The Center for Retirement Research sponsors the annual Steven H. Sandell Grant Program for scholars in the field of retirement or disability research and policy. The program is funded by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) to provide opportunities for junior or non-tenured scholars (within seven years of receiving their Ph.D.) from all academic disciplines to pursue cutting-edge projects on retirement or disability issues. Individuals from historically underserved or underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.
Applicants must demonstrate that their proposal focuses on at least one of SSA’s research focal areas:
- Understanding service needs and improving service delivery;
- Studying causes and inequities of overpayment and underpayment;
- Addressing barriers to disability and SSI programs participation and processes;
- Understanding and improving communication;
- Identifying disparities by race, ethnicity, and sex;
- Examining economic security of program applicants and beneficiaries; and
- Addressing employment barriers for people with disabilities.
Deadline: Jan. 31, 2025
The Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI), if applicable, are required to have a Ph.D. or comparable professional certification. Grants are not intended to fund dissertation research.
The PI and the Co-PI(s) must be junior or non-tenured scholar(s) who are within 1-7 years of completing their Ph.D. or comparable professional certification. Please note that applications with senior or tenured co-authors may be disqualified. The scholar(s) must be employed fulltime at an academic or research institution. The applicant must be affiliated with an institution (with accreditation equivalent to U.S. standards) willing to enter into a sub-agreement with Boston College.
Two $50,000 grants will be awarded based upon the quality of the proposals and the proposed budgets. Recipients are required to complete the research outlined in their proposals within one year of the award. Recipients may be required to present their work to SSA in Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD.