Student Research Grant

SSSS offers two student research grants—one for graduate students and one for undergraduate students—to support the design and conduct of original research projects. These grants reflect the Society’s commitment to fostering the development of emerging scholars in the scientific study of sexuality.

The nomination period is open from January 1 - March 15 each year.

Selection Deadline

General Requirements

  • The applicant must be a current SSSS Student Member before applying for the grant and must remain a member the following year (in which they present their work at the Annual Conference).

  • Applicants must be enrolled in a degree-granting program.

    • The graduate student grant can be used to support a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, but it is not a requirement. 

    • The undergraduate student grant can be used to fund any project that is conducted while the applicant is an undergraduate student (even if they are no longer an undergraduate student when they present their findings at the SSSS Annual Conference).

  • After the application is submitted to The Society and before the application period ends (March 15), the applicant's mentor or chairperson of the applicant's department must submit an e-mail to TheSociety@SexScience.org, confirming the applicant's student status.

Selection Process

The Proposal from each applicant is reviewed by the three-person Student Research Grant Subcommittee. If one of the subcommittee members is the professor, mentor, or chairperson of an applicant, that subcommittee member will be replaced to avoid a conflict of interest. The subcommittee will make grant recommendations to the Board of Directors for final approval. If a Board member is an advisor to any applicant, that Board member will abstain from the approval vote.

Application Process

The student must complete an online application form, to include a biographical sketch, brief abstract, and proposal (for a blind review). See specific details below:

  • Application All sections of the application form must be completed (incomplete applications and/or applicant's not following instructions will not be considered).

    • Biographical Sketch As part of the application, applicants will be asked to prepare a short biographical sketch (paragraph form), to include the title of the research project (approx. 200 words). If selected to receive the grant, the bio should be suitable for use on the SSSS website (current year), and for an introduction at the SSSS Annual Conference (following year).

    • Brief Abstract As part of the application, applicants will be asked to prepare a brief abstract, to include the title of the proposed research (approx. 150 words). Please make sure your name and/or the name of your institution/mentor/chairperson/professors are not mentioned on the brief abstract. The brief abstract will be used by SSSS in summary of all projects submitted, and should stand on its own, apart from the proposal.

    • Proposal (include with your application, as one attachment) As part of the application, applicants will be asked to prepare a proposal to include as an attachment prior to submitting the application. Anonymous Review - Please make sure your name and/or the name of your institution/chairperson/professors are not mentioned in any section of the proposal.

      • Title - The title of the research project must appear at the top of the proposal.

      • Proposed Research - Applicants must outline their proposed research (maximum five pages, double-spaced), including literature, methodology, and analysis (see evaluation criteria below).

      • Bibliography/References (in addition to the proposed research, and included behind the proposed research)

      • Budget (in addition to the proposed research and included behind the Bibliography/References) - Applicants must prepare a proposed budget for their project, with justification and explanation, including other sources of income or funding they have, or will, receive. (Note: Conference travel expenses are not eligible for this grant award and should not be included in the budget. The grant recipients will each receive $500 the following year to assist with travel expenses to present at the SSSS conference.)

    • Helpful Tips

      • Applicants should avoid labeling their research a dissertation or thesis.

      • The proposed research should be sufficiently detailed to enable readers to understand the research questions, hypotheses, methods, and proposed qualitative or quantitative analyses (as applicable).

Review and Evaluation

The proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

  • Significance, novelty, and innovation of the project

  • Clarity of, and justification for, the research question(s) and/or hypothesis(es)

  • Soundness and appropriateness of the proposed methodology

  • Appropriateness of the budget, and the extent to which the funds are necessary for conducting the study

  • The extent to which the proposal acknowledges, includes, values, and/or amplifies diverse voices and strengths in sex science

Award

Graduate Student Research Grant

Receives the year the grant is awarded:

  • Up to $1,500 for research - awarded during the application year (cannot be used for conference travel)

Awarded the following year to attend and present research project during the SSSS Annual Conference 

  • $500 for travel*

  • One night's accommodation at the conference host hotel*

  • Complimentary conference registration*

Undergraduate Student Research Grant

Receives the year the grant is awarded:

  • Up to $1,000 for research - awarded during the application year (cannot be used for conference travel)

Awarded the following year to attend and present research project during the SSSS Annual Conference 

  • $500 for travel*

  • One night's accommodation at the conference host hotel*

  • Complimentary conference registration*

 

*Travel, accommodation, and registration are awarded the following year to present your research during a concurrent session at the SSSS Annual Conference. If travel is not required to attend the conference (e.g., the winner lives in the conference city or SSSS holds a virtual conference), travel and hotel will not be provided, but complimentary conference registration will remain in place.

Conditions on Accepting the Grant

The grant winner must agree to the following:

  • Attend the SSSS Annual Conference the following year from when the grant is awarded to receive their certificate and to present their research project.

  • Acknowledge the project is "Supported by a Student Research Grant from The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS)" in any publication or presentation based on data from the SSSS funded project.

  • Renew their SSSS membership the following year for when they are presenting their research project during the conference.

  • Submit a report to SSSS detailing usage of the funds.

Questions?

Contact us

Previous Recipients

2015 (Fall)
Christopher Baum
Regulating Sex: Labor, Technology and the Shifting Politics of Adult Film Production in California

2017 (Fall)
Tiffany Marcantonio, MA, LAC
Understanding Condom Use and Alcohol and Sex Expectancies Among College Students During an Alcohol Intensive Event (AIE) Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

2018 (Fall)
Selime R. Salim, BA
Sexual Victimization and Suicidality Among Bisexual Women

2019
Erin Leigh Courtice, BSc
People's Experiences of Technology - Mediated Sexual Interactions with Romantic Partners: Motivations, Outcomes, and Consent Negotiations

2021 (Graduate)
Shelby Astle, MS
Black Parents’ Intentions of Talking with Children about Sexuality: A Black Feminist Qualitative Analysis

2022 (Graduate)
Clark Brinson, MA
Planning Our Futures: A Qualitative Study of Family Formation Goals among Black Queer Women in the South

2023 (Graduate)
Dasha Carver, MA, LMFTA
The Impact of Sexual Assault and Cultural Betrayal Trauma on Black American's Sexual Pleasure and Pleasure Worthiness

2024 (Graduate)
Grace Wetzel, MS
Is the Orgasm Gap a Knowledge Gap? Investigating Mixed-Sex Couples' Ability to Adapt their Sexual Scripts to Facilitate Women's Orgasm

2025 (Undergraduate)
Jessica Catuna, BA
Is the Orgasm Gap a Knowledge Gap? Investigating Mixed-Sex Couples' Ability to Adapt their Sexual Scripts to Facilitate Women's Orgasm 

2015 (Spring)
Jody Ahlm, MA
Hookup Apps: New Technologies and Changing Sexual Norms

2017 (Spring)
Natalie Stratton, MA
When the "Oohs" are Painful, not Pleasurable: Anodyspareunia and the Fear-Avoidance Model of Sexual Pain Among Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Men

2018 (Spring)
Alan Santinele Martino, MA
The Romantic and Sexual Experiences of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Ontario, Canada

2021 (Undergraduate)
Frida de Luna, BS
The Birds and the Bees: How Maternal Attachment Style and Socioeconomic Differences Can Influence Effective Mother-Daughter Sexual Education amongst Hispanic/Latinx Adolescents

2022 (Graduate)
Katelyn Regan, MSW, MEd
Evaluating Desire for and Provision of Gender Affirming Medical Care in the Nonbinary Community

2023 (Undergraduate)
Brettland Coolidge
A Qualitative Investigation of Sex -Related Cannabis Expectancies and Sexual Behavior Among College Students

2024 (Graduate)
Cyrus Manian, MA
Assessing Consensually Non-Monogamous Relationship Satisfaction (ACReS) Project

2025 (Graduate)
Danielle Napoli, LMHC, NCC, LP
Sexuality and Mobility Disability: The Road to Sexual Pleasure