National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education
Programs > Engaged Scholar Program

engaged-scholar-glode-300w.jpgEngaged Scholar Program

Requests for information and applications should be sent to Masoud Moghaddam at .

The Application Deadline is April 15, 2026.

  • NAKHE extends its mentoring efforts into the area of scholarship through the Engaged Scholars Program (ESP). This program establishes mentoring and networking opportunities in scholarship for tenured associate professors, with the intention of supporting their career moves through the promotion process at their own institutions. The ESP will provide financial support for NAKHE members to collaborate with established senior scholars on scholarly endeavors. The intent of the ESP is to encourage those recently tenured/promoted to continue their professional development and advance to the rank of professor in collaboration with a preferred mentor/senior scholar recruited from the NAKHE membership. Financial support is provided by the NAKHE Foundation.
  • Eligibility – Engaged Scholar Status
    • Must be a current NAKHE member
    • Must hold the rank of associate professor
    • Must be an active scholar with a demonstrated area of scholarship
      • Provide a current curriculum vitae that includes information on current academic rank status.
      • Provide most recent scholarly endeavors (publications and presentations within the past 5 years);
      • Provide a statement of a research interest area (1 paragraph);
      • Nominate a NAKHE senior mentor (rank of professor) OR request a mentor from the ESP selection task force; and
      • Provide a possible research project (1 paragraph)
    • Must be available to collaborate with a senior scholar over a 12-month period on a joint research project
    • Assume responsibility for the production of tangible scholarly products (presentations and publications)
    • Must meet all required deadlines
  • Eligibility – Senior Scholar Status
    • Must be a current NAKHE member
    • Must be an established scholar in a subdiscipline of kinesiology
    • Must be available to collaborate with the selected Engaged Scholar on a specified research project with the intent of establishing a joint research project over a 12 month period
    • Provide a current curriculum vitae
  • Engaged Scholar Program Process
    • Awards of $2,000 will be available to support the ESP mentoring dyad's work. The intent of the program is for the engaged scholar to nominate a senior NAKHE colleague to serve as a mentor. Faculty seeking to be an Engaged Scholar and have yet to identify a senior partner are also welcome to apply. Multiple ESP dyads will be supported each year. The selection of ESP dyads will be made by a selection task force established by the NAKHE President. The task force will be comprised of NAKHE members who have served in leadership capacities (elected officers, committee chairs, subcommittee chairs, editors, etc.).
    • Once selected, the ESP dyads will collaborate for up to 12 months and complete a scholarly product. The products of the collaboration should be disseminated through scholarly presentations at NAKHE conferences and in NAKHE publications, as well as other outlets.
  • Deadlines
    • The Application Deadline is April 15, 2026.
    • Financial awards and ESP dyad couplings will be notified by August 1st.
    • ESP Dyads begin collaborations immediately after notification of the $2,000 award.
    • The ESP dyads will present update sessions in January of the next year (7 months after the award date).
    • Final project presentations will be scheduled for the annual conference 18 months after the award date.
  • Requests for information and applications should be sent to:
    Masoud Moghaddam at 
  • Download the Engaged Scholar Application Form
  • Past Engaged Scholar Recipients
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