Deadline: 14-Jan-2026
The Sidney W. and Janet R. Bijou Grant Program provides support to doctoral student research grounded in the natural science framework for development established by Bijou, emphasizing studies that examine behavioral development through observable interactions between an organism and its environment.
The research should investigate how behavioral repertoires emerge and change over time, focusing on the contextual, organismic, and historical factors influencing development. Studies must relate to child development or basic animal processes underlying neurotypical development, emphasizing the behavioral mechanisms involved in cognitive, social, emotional, and language growth.
Suitable topics include areas such as derived relational responding, social referencing, joint attention, and skill acquisition. Basic or translational research with nonhumans is acceptable if it explores developmental behavioral mechanisms, but projects centered on specific interventions or treatments for disorders will not be considered.
For each academic year, the endowment may provide up to five grants of US$12,000 each. All expenses must be clearly detailed in the proposed budget statement and the SABA Board of Directors reserves the right not to award any grant in a given year.
The ABAI Science Board administers the grant process, while the SABA Board of Directors selects the recipients. Applicants must be enrolled or accepted in a doctoral program in psychology, education, behavioral science, or an allied discipline, and must demonstrate sufficient time to complete the project after the application deadline.
The primary criteria for selection include the quality of the application and the applicant’s commitment to research in behavioral development from a behavior analytic perspective. Applicants cannot apply for both the Bijou Grant and the Innovative Student Research Grant in the same year.
Each application must include a completed biosketch template, a proposal of no more than five pages (with up to two additional pages for references), a letter of support from an academic advisor verifying at least one year remaining in the program, and a letter from the department chair confirming the availability of necessary institutional resources.
The proposal should include sections such as Title, Connection to Purpose, Significance, Specific Aims, Approach, Method, Limitations, Timeline, Budget, and Matching Funding. Grant recipients are required to submit a brief report and expenditure outline to the SABA Board by April 1 of the following year.
For more information, visit SABA.
