Faculty Awards Funding

Purpose: To support tenured faculty doing research in alignment with the mission of Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

Duration: Awarded to one faculty member every other year.

Level of Funding/Support: This endowment, which is restricted to support tenured faculty only, will fund one faculty member for two years. The faculty recipient will be awarded either:

• 4 units of release time, be given an annual $5,000 stipend and have available an annual $20,000 research funds. Unused research funds may not be carried over after July 31. 
• 6 units of release time, be given an annual $15,000 stipend with no more than $5,000 stipend + $10K research funds OR research funds. Unused research funds may not be carried over after July 31. 

Program Details and Qualifications: 

• Faculty who are awarded this endowment will continue to receive their annual development funds. 
• Recipients are not eligible to apply for other internal research awards.
• Recipients are eligible to receive SA release time additive to the award. 
• Recipients may be expected to report the results of their research to their faculty colleagues at a future faculty meeting or similar venue, and prepare a final report. Further, recipients are expected to participate in future ad hoc review committees if called upon to serve.

Restrictions: Award recipients are not eligible for overload teaching or administrative assignments.

Other Requirements: Published articles resulting from work that is done supported by this funding should be acknowledged in the article.  Example: “This research was supported by the Denney Endowment at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.”

Current recipient: Cole Short (2025-2027)

Purpose:  Drs. Martha & Faustino Bernadett Faculty Fellows initiative at PGBS is designed to promote our Strategic Priority Goal of creating high-quality applied research that impacts students, business and society. This initiative offers a unique opportunity for faculty to deepen their research, enhance their teaching and student learning across PGBS, and contribute to the broader impact of PGBS scholarship.  The Drs. Martha & Faustino Bernadett Faculty Fellows program is especially interested in research that touches on entrepreneurship, ethics, and family business, and more broadly, faculty research that increases students’ career readiness and advancement, impacts business and organizations, and shapes business education at the Graziadio School.

Duration: Phase 1 (Current) - Awarded to three faculty members for a three-year term.

Program Qualifications: All full-time faculty members at PGBS are welcome to apply for the Drs. Martha & Faustino Bernadett Faculty Fellows initiative.

Award Structure: This fellowship initiative awards six faculty members with a 3-year appointment. Each recipient will receive an annual grant of $10,000 for three years ($7,000 research funds, + $3,000 in additional Professional Development Funds), totaling $30,000 over the appointment period. The award structure is broken into two phases.  The first phase will begin in January 2026, and will award three faculty with the terms above using donor current use dollars.  The second phase will occur after the endowment is fully funded (est. 2028-29), at which point a total of six faculty will be awarded with the terms above using endowment dollars.  

(Phase 1 - Pre-endowment)
This fellowship initiative awards three faculty members with a 3-year appointment. Each recipient will receive an annual grant of $10,000 for three years ($7,000 research funds, + $3,000 in additional Professional Development Funds), totaling $30,000 over the appointment period.  

Annual Grant Allocation Options:

• Option 1: $7,000 in research funds + $3,000 in professional development funds.
• Option 2: $7,000 of the $10,000 can be allocated for a 2-unit course reduction*.

Important Note: Annual grants are allocated on a yearly basis and may be rolled over into subsequent years within the three-year timeframe.

Application Process:  Interested faculty should submit the following materials:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Research proposal outlining planned research activities for the three-year term.
• Statement of teaching philosophy and how their scholarship is currently integrated into their own teaching and the PGBS curriculum.
• Statement on the potential and anticipated impact of their scholarship on students, business and society.
• How the proposed research is expected to influence thinking and practice in the fields of entrepreneurship, family business, or business ethics. Interview (if applicable): Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview with the Selection Committee. 

Selection Process: 

The Selection Committee will evaluate applications based on the following criteria:

• Applied Research Quality and Impact: Evidence of how the applicant's scholarship creates high-quality applied research that impacts business practice, societal outcomes, and Graziadio student readiness and advancement, especially in the area of entrepreneurship, family business, and ethics.  Quality research that does not align with these areas of interest will be considered, but priority will be given to the domains above.
• Curriculum Integration: Demonstrated ability to integrate scholarship into their own teaching and across the PGBS curriculum.
• Innovation and Potential: The potential for the proposed research and teaching initiatives to contribute significantly to PGBS's strategic goals.

Selection Committee: The Selection Committee will comprise members from various departments within PGBS, chaired by the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, with recommendations made to the Dean.

Appointment and Notification: Successful applicants will be notified of their appointment as Drs. Martha & Faustino Bernadett Faculty Fellows at the conclusion of the selection process. The three-year appointment will commence in February, 2026, and end July 31, 2028. (NOTE: The first year’s funding of $10,000 will be available in full.)

Fellow Responsibilities:

Drs. Martha & Faustino Bernadett Faculty Fellows are expected to:

• Actively engage in research activities aligned with their proposal.
• Demonstrate the integration of their scholarship into their teaching, and contribute research output to a clearinghouse for PGBS faculty to incorporate into the curriculum.
• Contribute to the broader impact of PGBS's research and curriculum.
• Submit an annual progress report to the Sr. Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, by July 1 of each year of their fellowship which will be shared with the Dean and the Donors.
• Participate in fellowship-related events or presentations, as requested. 
  
  • Engage with the Curriculum Committee to highlight key research findings and projects that are candidates for inclusion in PGBS curriculum across multiple programs and disciplines.
  • Present at an annual faculty meeting to share highlights of current research projects and how they can be integrated into PGBS classes effectively.
  • Present at annual brown-bags or workshops for faculty to discuss how to integrate applied research generally, and specifically the research of the fellows.

Please submit a proposal with the following information:

Current recipients: Cristina Gibson, Kevin Groves, Cristel Russell (February 2026 - July 2028)

*The calculation of the release is based on the approximate cost of an adjunct faculty per unit ($3,000 salary +the 17% burden charged by the University )

 

Purpose: To support tenured and tenure-track faculty research that is aligned with the missions of Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. 

Duration: Awarded to one faculty member annually for a two-year term.

Level of Funding/Support: This endowment will fund one tenured or tenure-track faculty member for the two-year period. The faculty recipient will be awarded either: 

• 4 units of release time for each year, along with an annual research budget of $5,000. Unused funds may not be carried over after the end of the term of the award, or across fiscal years. 
• 2 units of release time for each year, along with an annual research budget of $15,000. Unused funds may not be carried over after the end of the term of the award, or across fiscal years. 

Program Detail and Qualifications: 

• All tenure and tenure-track faculty members are eligible for the Julian Virtue Professorship. 
• Faculty who are awarded this endowment will continue to receive their annual development funds. 
• In addition, they may apply for additional research funding if it becomes available; however, their applications will receive secondary priority. 
• Recipients are eligible to receive SA release time additive to the award. 
• Recipients may be expected to report the results of their research to their faculty colleagues at a future faculty meeting or similar venue, and prepare a final report. Further, recipients are expected to participate in future ad hoc review committees if called upon to serve.

Other Requirements:  Published articles and conference papers resulting from research that are supported by this funding should specifically acknowledge the funding in all presentations and manuscripts as follows: “This research was supported by the Julian Virtue Professorship Endowment at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.” 

Restrictions: Award recipients are not eligible for overload teaching or administrative assignments, and must comply with the PGBS Research Award Concurrency Policy.  

Selection Process: 

Awards will be made by the Dean and Vice Dean of Academic & Student Affairs, upon recommendation of an ad hoc review committee:

• An ad hoc review committee of 3-4 previous award winners and SA faculty from multiple departments will review and recommend winners.
  • The committee should not have more than one representative from a single department, and will ideally include representatives from each department.
  • Department Chairs and Leadership Team members shall not serve on the committee.

The ad hoc committee will be asked to prioritize funding based on the following:

• Award recipients should be chosen based on the content of their proposal and their ability to complete the outlined research in a manner that supports the mission of the school. Mission-aligned research that impacts business-practice and society will be prioritized.
• Ceteris paribus, tenure-track, junior faculty, and those who have not recently received award funding from Graziadio should be prioritized.
• Scholarly Active status is not required for the award. However, all applications will be reviewed based on both the quality of the proposal, and the probability of publishing mission-aligned research that impacts business-practice and society.
• Prior to applying, please consult with your Department Chair. 

Proposal Requirements: 

Please submit a proposal with the following information:

• Indication of which format you would prefer (either 4 units of release time with $5,000 in research funding; or 2 units with $15,000 of research funding).
• Extended abstract of the research project(s) (Maximum of 800 words)
• Intended use for funding in a table (if applicable)
• List of previous research awards received from Graziadio and Pepperdine
• Current CV

Current recipients: Augus Harjoto (2025-2027)