MAXQDA Research Grants 2019 – FAQs

• Q: What does ‘‘women’s empowerment’ mean?

  One of the goals of MAXQDA Research Grants is to facilitate the creation of international networks for research collaboration, thereby encouraging accountable data collection and self-reflective work products. With this goal in mind, we have chosen women’s empowerment as this semester’s grant theme

  The theme-framework is based on Goal 5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, we are looking for research projects studying/cooperating/engaging with empowerment initiatives focused on, for example, “equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes…implementing new legal frameworks regarding female equality in the workplace and the eradication of harmful practices targeted at women”.

  In order to qualify for this semester’s #ResearchforChange Grant, the researcher’s fieldwork process should include efforts to work collaboratively with research participants to study/address/raise awareness about issues affecting women. You do not need to be a gender studies major to qualify – we are open to applications from a diverse range of academic disciplines and research topics! Please describe the relevancy of this theme to your research project in the Research Proposal section of your application.

  If you are unsure if your research topic falls within this semester’s theme please e-mail us with any questions you may have: grants@maxqda.com

• Q: I am conducting research about an empowerment initiative, but not about women’s empowerment specifically. Do I still qualify?

  Unfortunately, not this semester. Hopefully we will be able to continue to provide MAXQDA Research Grants in the future with a wide variety of themes. Please feel free to click here to subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about our latest projects, including MAXQDA Grants.

• Q: I am not registered as a student this semester but will be by the time I start my fieldwork next semester. Am I still eligible to apply?

  Unfortunately, no. The #ResearchforChange Grant has been specifically created to support student-researchers who are conducting qualitative or mixed methods fieldwork. The applicant must be a student or PhD candidate enrolled at a higher learning institution (college, university, trade school, etc.) at the time of application.

• Q: I am currently a student and my research proposal has been approved, but I will not be conducting fieldwork until 2020. Am I still eligible to apply?

  Unfortunately no, not for this semester’s grant. The current #ResearchforChange Grant is to be applied for-, and received by, the end of the summer semester 2019. This means, that we expect the fieldwork to commence by September 30th, 2019.

• Q: I have already started or finished the fieldwork portion of my research. Am I still eligible to apply?

  The #ResearchforChange Grant contains a $850.00 mobility scholarship that is to be received before the researcher’s fieldwork commences. This means that, as long as you plan on remaining in/returning to the field to continue your research, you will still qualify, even if you have already begun conducting fieldwork.
  
  However, if you have already finished the fieldwork portion of your research project then no, you are not eligible to apply.

• Q: I am conducting my interviews/survey in a language different from English, and will be writing my thesis in a different language as well, am I still eligible?

  Yes! MAXQDA is available in 15 languages and is used by thousands of researchers in more than 150 countries. It is also a fully Unicode-compliant software, allowing you to import, code, and analyze data in any language you choose. We do require that the application form be submitted in English and that two fieldwork diary entries submitted by the research grant recipients be written in English. This does not exclude non-native speakers! However, you should feel confident enough in your language abilities to write texts (between 750-1,500 words each) about your academic research methods and data analysis methodologies using MAXQDA.

• Q: What do I need to submit as “proof of current or up-coming fieldwork”?

  As a part of the application process, you must prove that you will be conducting fieldwork. The #ResearchforChange Grant contains an $850.00 USD research mobility scholarship, which is specifically designated to help researchers cover the financial costs of researching in the field
  
  We have given the following examples of how to prove this in the application form: correspondence with the host institution, interview confirmation e-mails, or an internship contract. You can also have your research supervisor write a formal confirmation in the Letter of Recommendation portion of the application or you can request an official letter from your home institution, for example. Please note: a travel ticket from a transportation company will NOT be sufficient.
  
  If you are still unsure if you qualify, please feel free to send us an e-mail explaining what documentation you have now or give us an idea of what you will be submitting, and we will be happy to confirm if it sufficient for our application requirements.

• Q: Can the #ResearchforChange Grant be applied for by a research team?

  No. The #ResearchforChange Grant is to be applied for and received as an individual researcher. If the research is done in conjuncture with a team and the grant recipient wishes to pass on their mobility scholarship, then that it up to their discretion. However, the MAXQDA license, training sessions, and entrance fee waiver to the MQIC will only be issued to the grant recipient and are non-transferable. If the grant recipient wishes to share what they have learned with their team after their experience, then that is all the better.

• Q: I am applying for/receiving other scholarships/grants. Am I still eligible to apply?

  Yes! The #ResearchforChange Grant will be awarded based on the following selection criteria:
  The relevance and applicability of the theme „Research for Change“ described in the letter of motivation; Originality and creativity of the research proposal; A well-defined research question; Description of the research methods in the field and analysis methodology using MAXQDA; Content of the letter(s) of recommendation submitted.

• Q: What needs to be included in the Letter of Recommendation section of the application?

  Please have a professor, research supervisor, academic mentor, or program coordinator write a custom LoR for this application. Specific reference to your name, research project, and the 2019 MAXQDA Research Grants should be made. The writer’s contact information, signature, and date signed should also be included. If possible, please have the LoR sent directly to you and submit it alongside your application (one PDF).
  
  Please note: you may submit other (older) LoRs if you wish, but at least one must be customized for this specific application.

• Q: When will the $850.00 Research Mobility Scholarship be awarded?

  The application deadline for this semester‘s #ResearchforChange Grant is June 3rd, 2019. We will be selecting the three grant recipients shortly after (July 1st at the latest) and then the researchers will receive their cash mobility scholarship by August 30th, 2019 at the latest.
  
  VERBI Software will wire $850.00 USD (converted into the researcher’s preferred/home currency) via bank transfer. The MAXQDA Analytics Pro Student licenses will also be awarded via e-mail, and the training seminars will be scheduled between the Professional MAXQDA Trainers and the individual researchers directly. The first training session is to be completed by October 7th, 2019 at the latest

• Q: If I am awarded the Grant, when do I have to submit the first fieldwork diary entry?

  One of the main conditions of the #ResearchforChange Grant is that the recipients submit 2 fieldwork diary entries (between 750 -1,500 words each) to MAXQDA at the middle and end of the research process. The timeline as to when these will be submitted is therefore dependent on the individual’s research timeline.
  
  However, the first fieldwork diary entry is to be submitted no later than November 4th, 2019. The content of the diary entry will be discussed on a case-by-case basis, as will the submission dates of the following two entries and any other texts/articles the researcher wishes to submit.

• Q: I will graduate shortly. Can I still apply?

  One of the requirements is that the applicant must be a student or PhD candidate enrolled at a higher learning institution (college, university, trade school, etc.) at the time of their fieldwork. If this is the case, then you can certainly apply.

• Q: My research project is not required by my institution and is not a part of my thesis or dissertation. Can I stilll apply?

  Yes, as long as you meet 3 following criteria:

  • You are a student or PhD candidate enrolled at a higher learning institution (college, university, trade school, etc.)
  • You are conducting qualitative or mixed methods fieldwork related to women’s empowerment.
  • Your fieldwork will commence by September 30th, 2019.