RAC Leadership Launches a New Award for Innovation in Organizational Psychology
RAC Leadership, a Southern California–based leadership development firm, is taking a concrete step to champion academic excellence with the creation of the RAC Leadership Award for Applied Organizational Psychology at Fielding Graduate University. The award is designed to support an outstanding doctoral student concentrating on Organizational Development and Change (ODC) and to accelerate fresh, applied research in organizational psychology that organizations can actually use.
What the RAC Leadership Award Stands For
The RAC Leadership Award is more than funding; it’s a deliberate investment in the next wave of scholar-practitioners. Its purpose is to encourage doctoral candidates to pursue work that reflects RAC Leadership’s core principles and produces research with substance—work that can be tested, measured, and put into practice.
Application of Research
The award favors projects that deliver practical outcomes, clear relevance, and measurable impact in the organizational development space. Applicants should show how their studies can translate into tools, practices, or decisions that improve real workplaces and help leaders navigate change with evidence-backed approaches.
Relevance to Current Trends
Workplaces change fast. To stay useful, research has to meet the moment. The award supports studies that engage with current or emerging topics shaping organizational psychology, so recipients are ready to address the complex, evolving conditions leaders face today.
A Commitment to Innovative, Applied Research
Applicants will be expected to demonstrate a sustained commitment to advancing organizational psychology through original, applied inquiry. The focus is on research that can spark meaningful shifts in how organizations operate—studies that move beyond theory to inform decisions, policies, and everyday practices.
Mike Herron, Managing Principal of RAC Leadership, emphasized the award’s intent, stating, “By supporting innovative research that addresses real-world challenges, we aim to empower the next generation of organizational leaders. The insights generated by emerging scholar-practitioners will advance the field and create lasting, positive impacts on businesses and communities.” That vision aligns with Fielding Graduate University’s mission and its emphasis on rigorous, applied scholarship.
Collaboration with Fielding Graduate University
RAC Leadership and Fielding Graduate University share a clear goal: nurture academic excellence and deliver results that matter outside the classroom. Patrice E. Rosenthal, Ph.D., Program Director of Human and Organizational Development at Fielding, noted, “This award is a remarkable opportunity for our doctoral students to bridge academic research with practical, real-world impact. It allows our scholars to tackle pressing issues such as leadership dynamics and organizational change.”
By backing applied organizational psychology, RAC Leadership highlights the essential interplay between theory and practice and underscores the value of actionable insights that leaders can adopt without losing rigor.
Application Availability and What Comes Next
The RAC Leadership Award application will be available to prospective doctoral students in the upcoming fall semester. This initiative underscores the role leadership firms can play in shaping the future of organizational development education. Students who want to explore Fielding’s programs—and see how this award might support their research—are encouraged to connect with the university to learn more about timelines and fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RAC Leadership Award?
It’s a new award that supports an exceptional doctoral student in Organizational Development and Change (ODC) at Fielding Graduate University, with the aim of advancing applied, innovative research in organizational psychology.
Who can apply for the award?
Doctoral students focused on Organizational Development who demonstrate a strong commitment to moving the field forward through innovative, practice-ready research are eligible to apply.
How does the award help students and organizations?
The award provides financial backing for research designed to produce practical, measurable benefits—helping students test ideas in real settings and helping organizations address concrete challenges with evidence-informed solutions.
When will the application be available?
The application will open in the upcoming fall semester. Interested students should watch for university communications and program updates as that timeline approaches.
What principles guide the award’s selection?
Two priorities lead the way: application and relevance. Proposals should show how the research can be used in practice and how it addresses current or emerging topics in organizational psychology.
