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Resources for Graduate Students and Researchers 

The International Ombuds Association has several opportunities to support those studying and researching ombuds work and impact:

Established Research Agenda  |  Research Awards | Research Grant Program
Opportunities to be Published  |  Poster Sessions at Conference
Internships, Practicums and Assistantships  |  Scholarships  |  Membership

1. Established Research Agenda 

IOA, through its Research and Assessment Committee, has identified the areas of the field that need further research through our Research agenda that covers three primary areas: The Ombuds Profession, Ombuds Practices, and The Ombuds Professional with eight research goals. For more information, visit the Research and Assessment Committee webpage. 

 2. Research Awards 

IOA acknowledges students and professionals through two annual research awards to encourage and recognize research that significantly adds to the body of knowledge on the organizational ombuds profession, practices, and professionals. One is the Professional Research Award; the other is the Student Research Award. Award recipients will receive monetary awards and recognition at the IOA Annual Conference. Award nominations will be accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit the Research Awards webpage.

3. Research Grant Program

This program facilitates research related to organizational ombuds theory and practice. Quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methodologies are welcome, as is research from a variety of disciplinary perspectives on the following:

The Ombuds Profession:

  1. To Examine How Ombuds Demonstrate and Communicate Value

  2. To Better Understand the IOA Standards of Practice (SOP) and Code of Ethics (COE)

  3. To Assess the Development and Health of the Ombuds Profession

Ombuds Practices:

  1. To Explain How Ombuds Carry Out Their Work

  2. To Describe How Ombuds Gather, Use, and Report Data

  3. To Determine How Ombuds Build Collaborative Relationships in Their Organizations and Profession

The Ombuds Professional:

  1. To Explore the Development, Identity, Characteristics, and Skills of Ombuds

  2. To Examine the Nature and Scope of the Ombuds Role and Position

4. Opportunities to be Published

IOA offers several avenues to help students and researchers get published: 

A) Journal of the International Ombuds Association (JIOA) is the peer reviewed scholarly journal of the field of organizational ombuds. JIOA welcomes submissions about theory, practice, research and book reviews and hosts a writer’s club to support authorship. For more information, visit the JIOA webpage.

New in 2025, is the addition of a Student Editor position on the journal’s Editorial Board.

B) IOA Book Publishing. In 2025, IOA published its first book launching its publishing arm. For more information on the book, visit the IOA Books webpage.

For information on how to submit a book proposal, contact Executive Director Ellen Miller at [email protected]

C) Independent Voice Blog also offers an opportunity to share research and observations. For information on submissions, visit the Independent Voice Blog webpage.

Ph.D Candidates are always encouraged to submit their dissertations for publication.    

5. Poster Sessions at Conference

Interested in participating in a poster session at IOA’s annual conference to showcase your research? Contact [email protected].

6. Internships, Practicums, and Assistantships

IOA does not offer internships, practicums, or assistantships. Although, we make our Job Board available for ombuds offices to post opportunities for graduate students. We encourage you to visit the Job Board and also, contact your school’s career services office for formal support coordinating internships or course practicums. 

7. Scholarships

IOA offers several scholarships each year: 

  1. Foundations Scholarships. The scholarship application window generally runs November-December of the year prior to the applicant's desired course year. Eligibility criteria and scholarship requirements involve financial needs, professional references, and a written summary of the recipient's experience from the course. This scholarship covers the course fee for a Virtual Foundations Course. 

  1. Annual Conference Scholarships. For the 2026 IOA Conference, we are offering two types of scholarships: International Scholarships and Aspiring Ombuds Scholarships. 

8. Membership

We encourage those researching the field to join our community. Researchers may join the association as a regular member and students may join the association at a significantly discounted rate. Learn more and become an IOA member today!