Awards

Annually, the American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES) provides a $500 award to a graduate student proposing completion of thesis or dissertation research relevant to delivery of services to persons with disabilities in rural areas in the United States. In addition to the $500 award, the recipient of the award is provided with a one year membership to ACRES and receives free registration to the ACRES National Conference the year after receiving the award (the awardee is required to present research outcomes at this conference).

Selection of the award winner will be made on the overall quality of their proposal, relevance to rural special education and the potential impact of the research upon completion. This award is delivered annually at the ACRES National Conference held in March.

To be eligible for the ACRES Research Proposal of the Year Award, an applicant must:

Demonstrate that they are currently a graduate student
Demonstrate that the proposed thesis or dissertation research relevant to persons with disabilities in a rural area has been accepted. (A signed letter on department letterhead from the student's committee chair verifying acceptance of proposal is sufficient).
Complete the following online form detailing key elements of their proposal (hot link)
Upload a copy of Vita (hot link)
Upload an electronic copy of your full proposal. Proposal should be double-spaced and should not exceed 30-pages, including references.
The full proposal should include the following sections: (a) Rationale for the study, including a brief summary of relevant literature; (b) Purpose or problem statement; (c) research questions or objectives; (c) Methodology, including research design, measures, procedures and data analysis; (d) Hypothesized findings; (e) potential of proposed research to positively affect research, policy, and practice relating to rural special education.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Completed applications must be received by February 15.

Application forms:

Research Proposal of the Year Nomination Form [ONLINE] ^{NOW AVAILABLE}

For more information on any of the ACRES National Awards, contact Lori Garnes: E-mail: garnesl@minotstateu.edu