The DECP, following consultation with its membership, has agreed to promote relevant, innovative, and applied research in the field of educational psychology.
Criteria
- The applicant/s must be a Chartered Psychologist, full member of the DECP, in addition to being a HCPC registered Educational Psychologist.
- The applicant/s should be able to demonstrate competency in an area of applied research through the research proposal.
- The research area identified must clearly relate sound psychological theory to a significant aspect of applied practice.
- The research proposal must demonstrate direct potential benefit to the members of the DECP in their work with educational or training settings, children and young people, and / or their families. Focusing on relevant educational psychology aspects with under-research and / or historically marginalised groups is particularly encouraged.
- The research proposal must state explicitly the theoretical underpinnings of the work, the research questions and/or hypothesis under investigation and the methodology (including evaluation), with projected time-scale. Under-represented research methodologies such as participatory and transformative methodologies, are particularly encouraged.
- The research proposal must state explicitly related ethical considerations and must state where ethical clearance for the project will be received from.
- In addition to research proposals that stand in their own right, consideration will also be given to proposals where a pilot piece of research would be DECP sponsored but where there are indications of it leading to major research funding. Research that is a development of work undertaken as part of initial training would also be considered.
- The application should provide an outline of research work that enhances the development of professional practice.
Sponsorship
Total sponsorship is set at a maximum of £5,000 per annum and this will be spread across one or more projects.
Final decisions about the allocation of funding will be communicated to applicants by 31 January 2026.
Application information
Applications should be organized into the following sections and submitted as a single PDF file.
The deadline for applications is 31 December 2025.
- Title Page: This page should include the proposed title of the study; the principal investigator/co-principal investigator(s), their affiliation(s), and contact information (email addresses, phone numbers).
- Non-technical abstract (300 words): for the lay person outlining the aim of the research, proposed methodology, anticipated outcomes, and anticipated impact in the field of child and educational psychology.
- Scientific Rationale for Proposal (700 words): Describe the main aims and research questions and/or hypotheses to be addressed, and the intended outcomes of the project. Provide a short theoretical, empirical rationale for the proposed project. Describe the research design, participants, measures and/or variables, proposed data analyses and expected outcomes etc. A clear justification needs to be provided about the proposed research design and methods to be used. A section outlining the key ethical considerations of the project should be included.
- Knowledge exchange (300 words): Describe any research activities (if applicable) that might bring together practitioners, users of research and wider groups and communities to exchange ideas, evidence and expertise.
- Sustainable development goals (200 words): Briefly describe which sustainable development goals (if applicable) the research is aligned with.
- Impact (300 words): Specify possible short- and long-term impacts this research will have on educational psychology research and practice.
- Management Plan (200 words): Provide a management plan (preferable in a GANTT chart or equivalent format) with a timeline, person(s) responsible for the activities, key milestones for success in meeting project aims.
- CVs: Brief curriculum vitae (up to 2 pages) for the principal investigator/co-investigator(s).
- Budget: Provide detailed estimates (preferable in a table or spreadsheet form) of funds and what they will be used for
- References: Include two references or letters of support.
A brief mid project report (800 words), written in a report style form must be submitted to DECP outlining:
- progress so far,
- major milestones achieved and
- updated information on budget expenses.
A final report (1500 words), written in article style must be submitted to the DECP at the end of the project within three months following the completion of the project.
The report will be considered for publication within the DECP Debate.
Any publication or conference presentation which arises out of this work must acknowledge the funding provided by the DECP.
Successful applicants may be asked to present their work on the DECP annual conference.
Funding is not available for direct contribution to any course fees, or for corporate bids.
Money will be paid retrospectively on submission of receipts.
Submissions for reimbursements must be made within 18 months.
Submit an application
