The College of Business provides funding for winning dissertation proposals that address issues of business sustainability.
Endorsed by Responsible Research in Business & Management (RRBM) and consistent with RRBM’s vision, the College of Business at Colorado State University provides funding for dissertation proposals addressing business sustainability. We seek proposals from students across all business disciplines. The authors of the three proposals judged to have the most significant potential for enhancing societal well-being will each receive $6000 and have the opportunity to present their research at the annual Business for a Better World Research Symposium in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Eligibility
To be eligible, proposals must focus on one or more environmental, social, and/or governance outcomes of business. We encourage participation from all business disciplines. Applicable areas of inquiry (stated in broad terms) include but are not limited to the following.
Environmental
- Resources & Conservation (e.g., natural capital, responsible resource extraction, biodiversity protection)
- Climate & Emissions (e.g., greenhouse gases, low-carbon innovation, climate change mitigation)
- Waste & Circularity (e.g., pollution prevention, circular economics systems, upcycling)
Social
- Opportunity & Access (e.g., marketplace fairness, underserved populations, universal accessibility)
- Economic Security (e.g., poverty alleviation, financial well-being, fair pay practices)
- Health & Safety (e.g., physical and mental health, substance misuse interventions, workplace safety)
- Technology & Society (e.g., digital access, tech-driven well-being, ethical AI applications)
Governance
- Risk & Compliance (e.g., whistleblower protections, anti-corruption measures, internal oversight mechanisms)
- Data & Tech Governance (e.g., cybersecurity, privacy standards, AI oversight)
- Stakeholder Influence (e.g., investor stewardship, global supply chain governance)
- Leadership & Accountability (e.g., succession planning, leadership accountability)
- Reporting & Transparency (e.g., ESG standard alignment, financial transparency, corporate tax governance)
Eligibility is limited to those who are pursuing a doctorate in a business discipline and whose dissertation defense is expected to take place during the spring or summer of 2026.
Proposals
Proposals must be no longer than 20 pages in length and adhere to the following structure:
Introduction
Identify the problem you are studying and its societal significance. In doing so, illuminate how the research addresses an important gap in current knowledge and the helpfulness of the findings. The introduction must describe how the research contributes to understanding and practicing business sustainably. Thus, in addition to considering the economic priorities of business, the research must have strong social and/or environmental business implications.
Evidence
This section of the proposal must detail the methods that will be utilized. Clarity, accessibility, and detail are critical such that reviewers understand how the research will be executed. This section should be well organized and presented in a sequence that is easy to follow; use headings and subheadings. Figures and tables (preferably embedded within the text) should complement the text and provide essential details. Use clear descriptions of concepts while including highly technical material in appendices. Given page limits, make sure to include the information that is most critical in gaining a complete understanding of the research approach. From your description, it should be evident how the research design follows the principles of responsible research to enhance the credibility and usefulness of the findings. (See the RRBM position paper on www.rrbm.network for a description of the seven principles of responsible research.) Applicable theory and references to papers providing strong precedence for methodological approaches should be included; however, space constraints will not permit a review of the literature.
Conclusion and Managerial Implications
Explain how your work helps advance understanding of your subject and creates new opportunities for practitioners and researchers. The conclusion should answer these questions: How might your findings and interpretations affect and alter organizational strategies, behavior, and practices? What are the limitations of your study, and what aspects of your topic need further study? What are the next steps for practitioners and researchers?
References
All text citations should be fully listed as references at the end of the paper. Follow the reference style used by the academic journals in your discipline.
Proposal Submission
Dissertation proposal summaries should be submitted via separate pdf files in the form below:
- Title page
- Abstract
- Main proposal with references, tables, figures, and appendices – 12-point font, double-spaced, left-justified, 1-inch margins, numbered pages (limited to 20 pages total excluding the title page and abstract).
- An introductory letter from the student’s advisor confirming that the dissertation research is on schedule to be defended during the spring or summer of 2026.
Deadline
Proposals must be submitted via the form below by June 3, 2025 (11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time) to be considered in this year's competition.
Funding decisions will be announced by August 1, 2025. Winners will present their proposals during a virtual workshop on Friday, October 3, 2025.
Download Competition PDF
Submit A Proposal
Questions
Please contact competition co-chairs Boris Nikolaev or Jonathan Zhang.
Past Winners
2021: Ariel de Fauconberg, Diana Jue-Rajasingh, and Youngtak Kim
2022: Nicole Davis, Angie Fairchild, and Kristie Moergen
2023: Yafei Guo, Eknonkar Kaur, and Youjeong Song
2024: Beverly Larson, Ruichun Liu, Blair Middlebrook
Submit a Proposal