Community Outreach Grant

Applications are due April 1 of every year.

>> Click here to access the 2025 AASP Community Outreach Grant Application

A. Purpose

The purpose of the Community Outreach Grant is to provide funding for projects that incorporate evidence-based practice and support local community initiatives that are congruent with AASP's purpose and mission, as well as the objectives of the Community Outreach Committee. Further, the Community Outreach Grant will support members' efforts towards earning Certified Mental Performance Consultant status via direct and indirect contact hours that are acquired through the implementation of the community outreach project (as supervised/mentored by a CMPC who is a current AASP member).*

Thus, the primary function of these Community Outreach Grants is to provide limited support to professionals or students for their outreach service endeavors. These grants are not intended to fund projects in the development phase. Preferences will be given, pending available funds, for projects from CMPCs, and professional and student members working towards certification. Priority will also be given to applicants who demonstrate systematic and sustained implementation of programming and impact, as opposed to a one-time program or intervention. In general, proposals must:

1. Be clearly articulated.
2. Demonstrate how models of research, scholarship, and/or theory will be used to inform the provision of their proposed outreach services.
3. Demonstrate collaboration with a community organization for the purpose of providing systematic and sustained sport and exercise psychology-related services to a community group.
4. Demonstrate intention to build capacity within the community organization, so the organization is not reliant on the continuation of programming for these sport and exercise psychology-related services.
5. Provide evidence of advancing practice in the field by filling a void in the current structure of a community organization.
6. Be implemented or mentored by an AASP member

*Those working toward their CMPC may count indirect and direct contact hours devoted to project implementation toward the necessary hours designated for certification; however, these hours must be supervised/mentored by a current CMPC and the CMPC must provide a letter of support of her or his willingness to oversee the successful implementation of the Community Outreach Grant project [see Application Procedure below].

B. Rationale

Science-Practice Focus: Using a science-practice focus, the Community Outreach Grant will strengthen AASP's initiative in highlighting supporting models of research, scholarship, and theory as they are applied to evidence-based practice.

More specifically, Community Outreach Grant recipients will provide sport and exercise psychology-related services within their community, using models of research, scholarship, and/or theory to inform and guide the provision of outreach services. To illustrate that the Community Outreach Grant mechanism is open to a wide variety of potential projects, examples of projects could include, but are certainly not limited to:

1. A coaching education program in an inner-city sport organization that educates coaches on adopting a positive coaching orientation.
2. An exercise program in a non-profit senior center that educates seniors in becoming informed, knowledgeable, habitual, and independent exercisers.
3. A leadership development program in local schools that prepares captains to be effective leaders in sports.
4. An after-school walking and running program aimed at increasing physical activity for at-risk and in-need populations (e.g., minority adolescents) that experience a greater proportion of health disparities.
5. A youth sport club in a non-profit organization that builds life skills through sport participation.
6. A behavioral weight loss program designed for overweight/obese children or teens.
7. A parent education seminar series on raising children who are elite-level athletes.
8. A program aimed at reducing population-specific barriers to physical activity and exercise.
9. A mental skills training program that identifies a systematic and long-term implementation for a local sport organization.
10. A program designed to assist children and their families to decrease sedentary passive-leisure activities and increase physical activity.

Awarded Community Outreach Grant proposals will serve to extend knowledge and services in our field beyond the confines of private practice, research, and academia, and into the larger community with a specific focus on consumer needs and benefits.

C. Eligibility

The primary recipient of an AASP Community Outreach Grant may only receive funding once every 3 years; and, if the applicant receives more than one Community Outreach Grant (abiding by the 3-year timeline), the Community Outreach Grant cannot be with the same community organization for which the applicant has been previously awarded. Further, projects may only be submitted to and funded through one of the AASP Grant mechanisms (Research, Community Outreach, or Oglesby-Snyder). Research Grant and Oglesby-Snyder proposals are submitted via a separate application. To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity, applicants must have been a continuous member of AASP for at least 3 years.* Preference will be given to CMPCs and those working toward CMPC, but applicants are not required to possess CMPC status.

*If students cannot meet this requirement, they may co-author the proposal with a professional member who does meet the requirement (e.g., their advisor). However, it must be clear that it is the student's – not the professional member's – project.

**Important Note. Prior to full review by the Community Outreach Committee, the AASP staff will verify each submitted applicant's eligibility by reviewing the applicant's membership and certification status or progress towards certification. For example, the staff will determine if the certification for each AASP member listed on the grant is current or whether member's certification has lapsed. Further, the staff will determine when the applicant's member status and/or certification status expires and if they will need to renew membership or recertify during the term of the grant.

D. Application Procedure

Applications must be received no later than April 1 and must be submitted via the Google Form application. Applications must not exceed the page limitations described below and should clearly indicate how the project complies with the purpose(s) identified above. Proposals must include the following components:

1. Abstract (300 words or less).
2. Proposal (must not exceed the equivalent of six-double spaced pages). 
   - Stated purpose and specific aims.
   - Background and significance of the project, which must incorporate how models of research, scholarship, and/or theory will be used to support the provision of services being proposed.
   - Demonstration of project sustainability within the community group/organization.
   - Description of project/program evaluation. Although this is not the primary focus of the Community Outreach Grant, this section should demonstrate the applicant's intent and ability to measure success and/or impact of the project/program. 
3. References (cited in APA, 6th edition format).
4. Vitae for lead outreach practitioner [applicant] and CMPC® supervising mentor, if applicable (see Eligibility Requirements). Applicants' vitae must not exceed three single-spaced pages and should include academic degrees, positions held, awards, applied practice or community outreach experiences, publications, presentations, and other information as relevant to the current project.
5. Letter of support from CMPC supervising mentor, if applicable (see Eligibility Requirements), to oversee the project and provide documentation of direct and indirect hours acquired from the project's implementation. The CMPC supervising mentor must be a current AASP member and her or his certification must be current.
6. Letter of support from community group/organization stating willingness to participate in the outreach initiative. This letter of support must also provide evidence of community engagement and commitment to the project. This should include:
   a. Explanation of how the project is not simply providing services to the community group/organization, but engaging the community group/organization in the project, including a description of the organizational need, a common vision for the project, and shared goals with the Community Outreach Grant applicant.
   b. Description of the roles and responsibilities for the Community Outreach Grant applicant, as well as the community group/organization.
7. If data are being collected for research purposes* in conjunction with program implementation, applicants must also submit: a. Approval for the Use of Human Subjects by an Institutional Review Board. b. An informed consent form. c. An informed assent form for minors, if applicable.
8. Itemized budget and budget justification.*

*Monies will not be awarded for any component of the Community Outreach Grant involving research. Projects whose primary purpose is to answer research questions and test specific hypotheses should be submitted under the existing Research Grant mechanism. As such, the budget and budget justification submitted by the applicant for the Community Outreach Grant should only include items required for program development and program implementation, as well as program evaluation.

E. Budget and Timeframe

1. Budgets must fall between $250 and $5,000.
2. Awards will be paid to your department or organization/company, if one exists, and can cover costs such as necessary equipment, supplies/materials, program evaluation, and hourly assistance.
3. Budgets cannot include indirect costs, salaries or stipends for the Outreach Grant Team, or travel to present the results/outcomes of the project. As research projects will not be funded by this grant, budgets also cannot include items related to carrying out research related to the project (e.g., the purchase of instruments, survey copying costs, data collection, statistical software, salaries/wages for research personnel, travel to present results, etc.).
4. Grants are awarded for a one-year time frame beginning July 1.
5. Unspent balances will revert to AASP unless a written request for extension is submitted 6 weeks prior to grant expiration and is approved by the Community Outreach Grant Committee.
6. Failure to complete the project may require reimbursement.

F. Obligations

1. Award recipients must adhere to AASP's Code of Ethical Principles and Standards.
2. Award recipients must submit the following within 3 months after the end of the funding period (July 1):
   - Summary of the project, including the program evaluation and whether the goals/specific aims of the project were achieved (500 words or less).
   - Budget statement. If the grant is not managed through an organizational grants office (e.g., University grants office), then copies of original receipts must be submitted along with the final budget statement showing how the monies were spent. Email these items to AASP Communications Manager Emily Schoenbaechler once complete.
3. An abstract of the completed work must be submitted for consideration at the first eligible AASP conference that follows the completion of the grant.
4. Any presentations or publication(s) resulting from the grant or that highlight the community service project should acknowledge the funding from AASP that supported the initiative.

Applications are due April 1 of every year.

>> Click here to access the 2025 AASP Community Outreach Grant Application

This grant application is to be submitted via Google Form. We recommend having all of your responses prepared prior to beginning the application in a locally saved Word document, and then copying the information in when you are ready to submit. Follow through the form and complete all required items as well as any other relevant or necessary information. The appendices (Human Subjects Approval, Consent Form, and CVs) should be submitted by uploading PDFs to the Google Form. You will not be able to save an incomplete application and return to it; however, in the event that you don't know the answer to a question, you may enter some text as a placeholder, and then you will have the opportunity to make any edits after initially submitting the complete application. Please note that all applications will be considered final at the time of the deadline. Contact emily@hollandparlette.com if you have questions.

Applications that do not follow guidelines per instructions will not be reviewed.