The College of Business is providing funding for dissertation proposals that address issues of sustainability.
Proposal submission deadline

Endorsed by Responsible Research in Business & Management (RRBM) and consistent with RRBM’s vision, the College of Business at Colorado State University is providing 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 greatest potential for enhancing societal well-being will each receive $6000. In addition, the winners along with leading scholars whose research is aimed at creating a better world, will be invited to participate in a virtual research workshop during which the winners will present their research.

Eligibility

To be eligible, proposals must focus on one or more environmental and/or social outcomes of business. Applicable areas of inquiry (stated in broad terms) include, but are not limited to:

  • ESG strategy 
  • Natural capital
  • Circular economic systems
  • Greenhouse gasses
  • Conservation
  • Resource extraction
  • Pollution
  • Climate change
  • Organizational purpose
  • Transparency, integrity, and trust
  • Health and safety 
  • Poverty and insecurity
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Marketplace discrimination
  • Marginalized communities 
  • Financial wellbeing
  • Maladaptive behavior and addiction
  • Technology and well-being

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 of 2025 or soon thereafter.

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 in a sustainable manner. 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 gain an understanding of 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 be used to complement the text and provide important 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 both the credibility and usefulness of the research 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 strategies, behavior, and practices in companies? What are the limitations of your study, and what aspects of your topic need further study? What is the next step 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. 

File Submission 

Dissertation proposal summaries should be submitted via separate pdf files: 

  1. Title page 
  2. Abstract 
  3. 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).
  4. An introductory letter from the student’s advisor confirming that the dissertation research is on schedule to be defended during the spring of 2025 or soon thereafter. 

Deadline

Proposals must be submitted via B4BWDissertation@colostate.edu by June 3, 2024 (11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time). 

Funding decisions will be announced by August 1, 2024. Winners will present their proposals during a virtual workshop on Friday, September 27, 2024.

Download Competition PDF

Questions

Please contact competition co-chairs Tiffany Trzebiatowski 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