Bar Success Research Grant Program FAQs

You may access the online application system using this link. 

Yes. All applicants must create an account in the online application system in order to submit a proposal. This is a one-time registration process. If you have created an account in the past under the same email address through which you wish to apply again, you will not need to create a new account.

No. You will not need to create a new login and password. However, once logged in, please be sure to make any necessary updates to your contact information.

Letters of inquiry will be accepted from March 15, 2024 through April 19, 2024 (11:59PM EST). We strongly urge applicants to begin the process as early as possible. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.

Yes. A web page listing the questions and possible answers is available on this site, so that you can preview and prepare ahead of time.

Yes. Please note that the application questions have character limits. After copying and pasting text from Word into the application form, proofread for any loss of information.

If you have any technical difficulties accessing or using the online grant application, please contact Grants@accesslex.org with the word “Question” in the subject line.

AccessLex will review grant proposals only from U.S.-based tax-exempt non-profit educational institutions and other nonprofit and public organizations. Faculty members, practitioners and researchers may apply for grants through their eligible affiliated organization. Please review the application policy eligibility section for the exact Internal Revenue Code tax-exempt designations.

No. AccessLex will not review proposals from for-profit organizations.

Yes. AccessLex encourages applicants to investigate and comply with any mandatory or encouraged grant application procedures at their institutions. These procedures vary across institutions; therefore, applicants should contact the appropriate offices at their institutions (e.g., Office of Sponsored Research) for more information. This contact should be made prior to submitting a grant application.

Please contact your organization’s finance office to receive your Tax ID. Your organization’s Tax ID number is a requirement for submitting an application.

Yes. However, no duplicate proposals should be submitted for a specific project.

Yes. AccessLex will consider all proposals that fit within the scope of this grant and meet the eligibility requirements.

Applicants should carefully follow the grant application review schedule on the website for deadlines and notifications.

The number of funded proposals varies from year to year, but the process is highly competitive and only a small number of proposals are funded each year.

To be fundable for the Bar Success Research Grant Program, projects must have: (1) a duration of 12–24 months and seek funding in the amount of $150,000–$300,000; and (2) a clear research design, using appropriate methodologies. Examples of focus include predictors of bar exam performance; bar exam test design and/or efficacy; and successful study or preparation methodologies. Proposals focusing on other relevant aspects of the bar exam are also welcomed.

Proposals that do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be considered.

Yes. But grantees should be aware that the odds of receiving a subsequent award of grant funding are low. Therefore, grantees are encouraged to pursue funding from other sources.

Yes, we believe that this is a useful timeframe for planning and conducting a research project.

Yes. Existing programs are required to provide information pertaining to outcomes in the application. It is acceptable to use this data to highlight areas of needed improvement in which grant funds could help.

Applicants can look for a preview of the questions on the LOI form and the Full Proposal application. Further, AccessLex encourages applicants to watch our pre-recorded webinar to learn how to create an evaluation plan for your grant proposal. All applicants invited to submit a full proposal will be required to work with an independent evaluation consultant to develop a project evaluation plan and complete the rubric.

We encourage applications from programs that display a collaborative approach and strong partnerships with other organizations to achieve the goal of improving bar passage rates among students and graduates at risk of not passing. Meaningful collaborations with and between member institutions, existing academic support programs, academic and bar success programs, and other stakeholders in law school academic success programs are acceptable.

We will do our best to help facilitate collaborations and partnerships between organizations committed to enhancing access to legal education for students from diverse backgrounds. Please contact us at Grants@accesslex.org if you are looking to identify partnerships and collaborations.

AccessLex encourages applicants to share as much information as possible with respect to sustainability, including names of current and/or prospective funders, as well as fundraising or development plans.

AccessLex encourages applicants to describe any plans to announce receipt of the grant and/or any plans to disseminate information about program activities and participant outcomes experienced during the period of grant funding. Further, AccessLex will have the exclusive right for 30 days after any results of the grant are publicly available to publish the results, including the final report, on AccessLex Institute’s website. Further information can be found in Section 6. Publicity of the AccessLex Institute Grant Agreement template.

The Bar Success Research Grant Program is intended to support well-designed and rigorous studies of the bar examination. Incentives or stipends may be allowed pursuant to a well-designed proposal.

Yes, but only as long as the bar preparation materials are produced by Helix Bar Review, Inc. ("Helix"), a nonprofit affiliate of AccessLex. Such materials will be provided on an in-kind (non-cash) basis. In the alternative, applicants can seek alternate funding for research components requiring use of non-Helix programs or materials.

AccessLex has compiled the following recommendations that we believe will help improve future proposal submissions for all applicants:

• Review the scope of the grant program closely to ensure that the proposed project adheres to all guidelines provided in the application policy.
• Provide clear and complementary research questions, theoretical frameworks, and data.
• Familiarize yourself with the deadlines.
• Ensure sufficient expertise in research methods.
• Conduct a final review of the application to ensure all information typed or pasted into the online application system appears accurately in the desired format and ensure that you have answered all required questions.
• Ensure that your contact information is current to facilitate correspondence.