Center for Research Quality: Faculty:

Research Dissemination Support Program

The Research Dissemination Support (RDS) Program supports faculty, staff, and post-doctoral fellows who promote the visibility and scholarly reputation of Walden University through the dissemination of their research and research-related activities.  The RDS Program offers two types of grant awards:

• Publication RDS – provides an award for publishing research and research-related activities. The Publication RDS is issued after the publication has been published. 
• Presentation RDS – provides travel support (i.e. costs associated with conference attendance: conference registration/fees, travel, and lodging/accommodation) for presenting research and research-related activities at local, national and international professional conferences.  The Presentation RDS may be applied for and conferred prior to conference attendance, although funds are not disbursed until after the presentation has been delivered. 

While the overall structure of the RDS program remains the same, a number of procedural changes have been implemented for the 2020 RDS program. The most notable changes pertain to the Presentation RDS.

• Two ways to apply for Presentation RDS: apply before presenting (Pre-Approval) or apply after presenting (Post-Conference).
• Presentation RDS funds are no longer disbursed through the expense reporting system. Funds are now awarded directly to the RDS recipient after the presentation has been delivered.
• Presentation RDS grants are a set award of $1,500 since disbursement is not dependent upon submission of presentation-related receipts.
• Conference issued IDs or badges may be used to document Walden affiliation at conferences if the presenter’s affiliation is not included in the conference program.

In light of these changes, please carefully review the program guidelines (sections below) before submitting your RDS application.

Please contact grants@mail.waldenu.edu with questions about the program and how to apply.

Applications for the RDS program are accepted bi-monthly per the following schedule.

Application Submission Due Date                      RDS Grant Recipients Announced

• February 1                                                                                   February 28/29
• April 1                                                                                          April 30
• June 1                                                                                         June 30
• August 1                                                                                      August 31
• October 1                                                                                    October 31
• December 1                                                                                December 31

To maintain scholarly rigor, the RDS program is a grant program that uses a competitive application process. Each RDS application is vetted by the ORSP for eligibility and completeness and then reviewed by the applicant’s respective college leadership. With Walden University’s scholarly reputation in mind, college leadership review RDS applications based upon criteria that relate to both the visibility and scholarly reputation of the publication or presentation submitted for consideration. These criteria include, but are not limited to:

• The publication/presentation was based upon research or research-related activities conducted by the applicant.
• The research was published in a peer-reviewed and indexed journal.
• The type of peer-review process used by the publisher or conference venue.
• The breadth of the publication or presentation’s audience.
• The reputation of the publisher or conference venue.
• The Walden University affiliation appeared in the publication/presentation.
• The potential impact of the research/research-related activity.
• The number of authors on a presentation.

Consequently, the award of an RDS grant is not a given outcome of the review process. The college leadership may approve an application, deny an application, or place it in the pending queue for consideration in the next RDS cycle. Applications held in the pending queue may be rolled over from one cycle to the next, but must either be approved or denied by the end of the RDS program calendar year. 

All faculty (core and contributing), staff, and post-doctoral fellows who publish and present their research or research-related activities with Walden as their affiliation are eligible for Publication and Presentation RDS grants.

• Affiliation need not be limited to Walden only.
• Publications and presentations for which affiliations with additional institutions are eligible for the RDS program as long as Walden University appears in the author’s list of institutional affiliations.

The RDS program cycle follows the Walden fiscal calendar (the calendar year: January – December).

• This means that publications and presentations submitted for consideration must have been published (in circulation) or presented in the given program year.
• For example, a publication submitted for consideration in the 2020 RDS program cycle must have a publication date of 2020.
• Throughout the RDS program year individuals have the option to apply for a Presentation RDS either before or after giving their presentation.
• Exceptions:
  • Publications that are published (go into circulation) after December 1st may be submitted for consideration in the February RDS program cycle of the following year. For example, a journal article published on December 15, 2019, is eligible for consideration in the February 2020 Publication RDS review cycle.
    • Applications for December publications must be received by the February application deadline – February 1st.
    • RDS applications for December publications will not be accepted for any other RDS program cycles.
  • Presentations that are given after December 1st may be submitted for consideration in either the December cycle of the current RDS program year or the February RDS program cycle of the following year.
    • Applications for December presentations must be received by the February application deadline – February 1st.
    • RDS applications for December presentations will not be accepted for any other RDS program cycles.

Faculty, staff, and post-doctoral fellows are eligible for a total of two RDS awards per program year. This maximum quota may be achieved by either of the following ways:

Two Publication RDS

• Two $1,500 Publication RDS

OR

• One $1,500 Publication RDS + One $750 Publication RDS

One Publication RDS and One Presentation RDS

• One $1,500 Publication RDS + One Presentation RDS

OR

• One $750 Publication RDS + One Presentation RDS