After extensive and careful consideration, the  NIRSA Foundation and the NIRSA Research and Assessment Committee are excited to announce that Dianna Clauss, Director of Recreation Programs at Rider University has been awarded one of NIRSA’s 2018 research grants!

This year, many exceptional proposals were received and identifying the most deserving recipients was a challenging task. The NIRSA Foundation and the NIRSA Research and Assessment Committee are grateful for all the applicants and their continued support of our mission and passion for research on the impact of campus recreation.

See related: NIRSA to support research on “campus recreation participation and psychological wellbeing;” “the impact of LGBTQ diversity training on attitudes and competencies;” and “on recreation professionals’ engagement with social justice”

Dianna Clauss’ project seeks to explore the impact of a comprehensive student health and wellbeing education program on the retention rate of residential first-year students. Results will inform professionals in campus recreation about the value of holistic wellbeing education on student outcomes and the efficacy of using an integrated approach (i.e., a digital learning platform coupled with relevant in-person instruction and discussion) to deliver such an educational program.

This project is supported by the NIRSA Foundation

The NIRSA Foundation continues to support research that broadens the knowledge base in the field of campus recreation. The NIRSA Research Grant Program funds original, scholarly research projects that advance the knowledge base and practices of our profession. Previously funded research projects and the recipients can be found on the NIRSA Research Grant webpage and many of their contributions to the literature can be found in the Recreational Sports Journal, the scholarly publication from the NIRSA Foundation dedicated to publishing empirical, theoretical, and applied research in the field. NIRSA members have free access to current and archive issues of the RSJ.

The results of this project will be shared at an upcoming NIRSA Annual Conference and may also be featured in an future issue of the RSJ.

  • For more information about the NIRSA research grant program, contact Ruben Guzman, Research Coordinator at NIRSA Headquarters.
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Adrienne Ansel is currently the Student Supervisor of Fitness at Bowling Green State University and a member of NIRSA's Research and Assessment Committee; she can be reached at aansel@bgsu.edu.