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INTEREST CATEGORY: CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, DOCTORAL STUDENTS
POSTING TYPE: Awards

Posted by: ELMAR Moderator

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ACR – Sheth Foundation Emerging Topic Research Support

This year, the ACR is working with the Sheth Foundation to fund research by PhD students to encourage research on important but under-researched topics. This funding is in line with the Foundation’s aim to fund research that has a wider societal impact. The purpose of these funds is to support data collection for dissertations that are still in the early stages of development.

Two doctoral students will receive funding of $1,000 per year for 2 years. Applicants should have completed their qualifying examination and have done some preliminary research in support of their dissertation proposal. At the end of the first year, the selected fellow will present an interim progress report to a research committee. The committee will assess whether the dissertation is making good progress and should be funded for the second year. If no dissertation qualifies, no award will be made for that year.

Since the goal of this award is to encourage research in under-researched areas, every two years the committee will identify 1-2 emerging areas that have the potential for important societal impact. To this end, we will solicit input from the ACR Board and other peers. Topics will be reviewed every 2 years to ensure they remain relevant and timely.

For the period 2024-2026, in consultation with several ACR Board members, we will support research that focuses on these two areas:

a. Maladaptive consumption

Maladaptive consumption refers to potentially uncontrollable choices that are harmful to oneself or others and can lead to negative short- and/or long-term consequences (Reimann and Jain 2021). Excessive alcohol consumption, gambling addiction or drinking too much soda are some examples of maladaptive consumer behavior. Such practices can lead to massive health, wellness and financial problems that can have significant societal costs. It is important to understand why people engage in such consumption and to develop interventions to help consumers desist from such consumption. In recognition of the importance of this topic, the JACR has published a special issue in 2021 focused on examining this behavior. Although it is an important topic, current research in this area is still sparse.

b. Privacy Regulation and Management

With the advent of marketing technology and significant advances in data collection, one of the biggest challenges for regulators and consumers is finding a balance between the convenience these technologies offer and the need to protect their privacy. Many European countries now require websites to obtain user consent before collecting data. The inability to use third-party cookies also means that companies will try to get consumers to volunteer their data in other ways. On the consumer side, some people are more aware and concerned about the lack of privacy than others. The willingness to share personal data also varies by demographic and cultural background and context. It will be important for regulators and marketers to understand how companies and consumers deal with these challenges. Although this is a very important challenge for businesses and consumers, research on this topic is still scarce.

Submission Criteria

Ph.D. candidates at the post-comprehensive exam, dissertation stage should submit proposals no later than Friday, July 19th, 2024.

Proposals must be submitted using this link

Proposals are subject to a firm limit of 14 double-spaced pages, including references and all tables/figures (12-point font and 1-inch margins). The first page should include the title and abstract, but no author information. The proposal should describe the research objectives, provide an overview of the proposed methodology, and identify the expected contributions. Applicants should also provide a timeline for the research objectives and the proposed studies to be conducted over the next two years. We will consider this timeline when applicants submit their interim report to determine if the project would be funded for the second year.

Proposals are to be submitted with a cover letter from the applicant’s dissertation advisor. Please include e-mail and regular mail addresses for both the applicant and advisor.

A committee of consumer behavior will evaluate the proposals and make a selection decision. The usual selection criteria will be used (importance, maturity, rigor, etc.). Particular attention will be paid to whether the proposed research addresses important and exciting questions in the areas described above.

Awardees will be selected and notified in early September 2024. Funds will be discharged shortly thereafter.

The only stipulation in accepting this award is that the recipients acknowledge the financial contribution of the Sheth Foundation in any forthcoming publications extending from the award.

Please address questions you might have to Professor Sharon Ng (Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University) at angsl@ntu.edu.sg.

You must be an active member of ACR in order to submit a proposal. If you receive a message that you are “Ineligible to view this form”, you are not an active member and will need to renew before submitting.

Contact Info:

Association for Consumer Research
+1 218-726-7853
acr@acrwebsite.org