HDFS Graduate Research Award

Margaret K. Keiley Endowed Graduate Research Award

The Margaret K. Keiley Endowed Graduate Research Award supports Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) graduate students in completing their master’s thesis, qualifying exam, or doctoral dissertation.

The awards are made possible due to the generosity of the late Dr. Margaret Keiley (1942-2018). Dr. Keiley was a long-time faculty member in the HDFS Department (2004-2018) and pioneer of the Multiple Family Group Intervention (MFGI). She was a champion of evidence-based intervention and an ardent supporter and champion of graduate professional development and research. Her commitment to both intervention and research lives on in this award, which was her final generous gift to a department she faithfully served.

Award Purpose

Auburn University HDFS students are encouraged to apply for funds to support their research endeavors.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply for this funding, students must have an approved research proposal. This means the proposed study has been formally reviewed and approved by the student’s advisory committee. Additionally students must have a GPA of 3.75 or higher.

Scoring Criteria
Awards are scored on the following criteria:

• Significance and relevance
• The purpose of the study is clearly articulated and described within the context of existing research and theory.
• The proposed study addresses an identified gap in the research literature.
• Study design and research methods
• The research design is well-aligned with the study purpose and proposed research questions/hypotheses.
• The methods are clearly described, appropriate, and feasible.
• Contribution to the field and future scholarly productivity
• The implications of the study will advance policy, practice, and/or future research.
• Conducting the study will advance the career development of the applicant.
• Quality of writing
• The proposal is well-organized, clearly written, and free from errors.
• Clear and appropriate plan for use of the funds

Priority is given to students with the highest score. Students are permitted to apply more than once for funding across multiple projects (e.g., thesis and dissertation), but those who have not been previously funded will be given priority if there are multiple applications.

Funds must be used to support research-related expenses (see below).

Award Amount

Awards are given annually based on the number of applicants and availability of funds.

	Thesis	Qualifying Exam	Dissertation
Funding Maximum	$500	$1,000	$1,500

Funds must be used to support research-related expenses, as aligned with Auburn University and HDFS Departmental policies. Allowable expenses include:

• Travel reimbursement for research activities (e.g., travel to data collection site)
• Project implementation expenses (e.g., participant compensation)
• Research equipment

To Apply

Currently enrolled graduate students in the HDFS master’s or doctoral program who have an approved thesis, qualifying exam, or dissertation proposal/prospectus may apply by submitting the following materials to Dr. Ben Hinnant, the Graduate Program Officer (GPO):

• Standardized Cover Sheet
• Executive summary (3-5 pages) of the research project including project purpose, study design and methodology, potential contributions to the field, and budget.
• Nomination letter from the major professor or research sponsor. The letter may be submitted directly to the GPO.

Application Deadline

Applications may be submitted on a rolling basis. Proposals will typically be scored within 3 weeks.

Recipients

Year	Recipient	Award Type	Title of Research Project
2025	Sheila Sjolseth	Dissertation	Supporting Alabama families during adolescents' transition from acute psychiatric care to home and school environments
2024	Terra Jackson	Dissertation	Second chances: Protective factors within the child caregiver relationship and intergenerational offending
2023	Sheila Sjolseth	Qualifying exam	Supporting child mental health by involving families: A qualitative content analysis of community-based mental health center policies and administrator interviews
2022	Raven Livingston	Dissertation	A theoretical update and empirical analysis of the Multiple Family Group Intervention
2022	Courtney Furlong	Dissertation	Investigation of the lived experiences of survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking
2022	Adefunke DadeMatthews	Thesis	Anxiety, depression, chronic back pain, and burden of care among caregivers of children with chronic diseases in Nigerian tertiary hospitals