2022 Call for Grant Proposals

The Arthur W. Page Center has announced its annual Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant competition for the study of integrity in public communication. This year, the topic of the Center's call for research proposals is sustainability communication.

Call for Proposals: Sustainability Communication

People. Planet. Profit. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was one of many global calls to action to create a more sustainable future. The SDGs include several environmentally-focused goals such as clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, and climate action. As organizations aim to ethically and responsibly achieve their sustainability goals, transparency and effective communication and reporting about sustainability initiatives is essential.

With a continued emphasis on organizations adopting and better communicating about sustainable practices, The Page Center seeks grant proposals to contribute to the scholarly and public understanding of how organizations are engaging in sustainability communication in various contexts.

Topics may include, but are not limited to the following:

► Engagement with specific audiences regarding sustainability communication (e.g., communities, activists, employees, influencers, consumers, media, etc.)

► Sustainability communication in various contexts (e.g., crisis communication, social media, etc.) and sectors (e.g., corporate, nonprofit, sport, etc.)

► Best practices in sustainability communication strategies and approaches

► Implications for organizational communication and reputation management

► Measuring and monitoring the impact of sustainability communication

► Political, ethical, legal, and moral perspectives and implications

► The connection between public relations and sustainability communication

► Theoretical or methodological innovations

All areas of sustainability communications will be considered, but topics should have an environmental focus. Studies focused particularly on theory development, organizational best practices, ethical implications, and relevant, timely environmental issues are especially encouraged.

Successful grants will be included in the Page Center Research Roundtable events. Scholars will be expected to attend two sessions to present their research ideas and findings. More information will be provided in the acceptance letter.

Deadlines & Notifications

► Application materials must be electronically submitted on or before Jan. 15, 2022.

► Scholars will be notified of the selection committee's decisions on March 15, 2022.

► Contracts for successful grants will be finalized by June 1, 2022.

► First Research Roundtable presentation in summer of 2022.

► Second Research Roundtable presentation in summer of 2023.

► Final reports are due December 1, 2023.

If you have questions, please contact Holly Overton at hko104@psu.edu or Denise Bortree dsb177@psu.edu.