The Innovative Student Research Grant supports graduate students pursuing research in the field of behavior analysis, with a focus on the experimental analysis of behavior. Administered by the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA), this funding opportunity is designed to encourage rigorous and translational student research with real-world relevance both within and beyond the behavior analytic community.
This grant provides financial assistance to doctoral and master’s students enrolled or accepted into psychology, education, behavioral science, or allied programs that maintain sufficient behaviorally oriented faculty to supervise the proposed research. Doctoral applicants may apply for dissertation grants of up to $5,000, while master’s applicants may apply for thesis grants of up to $2,000 or a smaller award of $1,000. In total, up to six grants may be awarded annually. Grant amounts vary based on project scope and budget clarity. Preference is given to proposals involving translational research.
Applications must include a biosketch, a detailed proposal (up to five pages for doctoral applicants and three pages for master's applicants, with two additional pages for references), a letter of support from the applicant’s advisor, and a letter from the department chair verifying that the institution has the necessary resources. Proposals must clearly articulate the project’s significance, aims, methodology, limitations, timeline, and budget. Applicants must also disclose any matching funding. Letters of support are submitted via email.
To be eligible, applicants must have at least one full academic year remaining in their programs and must not apply for both the Innovative Student Research Grant and the Bijou Grant in the same year. All recipients agree to submit a report on grant use and expenditures by April 1 of the year following the award.
The application window for the 2026 grant cycle runs from September 2025 through January 14, 2026, with notifications expected in June 2026. The ABAI Science Board manages the review process, and final recipients are selected by the SABA Board of Directors. Grant winners will be recognized publicly at the SABA Awards Ceremony at the ABAI Annual Convention and in official publications. Originally known as the SABA Experimental Analysis of Behavior Grant, this program has supported student research since its inception in 2000.
Preference given to translational research; avoid narrow topics of interest only to behavior analysts; proposals must be clearly written and methodologically sound.
