Proposal Guidelines for EDSF Research Grants

EDSF Grant Program

The primary objective of an EDSF (The Electronic Document Systems Foundation) grant is to document technological and societal changes impacting the document communications industry and to forecast the effect of future technologies on document publishing and/or distribution across a variety of dissemination vehicles such as print, web, CDs, and other media. Research projects should be structured to examine trends and statistics through 2006 for the specific area selected, as well as forecast trends and projections for the next three to five years.

Respondents may either select from one of the categories listed in Topic Categories or develop alternative proposals based on topics specifically related to the document communications and enterprise content management industries that are of particular interest to you and your students.

EDSF is interested in supporting relevant research efforts that are of interest to educational institutions in our industry. You are encouraged to select a topic that is of personal interest to you, yet relevant to EDSF's overall direction and goals.

Submission Requirements

You are eligible to be considered for an EDSF Research Grant if: a) the project you propose is in the document communications and enterprise content management industries field-for example, electronic content distribution and/or web-based document distribution, rich media documents, graphic communications, commerical printing, document preparation, production an/or document distribution; and/or the enterprise content management field - for example, records management, document management, workflow management, web content management and electronic imaging and (b) the funds are used for research and for educational purposes in keeping with EDSF guidelines.

Who May Submit
Professors, teachers, instructors who are interested in working with a team of 2-6 students. Faculty and students of both US and non-US colleges and universities are eligible for the grant.

When to Submit
All EDSF Research Grant Proposals must be received by Wednesday, November 5, 2008.

Where to Submit

Email to:(electronic version is preferred - please put "Research Proposal" in the subject line)
info@edsf.org

Fax to:
Brenda Kai at +1 817 849-1145

Mail to:
EDSF
Research Proposal
1845 Precinct Line Road, Suite 212
Hurst, TX 76054

What to Submit
A well-written proposal is key in being considered for a grant. Please include the following information in your grant proposal:

• Name of University/College
   
• Name of the professor, instructor, or teacher submitting the proposal. Please include title, department, telephone, and email and mailing address.
   
• If different from the individual submitting the proposal, provide name of the professor, instructor, or teacher conducting the research. Please include title, department, telephone, email, and mailing address.
   
• Title of Proposed Project or Proposed Research Category
   
• Scope

  Your proposal's scope description should be a brief, clear summary of the field and subfield you intend to examine in your project. Make certain your scope is reasonable within your agreed upon timeline and appropriate for a $3,000 grant.

• Statement of Objectives
   
• Methodology

  It is assumed that research performed under this grant program will be primarily quantitative. The research team will provide a qualitative analysis of the findings and impacts/implications. The team will be expected to utilize secondary research to establish data.
  
  An example of the research process follows:
  
  EDSF anticipates a two-stage research process. The first stage would focus on an exploratory investigation involving secondary research and in-depth interviews with industry experts 10 minutes to 30 minutes in length. Baseline forecasts and trends could then be generated for investigation in the second stage of the research.
  
  The second stage would consist of interviews (n=50) with experts from leading industry suppliers, distributors and technology knowledgeable persons who are qualified to comment on the particular research topic. The second stage may additionally require a three-step process of 1) screening and recruiting qualified participants, 2) mailing supporting materials and 3) re-contacting participants by telephone and interviewing them using the supporting materials as aids.
  
  Your proposal's methodology description should be as specific as possible. You must identify the groups or individuals you will interview, the details of any mailings, and the sources you will be using to research your topic. The EDSF research selection committee cannot properly assess a proposal if it lacks a clear understanding of what and how the applicant intends to accomplish the stated objectives.

• Proposed Budget and Final Budget

  A proposed budget will be submitted at the start of the project with a signed agreement.A final budget will be submitted at the conclusion of the project.
  
  

  Budget Template, Click Here

• Proposed Duration, including start and end dates
   
• Team Profile, including students' names, grade levels, and majors
   
• Academic Institution Profile
   

Project Time Frame
Because students are involved, EDSF recommends research is completed by the end of the school year and not later than September 30. Should your proposal be selected, you will develop a timeline with your EDSF research advisor.

Selection Process

An EDSF research selection committee reviews all submitted proposals, and ranks each proposal based on: a) relevancy to EDSF's mission; b) scope/focus; c) school/team qualifications; d) proposal clarity. When decisions are announced, the project director will be notified.

Terms and Conditions

Grant Award
$3,000 is awarded to each winner of an EDSF Research Grant. The awards may be made to a university, college, department, or special program with the institution. Funds are provided once a Research Grant agreement has been signed and returned to EDSF. EDSF provides 50% of the payment upon signing the agreement. The remaining 50% is provided following the completion of the project. At the time the grant is awarded, an EDSF research mentor or advisor will be assigned by EDSF to work with the award recipient.

Deliverable
The study should consist of approximately 15 to 20 pages of text in Microsoft Word and in PDF file format, with appropriate tables and charts. You may go to http://www.edsf.org/white_papers.cfm to view the various papers. The Ryerson University paper, eBook, is an example of a successful deliverable.

Please submit papers in English.

Publication and Distribution

EDSF will make the final results of the research, completed through the grant program, available to all those who are interested. The report will be primarily distributed electronically and via the EDSF web site, www.edsf.org. It will be made available for publication in industry publications. And it will be distributed in printed form at industry trade shows in which EDSF participates.

For Topic Categories, Click Here.

Questions? Contact EDSF.