The mission of the ISBM is to:

• help advance the theory and practice of business marketing, and to
• disseminate key research findings within both the academic and practice communities.

ISBM research grants are generally used for research assistant costs, travel to do or present findings of research, data collection costs, and the like. The ISBM generally does not provide faculty salary supplements. Grants in the $3,000 to $10,000 range are most common.

Proposal Deadlines

The expectation is that most principal investigators will be full-time faculty. The ISBM accepts proposals at any time during the year from faculty members. Ph.D. students may enter the annual ISBM Business Marketing Doctoral Support Award Competition, which has an entry deadline of September 15 each year. Doctoral students should request a copy of the latest call for proposals for this competition. Consideration is rarely given to proposals from Ph.D. students at other times of the year.

What to Do

Researchers should contact the ISBM before preparing a proposal for submission. The Research Director can provide information about the availability of funds and if the topic falls within the ISBM research guidelines.

Initial proposals should be brief. Most should be submitted as "preliminary proposals" first. Preliminary proposals should be attachments of one to three pages in length, double-spaced. Include with the proposal the vitae of all of the researchers on the project. They should be sent to the ISBM Research Director, in care of Gary Holler at gwh3@psu.edu.

Each proposal should address the following topics:

• Discuss the importance of your research to the business marketing practice. What short- or long-term contributions to practice will your research make?
• Discuss the theoretical/academic importance of your research and what is your likely contribution. What is your theory, your model, your set of propositions, and how do they relate to previously published work?
• Discuss your research methodology. What is your survey procedure, your sample selection, your analysis, your experimental design, your validation, etc.?
• Indicate your need for ISBM support. Please be specific here, separating your direct financial needs from your need for access to ISBM-related firms and/or data. Provide a budget for your requested support and list other sponsors you may have for the research.

Approval Process

Following receipt of the above we will do one ofthe following:

1. Request more detail or a more complete proposal prior to a full review process

2. Indicate that the research is not fundable by the ISBM with an explanation

3. Advance the proposal to the full review process..

The ISBM directorate will decide if the proposal should advance to the full review process. Several research leaders in the appropriate topical area of the research proposal will be asked to provide a review.  Upon receipt of all outside reviews, a decision will be made to fund or reject.  Some proposals with potential will be considered again if the changes suggested by the reviewers are made to the research.

Commitment

If funding is approved, the researcher will be notified of the amount of funds the ISBM will provide.  All researchers on the project will need to enter into an agreement with The Pennsylvania State University (ISBM) to receive funding.

The Research Grant Agreement specifies:

• The dates for project commencement, the interim report, and the final working paper
• The amount of funding to be provided at each of the three stages
• The acknowledgement required on publications from the research
• Procedures for amendment or termination
• Applicable rules relating to the research
• Requirements for the working paper and final payment

Additional Information

For more information, please contact the ISBM Research Directors

Dr. Gary L. Lilien (glilien@psu.edu)
Research Director
Distinguished Research Professor of Management Science

Dr. Rajdeep Grewal (rug2@psu.edu)
Associate Research Director
Professor of Marketing and Dean's Faculty Fellow

Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM)
Smeal College of Business
The Pennsylvania State University
484 Business Building
University Park, PA 16802-3603
Phone: 814-863-2782