AALL Research Fund:
An Endowment Established by LexisNexis®

Research Grant Application

Purpose

1. The grant will fund one or more projects of value to those professions that create, disseminate, or use legal and law-related information. The AALL Research Grant program aims to stimulate a diverse range of scholarship in any format.
   
   
2. One or more totalling $5000.00 will be awarded by the AALL Research Committee in 2006 provided the application(s) is judged worthy of support by the committee under the rules and guidelines established herein.
   
   
3. Areas for potential research may include, but are not limited to, those described in the Association's Research Agenda.
   
   

Selection Process

1. Proposals must be submitted following the instructions on the AALL Research Grant Application Form (attached). The project proposal must:
   
   
   • Demonstrate significance and originality in the context of existing literature and research;
     
   • Propose appropriate strategies for conducting the research based on the topic or issue selected, including a plan for systematic analysis that will produce objective and reliable results;
     
   • Show feasibility to be completed within the established time frame and budget;
     
   • Include a preferred means of disseminating project results, within the requirements stated below.
     
     
2. Criteria for selection include:
   
   
   1. The pertinence of the research question, the appropriateness of the research, and the feasibility of the work plan;
      
      
   2. The intellectual significance of the project, including its potential contribution to scholarship in librarianship, law librarianship, or legal fields, and the likelihood that it will encourage research in a new direction;
      
      
   3. The qualification, expertise, and level of commitment of the project director, and appropriateness of chosen staff;
      
      
   4. The promise of quality, usefulness, and impact on scholarship of any resulting research product;
      
      
   5. The potential for success of the project.
      
      

Applicant Eligibility

1. Applicants should have experience with research projects, and an understanding of the creation, dissemination and/or use of legal and law related information. Applicants may be individuals or partnerships.
   
   
2. Preference will be given to members of AALL, working individually or in partnership with others.
   
   
3. Applicant(s) must provide a resume and statement of their qualifications for carrying out this project. AALL reserves the right to request additional supporting documents.
   
   
4. Applicant(s) currently working on an AALL Research Grant of any type is not eligible to apply for another research grant until the previously awarded grant is judged completed by the AALL Research Committee.
   
   
5. Participation in this AALL research project shall not be denied to any applicant or abridged on account of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.
   

Terms of the Grant

1. The project should be completed within one year of receipt of the grant. Extensions of the deadline must be approved by the Chair of the AALL Research Committee, in consultation with the Committee and the AALL Executive Director.
   
   
2. After a grant has been awarded, a check for 75% of the amount of the award is issued to recipient. Upon completion of the project and approval of a final report and a final product, 15% of the remainder is issued. The final 10% is issued upon acceptance of the final product for publication.
   
   
3. Modifications to accepted projects must be approved by the Chair of the Research Committee, in consultation with the Committee and the AALL Executive Director.
   
   
4. Reimbursement of all grant monies may be required for any project that is not completed within the agreed upon time period.
   
   
5. Although the research may be conducted in a language other than English, grant recipients must furnish a copy of the final report in English to the Chair of the Research Committee.
   
   
6. The allocation of these funds is at the discretion of the AALL Research Committee. The decisions of the Committee are final. The Committee reserves the right to make no award.
   
7. Any unused grant funds must be returned at the end of the research project.

Reports

1. Grant recipients receiving less than $10,000 from AALL will provide semi-annual reports to the AALL Executive Director and Chair of the AALL Research Committee. Grant recipients receiving more than $10,000 from AALL will provide quarterly reports to the AALL Executive Director and Chair of the AALL Research Committee.
   
   
2. Both semi-annual and quarterly reports will include:
   
   • Activities that have been completed;
     
   • Activities that must be done;
     
   • Problems encountered and plans to overcome them;
     
   • Expectations for results;
     
   • A summary of expenses, including any proposed changes to the approved budget.
     
     
3. Recipients will provide a written report to the Chair of the AALL Research Committee at the conclusion of their research project, as outlined in the AALL Research Grant Reporting Guidelines. The written report may be published in an AALL publication, at the discretion of the Association. Complete reporting requirements are detailed in the AALL Research Grant Reporting Guidelines. A copy is included in this packet. Failure to comply with the Reporting Guidelines may result in forfeiture of grant monies not yet disbursed and/or required reimbursement of all monies awarded.
   

Budget

1. The budget should include all costs that can be specifically identified in the proposal. Applicants should indicate the type and amount of contribution they expect from their institution, including in-kind allocation of time and resources. No specific financial commitments by the institution are required but, if submitted, those commitments will be weighed in the evaluation of the proposal. If the applicant is to be given leave for the research project, this should be noted.
   
   Institutional overhead is not an acceptable budget item within the parameters of the AALL grant, nor should overhead be listed as institutional support. (Note: AALL grant proposals must be submitted to the appropriate grants office of the applicant's institution, if any, prior to submission to AALL. The grants office must accept the terms of the AALL Research Grant Program, and evidence of this acceptance must be included with the application materials.)
   
   If funding from sources other than the AALL grant and institutional contributions is anticipated, the budget should reflect the source and amount of such contributions, regardless of whether they have been solicited or received at the time of application.
   
   
2. Possible expense categories are:
   
   
   • Salaries and wages (e.g. salaries and/or fringe benefits for support staff or other salaried personnel, not salaries or honorarium for principal grant winners);
     
   • Consultant services;
     
   • Travel costs for work on the project;
     
   • Supplies and materials;
     
   • Other (including such costs as rental of space and/or equipment, communications, and computer services).
     
     
3. Requests for modification of the budget must be approved by the Chair of the AALL Research Committee, in consultation with the Committee and the AALL Executive Director. Requests for modification of the budget must be accompanied by a revised budget.
   
   
   

Procedures

1. The AALL grant proposal cover sheet (attached) must accompany all applications.
   
   
2. Applicants must submit eight (8) copies of the proposal to:
   
   Chair, Research Committee
   American Association of Law Libraries
   53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 940
   Chicago, Illinois 60604
   
   
3. Deadline: April 1
   
   
4. Grant recipients will submit their final report and project results by the scheduled date. AALL retains a right of first refusal for publication or other use of project results. If the project results are not accepted for publication in an AALL publication or the Association declines to make some other use of the results, the grant recipient may publish or distribute the research results in another manner. In that case, recognition of AALL support must be included with the research results. Ownership rights to the project results, including copyright or other intellectual property rights, are subject to negotiation between the grant recipient and AALL.
   
   
5. For further information contact:
   
   Kate Hagan, Executive Director
   American Association of Law Libraries
   53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 940
   Chicago, Illinois 60604
   voice: (312) 939-4764
   fax: (312) 939-4770
   email: khagan@aall.org
   
   

1. -- Date Submitted:
   
   
2. -- Project Title:
   
   
   
   
3. -- Primary Contact:
   
   
4. -- Address:
   
   
   
5. -- Telephone:
   
   
6. -- Fax:
   
   
7. -- Email:
   
   
8. -- Project Host, if applicable (i.e. Organization, Library or Consortium):
   
   
   
   
9. -- Address:
   
   
10. -- Telephone:
    
    
11. -- Please attach the following:
    
    
    1. Personal Resume(s);
       
       
    2. Project Proposal;
       
       
    3. Timeline, in graphic form, with tasks and estimated completion dates;
       
       
    4. Proposed budget, specifying all sources of funding and a detailed description of how funds will be spent.
       
       
    5. Signed certification form (attached) indicating acceptance of the terms of the AALL Research Grant program and the willingness to abide by them.
       

Certification

By submitting this proposal, I accept and will abide by the terms of the AALL Research Grants program. I understand that, if awarded an AALL Research Grant, I must finish the research project within the agreed-upon time period and file progress reports as described in the Reporting Guidelines. I further understand that my failure to adhere to the terms of the Research Grants program may result in no further disbursement of funds and/or the reimbursement to AALL of monies awarded, as determined by the AALL Research Committee.

After a grant has been awarded, a check for 75% of the amount of the award is issued to recipient. Upon completion of the project and approval of a final report and a final product, 15% of the remainder is issued. The final 10% is issued upon acceptance of the final product for publication.

Quarterly and/or semi-annual reports, as determined by grant amount, and a final report must be submitted to the Chair of the AALL Research Committee. The content of the reports are outlined below:

Quarterly and Semi-Annual Reports

1. Technical Report (2 to 3 pages, maximum)
   
   
   1. What activities have been completed?
      
   2. What remains to de done?
      
   3. What problems do you anticipate?
      
   4. How do you plan to overcome problems?
      
   5. At this point in your work, what do you think the results will be?
      
      
2. Financial Report (1 page)
   
   
   1. Categories of planned expenditure (e.g. supplies, travel).
      
   2. Amount to be spent in each category.
      
   3. Amount spent to date in each category.
      
   4. Amount still to be spent in each category.
      
      
      

Final Report

1. Technical Report (3 to 5 pages, maximum)
   
   Please include brief answers to the following questions:
   
   
   1. What was the original problem and research question(s)?
      
   2. What did you actually do and how does it differ from your original plan?
      
   3. What problems did you encounter and how did you deal with them?
      
   4. What answers do you have now for the research question(s) asked in the proposal?
      
   5. How has your work contributed to a solution of the original problem?
      
   6. What else could be done to answer the research question(s)?
      
   7. What are your plans for disseminating the results of your work?
      
      
2. Financial Report (1 page)
   
   Categories of planned expenditure (e.g. supplies, travel).
   
   1. Amount you planned to spend in each category.
      
   2. Amount you actually spent in each category.
      
   3. Brief explanation of differences between B and C.
      
   4. Attach originals of all receipts/documentation for expenses itemized.
      
      
      
3. Final Product (approximately 15 pages)
   
   The final product should be a detailed report on the findings and results of the research project. The final product should be written according to the LLJ Publication guidelines and in consultation with the LLJ editor, unless another AALL publication (print or web-based) or an independent standalone print or web-based publication is deemed to be more appropriate. AALL retains the right of first refusal as regards the final product.
   
   If the final product is to be delivered in a format other than an LLJ article, the Research Committee must authorize the format at the time of the last quarterly or semi-annual report. LLJ information is available at: http://www.aallnet.org/products/pub_journal.asp.
   The final product will be considered complete for the purpose of meeting the requirements of the research grant when it has been accepted for publication.