Sidney W. & Janet R. Bijou Grant

The Sidney W. and Janet R. Bijou Grant is an annual program established by a substantial endowment to the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA). Originally funded in 1996 with a second donation in 2003, the grant honors the legacy of Dr. Sidney W. Bijou, a pivotal figure in the natural science framework for behavior development. Administered by the ABAI Science Board and awarded by the SABA Board of Directors, the grant provides financial support to doctoral students pursuing research in behavioral development consistent with Bijou's scientific principles. The grant’s primary objective is to support doctoral-level research that examines the emergence and evolution of behavioral repertoires within developmental contexts. Projects must focus on observable organism-environment interactions, contributing to understanding cognitive, emotional, social, and language development processes. Examples of acceptable research topics include derived relational responding, joint attention, behavioral cusps, and bidirectional naming. Basic or translational animal research is also eligible if it informs human developmental mechanisms. The grant does not support intervention or treatment studies for specific disorders. Each year, up to five grants of $12,000 may be awarded. The number of grants is contingent on endowment performance and the discretion of the Board, which may elect not to fund any proposals in a given year. All proposed expenses must be explicitly itemized within the applicant's budget. The grant does not require matching funds but emphasizes clarity and rigor in financial planning. Applicants must be enrolled in or accepted to a doctoral program in psychology, behavioral science, education, or a related discipline. The academic environment must offer adequate supervision and resources for behaviorally focused developmental research. Eligibility requires that applicants have at least six months remaining in their programs following the grant deadline. A strong commitment to behavior analysis as a research approach is also expected. Applicants may not simultaneously apply for this and the Innovative Student Research Grant. The application package includes a completed biosketch, a detailed five-page research proposal (plus up to two pages of references), a letter of support from an academic advisor, and a departmental resource confirmation letter from a program chair. Applications are accepted from September 2025 through January 14, 2026. Awardees will be notified in June 2026 and must submit a brief use report and expenditure summary by April 1 of the following year. Recipients are publicly recognized during the SABA Awards Ceremony at the ABAI Annual Convention and in the Inside Behavior Analysis publication. This program continues to honor Dr. Bijou’s dedication to empirical and naturalistic approaches to developmental behavior research.

Ensure proposals are behaviorally focused and exclude disorder-based treatment designs. Budget clarity is essential. Proposal must show commitment to empirical developmental research.