Transracial Adoption Counseling Assessment

  • PI: Lisa Ali, Adams State University

Exploring Psychometric Properties of the Traumatic Growth Scale

  • PI: Margaret Poandl, Virginia Commonwealth University

Parent-Child Relationship Scale: Development and Evaluation in the US and Adaptation to Turkish 

  • PI: Abdulkadir Haktanir, Kean University

Embodied Self-Awareness in Counselor Development: Scale Construction and Validation of the Counselor Embodied Self-Awareness Scale (CESAS)

  • PI: Monique Rodriguez, University of New Mexico
  • Co-I’s: Brett Wilkinson, Purdue University-Fort Wayne; Lindsey Bell, University of New Mexico; & Sojeong Nam, University of New Mexico

Validation of the Traditional Chinese Version of the Child Interpersonal Relationship and Attitudes Assessment (CIRAA-TC) in a Hong Kong Sample 

  • PI: Regine Ki Ki Chung, Niagara University
  • Co-I’s: Vinci Chong, University of North Texas

2024 Grant Recipients

A Mixed-Method Analysis of School Counselors Supporting the Reentry of Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

  • PI:
    Haley R. Ault, University of South Florida
  • Co-PI:
    Alexandria S. Cammarano, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Developing the Tolerance for Ambiguity Scale for Counseling Students (TASCS): Bridging the Gap in Counselor Education

  • PI:
    Dania Fakhro, University of North Carolina Charlotte

Validating Wellness and Quality of Life Measurements on a Sample of Emerging Adults

  • PI:
    Alexander M. Fields, Florida Atlantic University
  • Co-PI:
    Matthew Nice, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
    Madeline Castle, Mississippi State University
    Olivia J. Lewis, Oregon State University

Confirmatory Factor Analysis: Race-Based Resilience Scale

  • PI:
    Ericka Cables, Webster University

Culturally Responsive Research Mentorship: Enhancing Researcher Identity for International Counseling Graduate Students

  • PI:
    Priyanka Jha, Northern Illinois University

The Development and Validation of Multicultural Supervisory Rupture Scale: Using Exploratory Sequential Mixed Method

  • PI:
    Dasol Hwang, Pennsylvania State University

The Investigation of a Classroom-Wide Bibliotherapy Intervention for Economically Disadvantaged Toddlers

  • PI:
    Kaleb A. Thompson, University of North Texas

2023 Grant Recipients

Expanding our Understanding of Help-Seeking Behavior: Implications for Older Adults at Elevated Risk of Suicide

  • PI:
    Afroze N. Shaikh, Georgia State University

Holding Out for a HERO: Evaluating the Impact of Psychological Capital Development on the Well-Being of Doctoral Students

  • PI:
    Justin R. Lockhart, University of Texas at San Antonio

Creation and Validation of the Attachment, Regulation, Competence, Culture, and Health Resilience Model Scale for International Students (ARCCH-IS)

  • PI:
    Cheolwoo Park, University of Florida
  • Co-PI:
    Hannah B. Bayne, University of Florida
    Jung Hyun, Nova Southeastern University

Resilient Warriors: A Mixed-Methodological Evaluation of an Expressive Art-Based Resiliency Program with Black Elementary Students in Title One Schools

  • PI:
    Hulya Ermis-Demirtas, Northeastern Illinois University

Development and Validation of Multicultural and Social Justice-Oriented Learning Environment Scale

  • PI:
    Sojeong Nam, University of New Mexico
  • Co-PIs:
    Olivia Ngadjui, Western Michigan University
    Jeongwoon Jeong, University of New Mexico
    Sam Steen, George Mason University
    Byeolbee Um, University of Oklahoma

Effect of A Breathing-Based Meditation Intervention on Wellness of Counselors-in-Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial

  • PI:
    Yasar Nur Dedeoglu, California State University, Fresno
  • Co-PI:
    Yangyang Liu, California State University, Fresno
    Dilian Rolins, California State University, Fresno

Counselor Bias Toward Sexual Minority Persons Living with a Dual Diagnosis of SUD and PTSD

  • PI:
    Jamian Coleman, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • Co-PI:
    Jordan Wescott, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

2022 Grant Recipients

Read Between the Line: A Novel Approach to Assess Diversity

  • PI:
    Zhaopu (Ken) Xu, University of Rochester
  • Co-PI:
    Hongshan Shao, Penn State University

Development and Validation of the Counseling Imposter Scale (CIS)

  • PI:
    Lien Nguyen, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi
  • Co-PI:
    Joshua Watson, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi

Access to Mental Health Care for Older Sexual Minority Women with Disabilities: Equity in Research and Practice

  • PI:
    Jordan B. Westcott, Virginian Tech

PTSD, Chronic Pain, and Substance Use Disorders: A Pilot Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Study

  • PI:
    Melissa Henry, University of Louisville

Understanding Clients’ Experiences in Counseling: The Client Meaningful Experiences Scale (CMES)

  • PI:
    Ryan Cook, University of Alabama
  • Co-PIs:
    Kevin Doyle, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
    Corrine Sackett, Clemson University

Fear of Hate Crime among Racial Minority College Students: Scale Development and Initial Validation

  • PI:
    Isak Kim, University of Nebraska Omaha
  • Co-PI:
    Eunhui Yoon, Florida State University

2021 Grant Recipients

Examining the Factor Structure of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory in a Sample of Sexual Minority Adults: Confirmatory Factor Analysis

  • PI:
    Thomas Mitchell Toomey, University of South Carolina

The Development and Validation of the Multidimensional Eating and Body Image Screening for LGBTGEQIAP+ Individuals

  • PI:
    Adriana Labarta, Florida Atlantic University
  • Co-PI:
    Kelly Emelianchik-Key, Florida Atlantic University

The Development and Initial Validation of a Disability Identity Development and Belonging Scale for Racially and Ethnically Minoritized College Students with Psychiatric Disabilities

  • PI:
    Angélica Galván, Tennessee Technological University
  • Co-PI:
    Kyesha Isadore, The Pennsylvania State University

Resilient Warriors: An Expressive Art-Based Resiliency Program to Promote Resilience, Adaptive Coping, Positive Self-Concept, and Psychological Wellbeing in Rural Elementary Students

  • PI:
    Hulya Ermis-Demirtas, University of Wisconsin-Stout

Examining the Associations between Cultural Humility, Implicit Racial Bias, and Mindfulness Practices among Counselors and Mental Health Professionals.

  • PI:
    David A. Johnson, Wake Forest University
  • Co-PIs:
    Nathaniel N. Ivers, Wake Forest University

Development and Cross-Cultural Validation of the Inventory of New College Student Adjustment Scale-Chinese Version (INCA-Ch)

  • PI:
    Joshua Watson, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi
  • Co-PI:
    Ye Luo, University of North Texas
    Yunyun Zhang, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi

2020 Grant Recipients

The Development and Initial Validation of the Cultural Humility and Enactment Scale in Counseling

  • PI:
    Peitao Zhu, Northern Illinois University

Developing an Evaluation Toll for Counselor Education Doctoral Student Teaching

  • PI:
    Mei Tang, University of Cincinnati
  • Co-PIs:
    Stephanie Merrilees, University of Cincinnati
    Alexandra Mott, University of Cincinnati

Exploring the Impact of Mobile Resilience Building Program in the COVID-19 Era

  • PI:
    Raissa Miller, Boise State University
  • Co-PI:
    Eric Beeson, Northwestern University

Path Analysis of Factors Affecting Marginalized Youth Outcomes: An Intersection of Career Barriers, Depression, Hopelessness, and Social Problem-Solving

  • PI:
    Tahani Dari, University of Toledo
  • Co-PIs:
    Christian Chan, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

The Development and Validation of the Interpersonal Stress Scale-CT

  • PI: 
    C. Missy Moore, University of Georgia

2016 Grant Recipients

Suicide Intervention Outcome Research in Public Schools: A Meaningful Community Engagement Study

  • PI: 
    Laura Shannonhouse, Georgia State University
  • Co-PIs:
    Yung-Wei Dennis Lin, New Jersey City University
    Nikki Elston, Georgia State University

The Effect of Trauma Informed Yoga Therapy on PTSD Symptoms, Adaptive Behaviors, and Physiological Symptoms

  • PI: 
    Erika Schmit, Texas A&M University-Commerce
  • Co-PIs:
    Jennafer Mountain
    Michael Schmit
    Anna Zapata

An investigation of the effects of Neurofeedback training on ADHD symptoms in college students

  • PI:
    Shaywanna Harris, University of Central Florida

A comparison of the mental health impact of trauma guilt, depression, and PTSD for survivors of cyber-sexual assault and physical assault

  • PI:
    Kelley Holladay, University of Central Florida

Coping Assessment for Bereavement and Loss Experiences (CABLE): Development and Initial Validation of a New Instrument

  • PI:
    Elizabeth Crunk, University of Central Florida
  • Co-PIs:
    Laurie Burke, University of Central Florida
    Robert Neimeyer, University of Memphis
    Mike Robinson, University of Central Florida