The Priscilla S. Rogers and C.R. Anderson Research Fund supports innovative business communication research that investigates the ways professionals communicate effectively in business organizations, both internally and externally. Business communication is interdisciplinary, based on principles and approaches from diverse fields, including professional and technical writing, information systems, intercultural communication, linguistics, management and rhetoric. The Rogers and Anderson Fund respects the diversity of business communication research by supporting projects that use a range of methodologies and theoretical frameworks.
Priscilla S. Rogers was a committed scholar of business communication, with an interest in issues of efficiency, politeness, empathy and reporting negative news. A faculty member of the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, she was founder of the MBA Writing Program, Head of the Business Communication Group, and overseer of the Global MBA Multidisciplinary Action Projects. Dr. Rogers also held appointments in Singapore and Finland and was a mentor to early career researchers. Professor C.R. Anderson was a pioneer teacher of Business Communication at the University of Illinois for 40 years and founder of the American Business Communication Association, now the Association for Business Communication (ABC).
Call for Research Proposals and Eligibility Criteria
We invite all research-active members of ABC, at all stages of their careers, to apply for financial support to work on an innovative research project from the Rogers and Anderson Research Fund for business communication research. The Fund offers grants through the Business Communication Research Foundation. This Foundation is a 501(c)(3) affiliate of the Association for Business Communication. Awards are limited to once per every four years.
Acceptable Costs Covered by the Fund
Rogers and Anderson Research Fund grants provide up to USD 5,000 to cover costs for executing research during the course of one year. The proposed research should be at its initial stage, or work in progress. Completed projects are not considered.
Funded items include software for analyses, research-related travel and accommodations (for example, to conduct field work), tokens of appreciation for research subjects, and research support staff compensation for coding data and running statistical analyses. The Fund does not cover computers, training programs, or research dissemination costs, such as expenses for attending conferences. The Fund does not cover indirect costs or other overhead.
Dates
Proposals are assessed twice a year, in September and January. The deadline for the next round is September 1, 2025.
Selection Criteria
· Eligibility of the applicant as an ABC member
· Scholarly contribution to the field of Business Communication
· Originality and innovation of the research
· Theoretical grounding of the research
· Rigorous research methods employed
· Feasibility of research completion within the one-year time frame
· Justification for the budgeted items requested
Selection Procedure
Rogers and Anderson Research Fund proposals are presented to the Fund Committee, who conduct blind reviews using the selection criteria to assess the merits of proposals. The Committee Chair then reports Committee recommendations to the Business Communication Research Foundation Board. Using Committee recommendations, the Board determines which proposals to Fund. Applicants typically receive decision letters from the Committee Chair within 6 to 8 weeks. Recipients are issued funds from the Business Communication Research Foundation after the budget item has been completed and a receipt submitted for expense reimbursement.
Members of the Rogers and Anderson Research Fund Committee and the Business Communication Research Foundation Board may not apply for funds when they hold these positions.
For more information, please contact the Chair, Sky Marsen, skymarsen@gmail.com
How to Apply
Use the following template to write your proposal. Submit your proposals here.
Research proposals must include two documents:
1. A project description including an abstract (approx. 3000 words) and a detailed budget.
2. The applicant’s curriculum vitae (CV).
Abstract (no more than 100 words) – A one paragraph overview of the proposed research including the research question, the primary reason why this question needs to be answered for business communication academic and/or professional communities, the research methods to be used to obtain, analyze, and validate the data, and the new knowledge the research is expected to bring to business communication.
Project Description (no more than 2000 words not counting the list of references) - A detailed description of the research project that covers the following:
Research Question & Significance for Business Communication – What is the specific research question that this research will answer for Business Communication? How will this research contribute to Business Communication effectiveness? What gap in the Business Communication literature will this research address? What makes this research original or innovative?
Theoretical Foundation with Key Citations – What is the theoretical foundation of this research? (For example, the research might “extend our understanding of agency and genre theory,” or “apply and extend Toulmin’s components of argument.”) What key literature does this research draw upon, depart from, or synthesize?
Research Methods & Rigor – What qualitative and/or quantitative research method(s) will be used to investigate the research question and validate the findings?
Examples of questions that might be relevant for the proposed research include: How will the data be obtained? How much data will be needed for this kind of research? Is access to the data assured and how so? If human subjects are used, how many will be included and what is the rationale for their selection? If interviews or focus groups are used, what will be the general focus of the questions used? What methods will be used to analyze the data?
Anticipated Results & Implications – What are the anticipated results of this research? What are target publications for these results? What are the implications of the results for practitioners? If applicable, what will this research contribute to theory?
Timeline – Plot key research activities on a timeline. The research should be designed to complete within the one-year timeframe of the funding.
References – List references used.
Detailed Budget – Provide a detailed budget for the entire project, including (a) other research funds already secured for this research proposal (this amount will be deducted from the total amount for your project; (b) other research funds being sought for this research proposal; (c) the amount being requested from CRARF, including an itemized list of expenses showing the breakdown of totals (such as the number of coding hours needed and the cost per hour); (d) total cost of the project, including all sources of funding.
Curriculum Vitae (CV) – A history of the applicant’s academic, work and publication record.
Grant Writing Tips for Applying for a Priscilla S. Rogers and C.R. Anderson Research Fund Grant (downloadable pdf)
Previous C.R. Anderson Research Fund Grant Recipients
CRARF Recipient Conditions
Recipients of Rogers and Anderson Research Fund support agree to:
· Present their funded research at an annual or regional ABC conference in one of the first two years following the allocation of the funds. ABC will waive the recipient’s registration fee for the first ABC conference at which this research is presented.
· Submit a 1,000-word (approx.) report to the Rogers and Anderson Research Fund Committee within 6 months after the close of the project, that is, one year after funds are allocated. Describe the results of the research, any problems encountered and the publication plans or schedule.
· Acknowledge the financial support of the Fund in all relevant conference presentations and publications (both print and online).
· Submit to the Fund Committee Chair complete citations of publications directly resulting from Fund-supported research, including articles, published working papers, conference proceedings, books, and book chapters.
Last updated August 15, 2025.